Allison Springer’s former top event horse Arthur, who was placed at Burghley and finished second in the US’s flagship event at Kentucky, has died “suddenly after an episode of laminitis” aged 21.

The US rider said: “Arthur was my best friend, and over the past 16 years, he made so many of my dreams come true. He and I travelled the world together, competing at events that I had only dreamed of when I was younger.

“We had many moments of triumph, and some moments of heartbreak, but in every moment, I was always incredibly proud to be his partner, and his person. Arthur taught me what a true partnership meant and looked like, and a part of my heart will belong to him forever.”

Allison and Arthur won twice at CIC3* (now CCI4*-S) and the pair started at Kentucky CCI4* (now CCI5*) seven times, with six completions. Their best result was second in 2012. Later that year they were sixth at Burghley, an event they also contested in 2009, when they were eliminated across country for three stops, and 2014, when they finished 21st.

The big chestnut was renowned for his prowess in the dressage, which led to some disappointments for connections when errors across country or in the showjumping dropped him down the leaderboard after a strong start to competitions. The pair led the dressage at Blenheim 2009, but their challenge disintegrated with 20 jumping penalties across country.

Nonetheless, Arthur competed at the top level with considerable success for some eight years and was a stalwart of the US eventing scene, as well as making occasional forays overseas.

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Allison added: “Thank you to my parents and the remarkable members of the Arthur Syndicate for your unwavering support over the years. Arthur was lucky to have a remarkable team behind him every step of the way, from his many grooms and the working students who spent hours caring for him, to his team of vets, farriers and beyond.

“I will never be able to express my true gratitude for all you did for him to help him feel his best for so long. I would be remiss if I did not thank the many people who cheered us on from near and far. Arthur loved nothing more than a photo op or an adoring fan, and he appreciated each and every one of you.

“‘Arty’ was a party in every sense of the word, even if at times that party was one he created in his own mind. I will never stop missing him. If it were up to me, Arthur would have lived forever, but I will forever be grateful I was the person in the world he chose to love most.”

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America remains at the helm of the Rolex Kentucky CCI**** as Allison Springer replaces Michael Pollard in the top spot at the end of the 2nd day of dressage.

As this phase drew to a close the ground jury appeared more generous in its marking. The American made the most of this, storming into the lead with a showstopping 39.5 — the only sub-40 score — gained for an expressive and accurate performance from her long-time partner Arthur.

This isn’t the first time this pairing have found themselves in pole position at America’s premier horse trials venue. In 2012 they led the dressage here with the only sub-40 score, but were narrowly headed on the final scoreboard by William Fox-Pitt.

“2 years ago Arthur did a good test but I think this one was better, plus it was more emotional for me,” said Allison referring to the fact that this event is a comeback for Arthur following almost 2 years on the sidelines due to injury.

William Fox-Pitt currently lies 2nd with Catherine Witt’s Bay My Hero on 44, a few points lost with a blip in the first flying change (watch the video below). The British rider is also 10th on the same owner’s Seacookie TSF.

“Yesterday’s marking was harsh,” said the rider who has brought 2 horses to the States thanks to UK Sport and Lottery money. “There was a general feeling of ‘oh God no’ and quite a bit of despondency. Seacookie hasn’t scored a mark of 51 for 5 years, but that is all a part of the sport.”

Karen and David O’Connors’ protégé Lauren Kieffer lies in 3rd place with the KWPN mare Veronica. She produced particularly impressive trot work, but relinquished a few points for her walk pirouette and rein back, a long-time weak point.

Veronica was previously campaigned by Karen O’Connor — they parted company on the cross-country here 2 years ago — but when Karen suffered a serious fall at Morven Park Horse Trials in the same year she passed the ride to her pupil.

A trio of riders share 4th place — Jan Byyny (Inmidair), Phillip Dutton (Mr Medicott) and yesterday’s leader Michael Pollard (Mensa G) all on 49.5.

Two Britain-based Kiwis, Andrew Nicholson and Sir Mark Todd, would prefer to be closer to the top of the leaderboard. Grand Slam hopeful Andrew earned 51.7 for equal 11th place on his Burghley winner Avebury.

“He wasn’t as good as he is on grass,” he explained. “Grass gives him a bit more balance. I was having to ride him in there a little too strongly.”

Mark Todd, meanwhile, is considering withdrawing his 38th placed Oloa.

“He’s capable of doing a winning test, but as soon as he saw the stands he flipped,” he said.

The remaining Brit, Alice Dunsdon, lies in 50th place after Fernhill Present showed his tension with a half buck in the last flying change for a total of 67.2.

“It’s a big atmosphere in there, but he felt rideable,” said the Surrey-based rider. “I’m pretty happy with him.”

Alice is on a mission to complete all 6 of the world’s 4-star events. The plan next year is Badminton, followed by Adelaide. All of Alice’s trips are self-funded.

“I sold a horse to come here,” she said. “Fernhill Present is a good traveller. If he was a stressy horse I couldn’t do it.”

Looking ahead to cross-country

Torrential rain early this morning has helped to alleviate the hardness in the going for tomorrow’s cross-country phase.

“I think the horses should finish well,” said William Fox-Pitt, who admitted that the severely angled brushes at 16ab is the fence he is most worried about.

“The angled beams look horrible. We have all developed a squint in the hope of imagining that they look better than they do, but horses really do need to be on the ball there.”

There are relatively few long routes on Derek Di Grazia’s 27-fence track and for the first time the event will not have a 2-hour break at lunch time. In the past this has been blamed for affecting concentration and leading to a 2-tiered scoreboard.

Rolex Kentucky Horse Trials results after dressage

1. Allison Springer/Arthur (USA), 39.5

2. William Fox-Pitt/Bay My Hero (GBR), 44

3. Lauren Kieffer/Veronica (USA), 46.7

= 4. Jan Byyny/Inmidair (USA), 49.5

= 4. Phillip Dutton/Mr Medicott (USA), 49.5

= 4. Michael Pollard/Mensa G (USA), 49.5

7. Will Faudree/Pawlow (USA), 49.8

8. Doug Payne/Crown Talisman (USA), 51.2

9. Marilyn Little/RF Demeter (USA), 51.3

10. William Fox-Pitt/Seacookie TSF (USA), 51.5

18. Sarah Bullimore/Reve Du Rouet (GBR), 52.7

50. Alice Dunsdon/Fernhill Present (GBR), 67.2

53. Tim Bourke/Luckaun Quality (IRL), 68.3

55. James Alliston/Parker (GBR), 69.2

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William Fox-Pitt’s Olympic team silver medal-winning event horse Lionheart has been sold to America.

The 11-year-old Lancer III gelding will now be ridden by US eventer Allison Springer. The horse is leaving the UK this week and Allison aims to start competing him early next season.

Allison, who is based in Upperville, Virginia announced the news today (Monday 18 November).

Lionheart has been bought from Jeremy and Judy Skinner by the Team Lionheart Syndicate LLC.

As well as the Olympic silver, William and Lionheart have been competitive at top events including finishing 4th at Luhmuhlen CCI 4* earlier this year.

A major factor in Lionheart’s selection for London was his superb showjumping record. However, he wasn’t able to show this off to full effect as he didn’t make the individual showjumping round after inexplicably running out of petrol on the cross-country to finish with 9.2 time-faults.

“Lionheart is one of the greatest horses in the world and I am both thrilled and humbled to be given the opportunity to ride him,” said Allison.

“I would like to express my sincere appreciation to each member of the Team Lionheart Syndicate LLC for their support, and for making my dream of acquiring this amazing horse a reality.

“I know William cares a great deal for each one of his horses, and that they are all superbly produced. I would like to thank him, as well as Mr and Mrs Skinner, for allowing me the opportunity to acquire Lion and for believing in my ability to showcase his talents from this point forward.”

A statement on William’s website added: “It was a very hard decision, but we are very happy that he is joining such an accomplished rider. Lionheart was known particularly for his spectacular jump and has been a joy to work with over the last 6 years. He will be very hard to replace, but we wish Allison and Lion every success for the future.”

William’s wife Alice told H&H the Fox-Pitt team was “thrilled” Lionheart was going to such a good rider. “He’s a very, very special horse to us,” she added.

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Two horses were eliminated from the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials at the final horse inspection this morning.

The biggest blow was for 10th-placed Irishman Geoff Curran, whose ride, the chestnut Shanaclough Crecora, was spun on re-inspection after being sent to the holding box. Ecuador’s Nicolas Wettstein was also eliminated with Nadeville Merze, 45th overnight.

Popular British rider Francis Whittington’s ride Sir Percival III (13th overnight) was sent to the holding box but passed on re-inspection and it was the same pattern of events for Aussie Megan Jones’s ride Kirby Park Allofasudden (48th overnight).

One horse, Ideal Sebastian ridden by Jeanette Brakewell (29th overnight), was withdrawn before the trot-up.

America’s Allison Springer (pictured, with Arthur IV, lying seventh) won the prize for best-dressed lady and Jock Paget, from New Zealand, won the male prize. The competition was judged by Kate Green, managing editor of Country Life and H&H’s magazine reporter at Burghley this year.

The first session of showjumping begins at 10.45am.

Follow every phase of Burghley as it happens using H&H Live, our interactive written commentary supported by Baileys Horse Feeds. Review the dressage and cross-country and join in for today’s showjumping from 10.40am at www.horseandhound.co.uk/burghley2012live.

Make sure you buy H&H this week (6 September) for our 10-page special Burghley report, with full analysis of every phase, comments from dressage expert Sally O’Connor and former winner Ginny Elliot and more.

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So, to tackle the elephant in the room before he gets a chance to think about charging, let’s talk about the fact two American riders who missed out on Olympic selection top the dressage leader board at the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials.

Firstly, being a selector is a thankless task. If your team wins a medal, everyone forgets your part in the success; if they don’t, everyone remembers to say you did badly.

There must be a horrible feeling of conflict for those American selectors now – hope for their riders to do well here at Burghley, but the creeping dread of knowing the rumbling criticism after a disappointing Olympics will be massively intensified if Sinead Halpin and Allison Springer finish in the top two spots they currently hold.

Statistically, looking from London to Burghley there should be little in this leader board to surprise us. As I analysed in H&H’s preview (30 August issue), Burghley in Olympic and world years is generally won by an Olympic rider on another horse (three of the current top six) or by a pair who were well in the running for a team spot (two of the current top six).

Many thought Sinead was a shoe-in for the American team. Why wasn’t she chosen? I don’t have the definitive answer to that because selectors don’t have to justify their decisions to the press.

Today, Sinead herself spoke about the fact Manoir De Carneville had a slight nosebleed at the final trial at Barbury, which may have been a particular concern with Greenwich being such a public venue – I assume she meant that it was likely officials would quickly pull up any horse with visible blood to protect the sport’s image and the American selectors had that in mind. She also said, ironically after today, that she was struggling with the dressage at the time of selection.

Tonight at the press conference, we saw Sinead, Allison and Clayton Fredericks all try to express the depths of their Olympic disappointment in just a few words. Clayton did ride there, but fell across country when Bendigo III put a stud through his overreach boot.

“Anyone who’s spent time in this sport knows you spend your life picking yourself up,” he said tonight after pointing out that London has been these riders’ focus for four years. And Allison, speaking about many years of ups and downs with Arthur, said: “This sport is heartbreaking. You have to believe in yourself and your horse.”

A Burghley win might not quite be the same as an Olympic gold. But it sure wouldn’t be a bad consolation prize.

Can Sinead or Allison become America’s first Burghley winner since Stephen Bradley won in 1993, nearly two decades ago? Can Clayton clinch his first British four-star win? Stay tuned for the next two episodes.

Report of today’s dressgae

Follow every phase of Burghley as it happens using H&H Live, our interactive written commentary supported by Baileys Horse Feeds. Review the dressage and join in tomorrow at www.horseandhound.co.uk/burghley2012live.

Make sure you buy H&H next week (6 September) for our 10-page special Burghley report, with full analysis of every phase, comments from dressage expert Sally O’Connor and former winner Ginny Elliot and more.

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Americans dominate at the end of the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials dressage with Sinead Halpin (pictured) and Allison Springer holding the top two spots.

Sinead is out in front after scoring 36.3 with Bernadette Cogdell’s Manoir De Carneville and being the only rider to break the 40-barrier.

“I’ve been working hard on the dressage recently and I’ve been a bit confused about what’s good and what’s not good,” confessed Sinead, who was a surprise omission from the American team for London. “I knew I was liking the test today – but to get [a score in the] 30s is a bit of a surprise.”

Sinead bought the Selle Francais “Tate” in France while she was working for William Fox-Pitt having heard about him through British agent Rachel Wakefield – who had not seen him herself but had been tipped off by a friend.

“It wasn’t love at first sight – he was a bit skinny and a bit funny looking,” she said, adding that he’s still a bit skinny. “But David O’Connor and William both advised me to buy a horse I liked riding and I did just like riding him.”

The Gaub son put his foot through a metal door straight after his purchase and severed his hindleg extensor tendon, which, as Sinead said succinctly tonight, “sucked”. But last year they were third at Kentucky and then 15th here at Burghley.

Allison Springer, who is currently second on 40, was also shortlisted for the Games with her long-term partner Arthur IV, owned by herself and her parents William and Carolyn.

“I had hoped for a more relaxed horse today,” she admitted. “A year ago he would have thrown in a bunch of spooks, but I knew what I could push for and what I couldn’t. There wasn’t a lot I could push for, so I just tried to be accurate.”

Today’s action at Burghley was very different to yesterday’s with many classy tests and horses excelling in the warm sunshine. Last night’s leader Ruth Edge is now 13th.

Clayton Fredericks was the first to really make a splash this morning and he now lies third on Michael Lee and Peter and Jackie Wallis’s Walterstown Don, a CIC*** winner at Burnham Market in the spring this year.

“We’ve worked hard on the dressage to be in this position, but after this year, I had no anticipation of what was going to happen,” said Clayton, who fell at the London Olympics when his ride Bendigo III was tripped up by his own overreach boot as he descended the steep drop fence.

Three riders are equal fourth on a score of 41, well in touch with the top three: recent Barbury winners Andrew Nicholson and Avebury, defending champions William Fox-Pitt and Parklane Hawk and Germany’s Kai Ruder on the stallion Le Prince De Bois.

Tomorrow’s cross-country action starts at 11am and few would predict this will be a dressage competition, so expect changes to the leader board before the day is out.

Follow every phase of Burghley as it happens using H&H Live, our interactive written commentary supported by Baileys Horse Feeds. Review the dressage and join in tomorrow at www.horseandhound.co.uk/burghley2012live.

Make sure you buy H&H next week (6 September) for our 10-page special Burghley report, with full analysis of every phase, comments from dressage expert Sally O’Connor and former winner Ginny Elliot and more.

LAND ROVER BURGHLEY HORSE TRIALS DRESSAGE RESULTS

1. Sinead Halpin on Manoir De Carneville (USA) 36.3

2. Allison Springer on Arthur IV (USA) 40

3. Clayton Fredericks on Walterstown Don (AUS) 40.8

4eq. Andrew Nicholson on Avebury (NZL) 41

4eq Kai Ruder on Le Prince Des Bois (GER) 41

4eq. William Fox-Pitt on Parklane Hawk (GBR) 41

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The two riders who topped the leader board at the end of Thursday at Blenheim Horse Trials remain in prime position at the close of the dressage.

No one today could break into the 30s, so America’s Allison Springer still holds first place with Arthur, a horse she re-routed here after three stops across country at last week’s Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials.

Emily Baldwin also holds her overnight position — second — with Drivetime. Emily’s score of 38.5pen puts her five marks ahead of New Zealand’s Neil Spratt, the best of today’s competitors.

Neil performed an excellent test with the grey 11-year-old Welton Crackerjack gelding Upleadon, winner of Bramham CIC*** in June, to take third.

“He did a very good test at Bramham, but he’s done a couple of average tests since then so we’ve just been trying to get him back to his Bramham form,” said Neil.

“Winning Bramham was a big occasion for him and it got to him a bit and he got tense after that. We’ve been concentrating on getting him soft and relaxed again.”

Neil’s test was only marred by a slight “hump” in the first flying change, which he blamed on himself, saying he had “strangled” Upleadon slightly in the counter canter going into it.

Lucy Wiegersma is fourth on nine-year-old Granntevka Prince, whose only big mistake was trying to canter out of the rein-back, and Pippa Funnell is just 0.2pen behind Lucy with Ensign, second here in 2006.

Ensign would almost certainly have ended up ahead of Granntevka Prince but for a blip in the final counter canter half-circle. As he approached the P marker, he seemed to suddenly stop in his tracks and Pippa showed all her skill in restoring the counter canter for a few strides so that she did not also lose marks for the flying change.

Sarah Bullimore and the Dutch-bred Salerno — the 2005 British Eventing six-year-old champion — were the first to make an impression on the top three today, claiming third soon after the lunch break on 46. They end the day in sixth place.

Looking ahead to tomorrow’s cross-country, Neil Spratt said: “It’s very inviting to take on the straight routes, but you have to bear in mind the track is quite hilly.

“There are a couple of points where you go up a steep hill and there’s a difficult fence at the top — you need to be aware you may not have a full tank of petrol. But it’s a nice galloping track and if you have a good round you can be very pleased.”

The first horse on tomorrow’s cross-country is Godington Haarlem, ridden by Ruth Barnard, at 10am.

CIC***

Last week’s Burghley winner Oliver Townend leads the inaugural CIC*** for eight- and nine-year-old horses. Oliver and the Master Imp nine-year-old ODT Master Rose scored 44 to lead by 1.2pen.

Piggy French — who has recently been promoted from the reserves’ bench to represent Britain at the forthcoming European Championships — lies second on the in-form eight-year-old Flying Machine.

Andrew Nicholson is third on Rosemary Barlow’s Saumur winner Avebury.

The competitors in this class show jump tomorrow after the CCI*** cross-country finishes and go cross-country in the lunch break on Sunday.

CCI*** RESULTS AFTER DRESSAGE

1. Allison Springer on Arthur (USA) 36.9

2. Emily Baldwin on Drivetime (GB) 38.5

3. Neil Spratt on Upleadon (NZL) 43.5

4. Lucy Wiegersma on Granntevka Prince (GB) 45.4

5. Pippa Funnell on Ensign (GB) 45.6

6. Sarah Bullimore on Salerno (GB) 46

CIC** RESULTS AFTER DRESSAGE

1. Oliver Townend on ODT Master Rose (GB) 44

2. Piggy French on Flying Machine (GB) 45.2

3. Andrew Nicholson on Avebury (NZL) 46.5

4. Ruth Edge on Nick Of Thyme (GB) 47.1

5eq. Pippa Funnell on Mirage D’Elle (GB) 47.7

5eq. Jeanette Brakewell on Take It 2 The Limit (GB) 47.7

Blenheim results and times

Stay up to date with daily reports from Blenheim over the weekend and buy Horse & Hound next week (17 September issue) for a full report.

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