Andrew Nicholson and William Fox-Pitt retain the top two positions they held at lunchtime at the end of the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials cross-country day.
Dressage leader Clayton Fredericks lost his position when he added 10 time-faults across country on Nullabor. He lies seventh.
“Of course I’m disappointed I’m not in the lead, but the reality is he’s not an experienced horse,” said Clayton. “This is only his second four-star and the horses who have gone clear in the time today are generally the older, more experienced ones.
“When I felt him blowing a bit harder I backed off him. I haven’t had the greatest times before at Burghley so I just wanted a good clear, and I’m really pleased with him.”
Polly Stockton (pictured) strengthened the British hand when she put in a foot-perfect clear inside the time to take third with Tom Quigley.
“I’d been watching all day and I thought, ‘Oh god, every fence is causing problems’. But he was brilliant. At Badminton he stopped at the coffin because I was half-hearted about whether I was going to run, so I made myself get a grip today.”
Zara Phillips stays 23rd after adding 20.4 time-faults during her clear round on Ardfield Magic Star. Her hairiest moment came when the horse, who can be strong, tried to take on an alternative mushroom backwards at the Coutts Curve (fences 25 and 26 – view this fence) and bumped into the side of the fence.
Although the course generally jumped better in the afternoon, with many riders using long routes, there were still plenty of faults and heart-stopping moments.
Olivia Haddow, seventh equal after dressage, had a fall at the first water (The Land Rover Trout Hatchery, fences 10, 11 and 12 – view this fence) with the crowd favourite Patris Filius.
Matt Ryan, who lay 10th after dressage, pulled up Bonza Katoomba, who went lame on course.
Log back on tomorrow for more updates and don’t forget to buy Horse & Hound next Thursday (6th September) for a full report from Burghley.
RESULTS AT THE END OF CROSS-COUNTRY
1. Lord Killinghurst (Andrew Nicholson, NZL) 39.6
2. Parkmore Ed (William Fox-Pitt, GB) 41.8
3. Tom Quigley (Polly Stockton, GB) 42.8
4. Master Monarch (Andrew Hoy, AUS) 43.2
5. Ballincoola (William Fox-Pitt, GB) 45.2
6. Shaabrak (Lucy Wiegersma, GB) 45.6
7. Nullabor (Clayton Fredericks, AUS) 49
8. Paris (Piggy French, GB) 51.6
9. Fairfax (Rodolphe Scherer, FRA) 56
10. Two O Two (Antoinette McKeowen, GB) 57.8
Click here for full updated results.
Click here to read H&H eventing editor Pippa Roome’s blog of cross-country day.
