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‘He makes my job so easy’: British first-timer dazzles to finish runner-up at Burghley

Martha Terry Martha Terry

    • Tom Jackson produced the best result of his career in finishing runner-up on his debut at the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials, riding Capels Hollow Drift. Lying fourth overnight on the grey 11-year-old after adding just 3.6 time-faults across country, Tom jumped a copybook clear this afternoon.

    When the two ahead of him, Tim Price (Vitali) and Jonelle Price (Classic Moet) knocked down three and two apiece, Tom moved into second. The leader Piggy March (Vanir Kamira) had two fences in hand and used up one of her lives to land the top prize.

    “That horse is just class,” said Tom of Patricia Davenport, Millie Simmie and Sarah Webb’s gelding. “To go round the cross-country like he did yesterday, and then go into the arena and jump like he did today – he makes my job so easy.

    “He has that capability and he always wants to do the right thing.”

    Capels Hollow Drift has long showed his potential. He finished runner-up at the World Young Horse Championships as a seven-year-old, and was clear on his Badminton debut in the spring. Here, he produced a 28.9 dressage score to lie 13th, and climbed up the leaderboard with two strong jumping performances.

    “I just had to keep it all in perspective,” said Tom after his showjumping round. “It is easy to get distracted by the fact that we were in a good position, but you must jump clear on the day to win.

    “We dreamt of doing this well but to come here and do it is another thing. Pippa [Funnell] just said, ‘Concentrate on what you’re doing, ride like you normally do’. Hopefully I did that, and he jumped very well for me.”

    Several horses did look to be a little fatigued after yesterday’s gruelling cross-country, but Capels Hollow Drift was not one of them. He was spring-heeled throughout his round, and after this Burghley Horse Trials result Tom Jackson is buzzing about the future for this relatively young campaigner.

    “He’s class and what he showed me especially yesterday has got me excited,” said Tom. “This is a positive experience, and I am looking forward to next time.”

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    Martha Terry
    Martha Terry

    H&H features editor
    Martha is an experienced journalist who is mad-keen on dogs of all shapes and sizes. After growing up with assorted liver and white springer spaniels, she enjoyed 14 years with two rescue dogs, one a street dog from Gambia who was abandoned at three weeks old. Now, her constant companion, whether by her feet at her desk or walking cross-country courses, is Fidget, an extremely energetic and habitually muddy black and white springer. Martha has written on topics as diverse as a top horse’s clone to the best GPS trackers for dogs, as well as equestrian and rural matters for Country Life, The Field, The Times, The Spectator and The Telegraph alongside Horse & Hound.
    Martha Terry

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