Friday’s opening CSI2* class at the Longines Global Champions Tour of London (LGCT London) was won by Olympic bronze medal-winning eventer-turned-showjumper Chris Burton of Australia riding a very exciting young mare.
A hefty field of 63 lined up for the Martin Collins London Cup against the clock on 11 August and Chris, who has been pursuing purely a showjumping career for the past couple of years, set a flying target of 62.26sec with Ellie Guy’s seven-year-old Chedington Azzurra. He then faced a long wait as the remaining competitors tried their best to catch him, but the poles kept on falling – in particular the final line of oxer-vertical double to the red post box vertical to finish, and in fact his time proved completely unbeatable.
“It’s so exciting just to be here, what an amazing show – we’re very grateful to the owners for letting me ride here,” said Chris. “I came here last year and it’s lovely to have a win on Geoffrey and Elli Guy’s lovely mare.”
LGCT London: ‘A future grand prix horse’, says Chris Burton
Dutch-bred Azzurra is by Arezzo VDL x Contendro II and was previously ridden by Ireland’s Adam Morgan. Chris rides a lot of the Guys’ horses under their Chedington prefix and he took the reins on Azzurra last year, contesting the six-year-old world championships and has produced her through a string of young horse classes this year. But the LGCT London marked her first CSI2* success and she’s clearly one for the future.
“She’s very brave, very clever and we think a lot of her – she’s going to be a grand prix horse, no question, she’s amazing,” said Chris. “When you go early and you’re in the lead, you have an anxious wait watching everyone go, but it was fun sitting watching with the owners.”
Taking the runner-up spot in Friday’s Martin Collins London Cup at the LGCT London was young British rider Claudia Moore, who finished a second behind the winner riding a horse on the other end of the age scale, the 15-year-old Ultrachic De Charmois. Tallulah Mackenzie-Smith finished third on Karaibes, while yesterday’s winner Nicole Lockhead-Anderson completed a British two-three-four on another seven-year-old, Actavarina PS.
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