Tait and Teddy triumph at Burghley
2 September 2001
Kiwis sweep the board at the Pedigree Burghley Horse Trials – Britain wins the unofficial team competition
Blyth Tait and Ready Teddy and were back to their brilliant best winning the £20,000 prize at Pedigree Burghley Horse Trials.
The Kiwis enjoyed a clean sweep on the final day, which tried out the potential new Olympic eventing format, including two rounds of show jumping. All riders jumped during the morning session, which decided the unofficial team and lower placings, with the top 25 carrying their total penalties through to the afternoon’s second round to decide the individual winner.
At first it seemed that clear rounds inside the time were hard to come by. Last year’s winner, Andrew Nicholson and Mr Smiffy had a single fence down in the first show jumping session, dropping him to third place.
“It was a expensive rail to have,” said Andrew ruefully. “I knew he had touched it, but it felt like it might have stayed. The crowd let me know that it hadn’t.”
Ready Teddy jumped superbly during both rounds and the reigning World Champion who was celebrating his second Burghley win, said he was proud of his 13-year-old partner.
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“It was farfrom over after the first round and I couldn’t eat at lunchtime. When I entered the arena I knew I could have a couple of time-penalties, but not a fence so I decided to take the longer option at fence four and the gamble paid off.”
Mary King, whohad been taken to hospital after a cross-country fall from Star Appeal at Capability Cutting the previous day, looked totally at ease in the saddle during the show jumping.
Mary, who was in third place with King Solomon III after the cross-countryadmitted to being “a bit sore” after the fall, but said she was “more comfortable riding than walking”.
The combination’s clear round in the morning moved her into second place behind Blyth, but two fences down during the afternoon dropped Mary tofourth.
Daniel Jocelyn rode two brilliant show jumping rounds on the 11-year-old New Zealand-bred Silence to take third place in his best Burghley to date. He was one of only three riders in the top 10 to finish on their dressage score.
Click here to read report on the team competition.
Click here to read final placings.
Carol is an experienced journalist and editor, who is also a passionate amateur rider and dedicated horse owner, having ridden since childhood. She has a particular interest in the emotional well-being and ethical training of horses, alongside veterinary matters, having garnered extensive first-hand experience of numerous equine health conditions through more than 30 years of horse ownership.