Oliver Townend Takes His Second Burghley Title With Ballaghmor Class
By Kate Green
Oliver Townend (GBR) kept his head in a tense final jumping round at the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials to score his first CCI4* victory for eight years and head a British sweep of the top four places.
He overcame a nerve-racking moment when the 10-year-old Irish Sports Horse Ballaghmor Class crashed through the upright gate but, fortunately for him, the previous pair in the arena, Gemma Tattersall (GBR) and Arctic Soul had given him breathing space when they had a fence down.
Tattersall finished third, slipping one place behind Piggy French (GBR), who jumped clear on the mare Vanir Kamira to move up from fifth after cross country to the runner-up slot.
Tom McEwen (GBR) riding Toledo de Kerser rose three places to fourth, a career best, with a beautifully judged clear round, and Kristina Cook (GBR), one of the British gold medal team at last month’s FEI European Championships in Strzegom, moved up from 10th to seventh on Star Witness.
Richard Jeffry’s track produced seven clear rounds from the 40 finishers, two of which were with time faults.
New Zealander Tim Price was the highest-placed non-British rider, in fifth on Ringwood Sky Boy. America’s Lynn Symansky was sixth on Donner and Andrew Nicholson (NZL) and the gallant 17-year-old Nereo were eighth with two rails down.
Final Results:
1. Oliver Townend, Ballaghmor Class (GBR) 40.2 + 0.4 + 5 = 45.6
2. Piggy French, Vanir Kamira (GBR) 43.7 + 3.2 + 0 = 46.9
3. Gemma Tattersall, Arctic Soul (GBR) 43.0 + 0 + 4 = 47.0
Michael Jung (GER) Led Dressage After Day One At Burghley
By Kate Green
World number one Michael Jung (GER) has yet again set the target with a beautifully ridden dressage test on La Biosthetique Sam, now 17, to take an early lead at the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials, final leg of the 2016/2017 FEI Classics™.
The double Olympic champions, winners here in 2015 and current FEI Classics™ series leader, impressed the ground jury — Martin Plewa (president, GER), Katarzyna Konarski (POL) and Harry Payne (GBR) — to earn the only sub-40 mark of the day, 38.9 penalties, and lead over British national champions Gemma Tattersall and the former racehorse Arctic Soul by 4.1 penalties.
Legendary Todd And Leonidas II Take Over Dressage Lead At Burghley
By Kate Green
Nearly 40 years after the legendary Sir Mark Todd (NZL) first rode at the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials (GBR) he is in the lead after dressage with Leonidas ll on a mark of 36.7. In a star-studded line-up, the double Olympic champion heads the USA’s Lauren Kieffer on Veronica ll by just 0.3 of a penalty, with world number one and FEI Classics™ leader Michael Jung now in third on La Biosthetique Sam.
The tall, lean New Zealander, 61, who last triumphed at Burghley in 1999, made an elegant picture on the German-bred 13-year-old, the bay gelding remaining obedient yet lively and light in his paces as well as beautifully supple.
Results after Dressage:
1. Sir Mark Todd, Leonicas II *NZL) 36.7
2. Lauren Kieffer, Veronica II (USA) 37.0
3. Michael Jung, La Biosthetique Sam FBW (GER) 38.9
Oliver Townend And Ballaghmor Class Head A British Trio At Burghley After Cross Country
By Kate Green
Oliver Townend (GBR), very last out on the cross country at the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials, produced a superb display of horsemanship on the inexperienced Ballaghmor Class to head a British one-two-three.
Townend, 31, won Badminton and Burghley in 2009 and is the British number one, but has struggled to find a consistently top horse since then. However, the Irish-bred 10-year-old by Courage galloped and jumped easily and looks a star for the future, finishing on a score of 40.6.
Fellow Briton Gemma Tattersall held the lead for most of the day on the ex-racehorse Arctic Soul with one of only three rounds inside the time, going into tomorrow’s final jumping phase with 43.0 penalties.
Izzy Taylor (GBR), whose great-aunt Anneli Drummond-Hay (GBR) won the first Burghley, in 1961, is in third place on a new ride, Trevidden, by the great eventing sire Fleetwater Opposition, on 45.6 penalties.
Results after Cross Country:
1. Oliver Townend, Ballaghmor Class (GBR) 40.2 + 0.4 = 40.6
2. Gemma Tattersall, Arctic Soul (GBR) 43.0 + 0 = 43.0
3. Izzy Taylor, Trevidden (GBR) 45.6 + 0 = 45.6
By Kate Green
Oliver Townend (GBR) kept his head in a tense final jumping round at the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials to score his first CCI4* victory for eight years and head a British sweep of the top four places.
He overcame a nerve-racking moment when the 10-year-old Irish Sports Horse Ballaghmor Class crashed through the upright gate but, fortunately for him, the previous pair in the arena, Gemma Tattersall (GBR) and Arctic Soul had given him breathing space when they had a fence down.
Tattersall finished third, slipping one place behind Piggy French (GBR), who jumped clear on the mare Vanir Kamira to move up from fifth after cross country to the runner-up slot.
Tom McEwen (GBR) riding Toledo de Kerser rose three places to fourth, a career best, with a beautifully judged clear round, and Kristina Cook (GBR), one of the British gold medal team at last month’s FEI European Championships in Strzegom, moved up from 10th to seventh on Star Witness.
Richard Jeffry’s track produced seven clear rounds from the 40 finishers, two of which were with time faults.
New Zealander Tim Price was the highest-placed non-British rider, in fifth on Ringwood Sky Boy. America’s Lynn Symansky was sixth on Donner and Andrew Nicholson (NZL) and the gallant 17-year-old Nereo were eighth with two rails down.
Final Results:
1. Oliver Townend, Ballaghmor Class (GBR) 40.2 + 0.4 + 5 = 45.6
2. Piggy French, Vanir Kamira (GBR) 43.7 + 3.2 + 0 = 46.9
3. Gemma Tattersall, Arctic Soul (GBR) 43.0 + 0 + 4 = 47.0
Michael Jung (GER) Led Dressage After Day One At Burghley
By Kate Green
World number one Michael Jung (GER) has yet again set the target with a beautifully ridden dressage test on La Biosthetique Sam, now 17, to take an early lead at the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials, final leg of the 2016/2017 FEI Classics™.
The double Olympic champions, winners here in 2015 and current FEI Classics™ series leader, impressed the ground jury — Martin Plewa (president, GER), Katarzyna Konarski (POL) and Harry Payne (GBR) — to earn the only sub-40 mark of the day, 38.9 penalties, and lead over British national champions Gemma Tattersall and the former racehorse Arctic Soul by 4.1 penalties.
Legendary Todd And Leonidas II Take Over Dressage Lead At Burghley
By Kate Green
Nearly 40 years after the legendary Sir Mark Todd (NZL) first rode at the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials (GBR) he is in the lead after dressage with Leonidas ll on a mark of 36.7. In a star-studded line-up, the double Olympic champion heads the USA’s Lauren Kieffer on Veronica ll by just 0.3 of a penalty, with world number one and FEI Classics™ leader Michael Jung now in third on La Biosthetique Sam.
The tall, lean New Zealander, 61, who last triumphed at Burghley in 1999, made an elegant picture on the German-bred 13-year-old, the bay gelding remaining obedient yet lively and light in his paces as well as beautifully supple.
Results after Dressage:
1. Sir Mark Todd, Leonicas II *NZL) 36.7
2. Lauren Kieffer, Veronica II (USA) 37.0
3. Michael Jung, La Biosthetique Sam FBW (GER) 38.9
Oliver Townend And Ballaghmor Class Head A British Trio At Burghley After Cross Country
By Kate Green
Oliver Townend (GBR), very last out on the cross country at the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials, produced a superb display of horsemanship on the inexperienced Ballaghmor Class to head a British one-two-three.
Townend, 31, won Badminton and Burghley in 2009 and is the British number one, but has struggled to find a consistently top horse since then. However, the Irish-bred 10-year-old by Courage galloped and jumped easily and looks a star for the future, finishing on a score of 40.6.
Fellow Briton Gemma Tattersall held the lead for most of the day on the ex-racehorse Arctic Soul with one of only three rounds inside the time, going into tomorrow’s final jumping phase with 43.0 penalties.
Izzy Taylor (GBR), whose great-aunt Anneli Drummond-Hay (GBR) won the first Burghley, in 1961, is in third place on a new ride, Trevidden, by the great eventing sire Fleetwater Opposition, on 45.6 penalties.
Results after Cross Country:
1. Oliver Townend, Ballaghmor Class (GBR) 40.2 + 0.4 = 40.6
2. Gemma Tattersall, Arctic Soul (GBR) 43.0 + 0 = 43.0
3. Izzy Taylor, Trevidden (GBR) 45.6 + 0 = 45.6
