Austin O’Connor and the brilliant Colorado Blue have finished second after their 2025 Defender Burghley Horse Trials showjumping round this afternoon (7 September).
They could afford to have a fence down in the final phase and they used this buffer up at fence 10a – the first part of a double combination.
Austin and “Salty’s” result marks the best since 1966 for Ireland.
“I’m over the moon,” said Austin. “We had a rail down but it didn’t make a difference to the final result. We have been beaten by out and out champions.”
On incurring four faults in the final Burghley Horse Trials showjumping phase, Austin O’Connor said: “Our biggest problem was that Salty was so fresh, which is extraordinary after yesterday. He was pulling my arms out at the end of the cross-country yesterday, so if that’s the reason I had a rail this year, then I’m delighted.”
Austin and Salty, who finished 14th at Burghley last year, said that their event here in 2024 “wasn’t their year”.
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“Look, it wasn’t our weekend last year, but we won Maryland 5 Star in 2023, were third at Badminton in 2023 and this year and now this finish here – it’s unreal. I think Salty and Lordships Graffalo are in a league of their own at this level.”
Continuing his praise for ‘Salty’, who is owned by The Salty Syndicate alongside his rider, Austin said: “It’s a dream that’s continuing – horses like Salty don’t come into our lives very often, no matter who you are or how successful you are – how he’s jumped is so exciting.
“He’s 16 but he thinks he’s six years old. If you don’t have a special horse with a special heart, you’re never at the races.
“It was a fair track, a nice track, of course there was a lot of pressure, but Colorado Blue was mad fresh today and pulling my arms out, but actually, that’s great.”
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Former web features editor, point-to-point editor and digital racing editor
Gemma is an experienced journalist, who was a member of H&H staff from 2014 to September 2025. She is passionate about all equestrian sports, including racing and point-to-pointing. She has enjoyed riding out for top trainers Nicky Henderson and Charlie Appleby and took part in a charity Flat race at Epsom in August 2018. Gemma’s has reported from numerous five-star events around Britain and Europe, as well as European championships.
