‘I’m really happy, but it’s bittersweet’: podium place for a World Championships faller at Burghley
The US’s Caroline Pamukcu scored her third top-four finish at five-star in less than a year today, riding HSH Blake to third at Burghley
Caroline Pamukcu had a “bittersweet” podium finish at Defender Burghley Horse Trials this afternoon, finishing third on HSH Blake.
Like British winner Gemma Stevens, the US rider was eliminated at the eventing World Championships in Aachen last month. In Caroline’s case, she fell at fence 17 on the cross-country, caught out by a short distance and then tipped off in an awkward jump. She then re-routed Blake to the British five-star.
“I’m really happy, but it’s bittersweet, I would say,” said Caroline, 31, of her first Burghley.
“I’m very disappointed that I fell for my team at worlds, but I hope I redeemed myself this weekend.”
Caroline had the first fence down today on Blake, owned by Mollie Hoff, the rider, her mother Sherrie Martin and husband Deniz.
“He’s amazing jumper, isn’t he? He was just unreal through the whole round. He was jumping out of skin. The first rail was my fault,” said Caroline, who said it’s her job to stay cool after that early mistake and she’d hope she can do that with her experience.
The pair moved up from fifth overnight, despite their four faults, and finished third behind Britain’s leading pair, Gemma Stevens, with Chilli Knight, and Katie Magee with Treworra.
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Blake is still only 11. A Pan American Games champion at eight, he was a much-discussed and very successful young horse, but his bubble burst a year later when he and Caroline were a little disappointingly average at the Paris Olympics in 2024.
Caroline then had a daughter, also called Blake, but her comeback since then has been impressive; this was the horse Blake’s third top-four five-star result in less than a year. He was fourth at Maryland 5 Star last year, second at Kentucky Three-Day Event in April and now third at Burghley.
- To re-live the week from Defender Burghley Horse Trials, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website plus buy this week’s magazine (10 September) for a full report.
Pippa is a true eventing geek and has been H&H’s eventing editor since 2005. She has first-hand experience of competing up to British Eventing intermediate and international CCI2*-L level, and has worked in the industry on a top event yard. Pippa enjoys nothing more than immersing herself in the sport at the highest level, reporting from the five-stars and international championships, including the Olympics.