‘Like riding spaghetti’: Francis Whittington perseveres with talented enigma at Burghley

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Burghley Horse Trials: Francis Whittington and DHI Purple Rain
Francis Whittington and DHI Purple Rain in the dressage phase at Burghley
(Image credit: Peter Nixon)

Francis Whittington is still puzzling out the conundrum that is DHI Purple Rain after a dressage test at the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials that veered from the sublime to the ridiculous. While some movements scored nines, he was let down particularly by the flying changes – for which one judge awarded a two. Their final mark was 34.1, which put them 17th after day one, the field led by Sarah Bullimore and Corouet.

“Overall I’m pleased, it’s an improvement but it doesn’t help banging out threes for the four flying changes with three judges,” Francis says. “We are getting the best marks where we can and focusing on the good bits. The changes will come as he gets stronger – they’re getting better but they are not too good now.”

Martha Terry
Martha Terry
Features editor

Martha is an experienced journalist who is mad-keen on horses and dogs. Her reporting CV includes the Paris Olympics, European championships, Aachen World Equestrian Festival and World Cup finals. After growing up with assorted liver and white springer spaniels, she enjoyed 14 years with two rescue dogs. Now, her constant companion 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.