Burton goes top as Antipodeans dominate Burghley

Australia’s Christopher Burton has gone straight to the top of the leaderboard after the dressage phase at the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials.

Riding the 11-year old Nobilis 18, Burton produced a fluent test to score 30.2pen, giving him 4.3 penalties in hand over nearest rival Bettina Hoy.

“Nobilis was fantastic and I’m so proud of him,” he said. “He can be quirky and he got rather lit up at Badminton, but here he let me ride him and put my leg on.”

Burton won team bronze recently in Rio, but missed out on an individual medal when finishing fifth. Back in England, where he is based, he is aiming to win his first British four-star with the 17hh gelding Nobilis.

The Antipodean riders dominated today, taking eight of the top 10 placings.

Andrew Nicholson, 55, lies in third place on Nereo, with a score of 35.2pen.

“I think the soft going in the arena perhaps shut his power off a bit, and as he’s a sensitive horse I thought I’d accept it rather than pushing him,” he said. “Nereo has been one of my favourite horses ever since I got him and I trust him to behave with the crowd and to concentrate.”

Fellow New Zealander Caroline Powell, who won Burghley in 2010 on Lenamore, lies fourth with Onwards and Upwards.

Best of the Brits at this stage is Oliver Townend, who is in fifth place on MHS King Joules. Australia’s Andrew Hoy is sixth with The Blue Frontier, just ahead of last year’s runner-up, New Zealander Tim Price (Ringwood Sky Boy).

Blyth Tait (Bear Necessity V) and Sir Mark Todd (NZB Campino) complete the top 10, leaving only Oliver Townend and Bettina Hoy to break the run of Australian and New Zealand flags dominating the scoreboard.

But of course it’s a very early stage in proceedings, and tomorrow the riders must face Captain Mark Phillips’ challenging cross-country track.

“I think I’m more terrified than excited,” confessed Christopher Burton. “It’s hard to feel confident when you’re facing the cross-country at Burghley – it doesn’t matter how many times you’ve been here, the Leaf Pit is still huge – but I’m on a blood horse and this place always gets me going.”

Results after dressage

1 Christopher Burton/Nobilis 18 (AUS) 30.2

2 Bettina Hoy/Designer 10 (GER) 34.5

3 Andrew Nicholson/Nereo (NZL) 35.2

4 Caroline Powell/Onwards and Upwards (NZL) 37.8

5 Oliver Townend/MHS King Joules (GBR) 38.1

6 Andrew Hoy/Blue Frontier (AUS) 38.3

7 Tim Price/Ringwood Sky Boy (NZL) 38.9

8 Sam Griffiths/Happy Times (AUS) 39.6

9 Blyth Tait/Bear Necessity V (NZL) 40.0

10 Sir Mark Todd/NZB Campino (NZL) 42.2