The 2024 Burghley Horse Trials has been a most interesting and enjoyable experience. First let’s start with the real uncontrollable opponent: The Weather. True to the English late summer or early autumn, we had no idea of what to expect each day. Thursday was cold and damp with a bit of a bite to the air, only to have the exact opposite on Friday with blinding sun and 24C temperatures. Saturday started damp with mist and fog but by 1pm it was sunny and warm. Overnight showers on Saturday night/Sunday morning made it look like it would be a bit of damp squib for Show Jumping, but so far the rain has moved off and the sun is beaming down on the trot up (it’s 9:45am). I am hoping this will continue for the day as it quite lovely right now.
Dressage Days
At BHT one never knows what to expect, and Thursday proved that beyond a doubt. Thursday and Friday are the Dressage Days. The Test for the riders should be of a high standard as these are some of the best riders in the world, but it is not a Dressage Grand Prix test. The riders are not judged at that standard, but they are expected to put forward a Test that shows the athleticism and grace of the very best of the equine world. This year’s Test was very different from those in the previous years. It was very clearly divided into 3 parts: the Trot, The Walk, and ending with The Canter.
The Trot section opened with a square Halt and Salute at I followed by an Extended Trot from M to S at move 2. To accomplish this move with a proper forward trot prior to the extended one, it was vital to ride the M corner both tight and confidently. This move lead into a period of checking the horse’s suppleness with shoulder-ins and half passes on the ¾ lines. There was an interesting 10m circle around X which really showed any weakness in the horse’s balance as keeping a steady and consistent footfall rhythm was imperative.
The Trot section ended with a Halt at C. This move needed to set up such that the horse knew it was going to stop, but didn’t slow the pace of the Trot. Obviously it needed to be square, which oddly proved to be a touch difficult as many of the horses left a trailing foot or needed a half step to make the square. This was followed by 5-steps back and a (confident but no trot) walk away into the M corner. This corner again proved important as it helped settle the horses into the Extended Walk to S – something a few horses became confused with as it was the same line as the Extended Trot, so there were a few wrong pace presentations. The judges seemed to be looking for a powerful walk from behind with the neck extending but the head not dropping below the point of the shoulder and showing relaxation. That was a bit of an ask and many riders could only pull a 6.5 for the mark.
The next move was new. Riding a Collected Walk on the K-F line, the rider and horse were to present a ½ pirouette first at the ¾ line mark near F then walk across to the ¾ line near K. The balance needed for this as well as the ability to ride it off the leg such that there is almost no pressure on the mouth meant that many of these combinations would have been working on this move for months. The crossing the front legs while keeping the back legs from planting might have been the hardest challenge in the test. Carl Hestor in his masterclass (I’ll talk more about this later) had a lot to say on how to create this move properly. Once the second pirouette was completed the rider was to immediately strike off into a Trot.
Another new mark was the Transition. I rather like this because an unbalanced move shouldn’t be a punishment for a proper transition to the next pace. This also meant that the riders needed to set up the next pace mentally before even starting it. One would expect this of these top level riders, but even the best can make some rather disastrous moves.
The Canter Section was as one would expect with more Half Passes, Extended Canter and Flying Changes. Ah! The Flying Changes….. If it was not The Pirouette that destroyed a rider’s score, it was the Flying Changes. There were 4 of them and it was to be expected that at least one would be slow, left behind, too high, or too flat. Tim Price was sitting comfortably in 1st place until the Pirouette when he went to 2nd, then to 5th with a badly ridden Flying Change at H. He was able with a beautiful Serpentine bring the score back to 3rd. Again, Carl Hestor has lots to say about how to train your horse for a Flying Change and how to set it up properly in competition.
The Test ended with a 10m half circle to X, down the Centre Line to G with a Half. Because there was a Halt at the beginning of the Test and in the middle, this was a third time to get it right: square, balanced and presented with a firm stop where the hind feet are under them. Much like many of us have experienced, these marvelous riders did have to cope with a trailing foot or the weight not being on all four hooves or not being perfectly square such that the C Judge could only see 1 pair of legs. Be glad Sunshine Riders that you don’t have a judge at E and M as well as C! Nothing, and I mean nothing, was ever missed.
This was an impressive dressage test that looked far more like a Open Level Test than the Upper Medium of the past. This was a test to challenge the best of the best while not being a Grand Prix test that these horses would not be realistically able to complete to standard. It was clear that dressage training has taken a serious step forward over the years and the level of the competitor’s talent was often within 1/10th of a point of each other. The top ten were literally in each other’s pockets when it came to the scores. And then there was Rosalind Canter.
What can I say? Wow! Amazing! Dang Girl!
Rosalind came out as the second rider on Thursday morning on her junior horse and scored a 19.9 penalty. The 2nd highest Dressage score in BHT history. She spent the rest of the competition in 1st place. She was 5 points ahead of her competitors until….she rode her primary horse and scored a 20.3. At the end of Friday, she had both 1st and 2nd with Tim Price 4 points behind. That is a show jumping fence in hand. That could make all the difference.
I’ve said it before and will continue to say it – we must work our dressage seriously. I know that many of our girls and lads find it is both unexciting and hard. I will not deny that it doesn’t supply the instant thrill of a jump, but the amazing sensation of a well placed extension is not to be underestimated. The knowledge that you could put anything in front of your horse and they have the athleticism and ability to do it will give you a calmness and confidence in your riding to push for better and greater things. I’ve said how important The Walk is in our lessons which leave many parents cold, but half of the Burghley riders were let down by their walk – and they are The Professionals. We can all aspire to be as good or better than The Professionals, but it does require the determination to do all parts of our riding properly and knowing that every detail has real value.
And one more thing……
CORNERS ARE YOUR FRIENDS!!!!
Cross Country Day
Saturday morning was foggy. It was the heavy grey, misty fog that has been immortalized in English Literature. It was also a biting 14C. I kept telling myself that we were overdue a wet Burghley but it was a shame that it happened on the Cross Country Day. We pulled into the Member’s Parking which is next to the Warm Up Ring for the riders and could hear the Riders and their coaches and teams discussing what type of studs to use and how many per hoof. It had been determined that the ground was greasy and the horses could be liable to slip. This meant another challenge added to a course that looked serious big.
The Good Lord must have heard many prayers for an improvement in the weather as by the time the rest of Sunshine Crew arrived an hour later the weather was making a turn to the better. The misty rain cleared away and the temperatures began to rise. Obviously the meant that new discussions regarding studs was required. It was interesting to listen to how on top of changes the Teams were. The old adage of “Nothing is so certain as change” came to mind as I watched how quickly these professionals reacted to the new conditions.
The Cross Country started at 11am spot on with Harry Meade and (what I think is his most promising mare) Superstition — the first of Harry’s 3 horses. As the Combination left out of the Small Arena the first big question was Lambert’s Bench. Lambert must have been a massive giant to have a seat this size! The pattern of the course seemed to be very similar to last year. There were new fence designs, but nothing seemed to be smaller.
The favourite jumps of The Leaf Pit, The Trout Hatchery, Cottesmore Leap, and Discovery Valley were very well attended. The Leaf Pit rode as it usually does and the drop is still as big as ever. The horses all made the jump well with only few deciding to take the longer route. This was a good thing because this jump always worries me for both horse and rider. Now, as for the water trap, the biggest XC jump in the world and Discovery Valley, there were a fair few refusals and a couple of spills.
Several riders took a bath at the Trout Hatchery. With the usual jump on the hill, the Combination would come down the embankment into the first pool where they would ride to the left back to the bank and prepare for the next jump into the water. IF they did this part successfully they would ride out and to either the left or right of the giant oak onto the next combination of jumps before proceeding up the hill towards to Maltings. The key to this set of obstacles is how one controls one’s reins. The primary jump requires the rider to keep their weight back a touch as they land and go down the hill. Then there is fun of trying to re-balance the horse as you canter through the pool before taking the next jump. The roll-top jump into the second of the Trout Hatchery pools requires the rider to relax the rein so the horse will be able to land with the front feet far enough forward for the hind feet to have space to land and push on. It is then that the rider needed to gather up their reins and retake the contact firm enough to be able to take the next fence at a slight angle so to make the last jump. From my observation, if one was able to move to the left of the tree then the subsequent combination is doable with some sense of ease. If one moves to the right of the tree, then there is the risk of taking the flag on the 1st fence so one can make the 2nd. The loss of a flag is 15 penalty points. Ouch! There were a lot of flags down.
The drop into the water did cause several riders to be caught with their weight forward – you may know this as the “eject me” position, which meant they had to re-balance themselves only to barely have time to take the contact for the next jump. Having the correct impulsion is vital. I saw one rider come in a touch on the cautious side and didn’t give her horse enough space for his hind legs. This caused the front legs to buckle and she hit the water with a very big splash. Fortunately both horse and rider were fine. As a group, we, The Sunshine Crew, discussed what would be the best way to approach this jump. I’m not sure we found the ideal answer, but we did pose several ideas. Who knows, maybe some day we will be able to find out if any of them work!
Discovery Valley had a particularly evil jump of the “Coffin” variety. After jumping the Brush Jumps in the Main Arena, the horse and rider would leave the arena and canter down the hill to Discovery Valley. At the bottom of the incline was a fence that behind it, one stride on, was a ditch to jump before going back up a steep incline to another fence. Personally, I wouldn’t want to do this at 60cm much less the 120cm on this course. The key to this combination was controlling the horse’s speed down the hill so that he/she could collect enough to take the jumps. Obviously the horse doesn’t know there is ditch behind the jump, so it is the rider’s responsibility is to keep the horse from loosing its ever-fluffing mind when it sees the gaping hole in the earth. Oh, did I mention there was also a slight left hand bend going into the Coffin? This was really one of those memes, “To the Burghley course designer – make a straight line into Discovery Valley or Draw 25. Burghley course designer replies, “Give me them cards!””
So as you can guess, there were more than a few combinations who failed to make this combination. I watched so many Riders have the face of grim determination as they tried to bring their horse to a collected canter or, at least, under some sort of control as they came down the hill. They then have to actually kick like they’re in Pony Club to make the first jump only to repeat it when the ditch magically appears. The strongest of the lot made the second jump and left Discovery Valley with an equine face full of thunder. It was the first time in my life I saw horses look at the Leaf Pit as an easy obstacle.
Now some of the combinations decided to take the long way around and face the time penalties rather than risk this. Some Riders got the first part and gave up on the second to do the alternative route. I’m not sure what was going through the designer’s mind, but I am sure it was full of less than heavenly thoughts as I watched 3 Combinations retire after the first jump, or in the case of the Lithuanian Combination, hit the first jump full on. Twice. Then Retire.
The last of the “Evil Jumps” is always the Cottesmore Leap. I am guessing that you may have seen the TikTok video of the Combination who simply failed to make the Leap. So you understand (or remember if you know it), this is the largest Cross Country Fence in the world standing at 150cm tall Brush Jump front and back that is 150cm wide between the front and back brushes with a 150cm deep ditch running through the middle of it. This is a jump that you ride full tilt at, grab on and pray as your horse hurls itself though the thin air. Apparently, from those who have ridden it, it is all over in a flash. Unless you fail. And if you fail, you will fail B-I-G.
And it was a Big Fail.
Apparently the horse was tired as it approached the Cottesmore Leap and, according to many of spectators, loosing impulsion. Watching the video, it does look like the horse slowed. I wasn’t sure if the Rider pulled up slightly to get a better line or just general fear (I would definitely be the later), but the take off did look laboured. The horse’s didn’t clear the front brush cleanly and ended up with its front hooves stuck on the bar of the back brush causing the body to slam into the sidewall of the ditch and hang for a few seconds. No doubt both rider and horse were stunned as it took a moment for the Rider to make an emergency dismount and the Horse to disentangle itself from the brush and bar. By the Grace of God, both of them walked away – shook up but only with minor injuries. The medical staff was amazing as they attended both horse and rider immediately. The horse was later seen walking back to its stable, which again is a very good sign. I can’t say how impressed I’ve always been by the Burghley Medical Team – The Vets and The 1st Aiders are top notch, and this did show how vital they really are. They are truly the Unsung Heroes of Burghley.
Was there anything that could have been done to prevent this? Well, maybe. The Rider could have chosen to take the Alternative Route which is longer but doesn’t have the Leap if he thought his horse was tired or on the wrong line. Obviously the Rider should have been aware of the loss of impulsion unless he did pull up intentionally, which is not a good idea for an obstacle of this size. In any case, it was a miracle that this wasn’t worse than it was. This horse will no doubt be bruised to hell today and on a lot of drugs to control the pain. It will need a massive amount of mental and physical rehabilitation before it will be able to face such fences again. I really want both horse and rider to be able to compete in the future, but I think it will take longer for the horse than the rider. I can’t blame the Rider for his split second decision as we all make mistakes.
On the more positive side, The Maltings was much improved this year with far better lines and The Dairy Farm looked super. It seemed that all the jumps were sponsored by some major organisation, which did help make things look better. The Table looked as huge as it always does, again another 150cm wide jump (but no nasty ditches!) and Lyon Bridge seemed to ride beautifully.
It was a hard course which did leave half the field either retired or eliminated. It was better than the course in 2022, but I am concerned that some of the questions asked were at the very outer limits of what we could reasonably expect a horse and rider combination to answer. In any case, I am awed by any Combination who would willingly take on the Burghley Cross Country Course at any time, in any year.
Show Jumping
Sunday (today) was a mixed bag of weather. I’m writing this now after an exciting day of Show Jumping. We enjoyed rain, then sun, then rain, then sun, but at no time the thunder the rest of the area had. I’m not sure how, but I’ve been told all around us there was thunder, but I heard none today in spite of seeing some seriously dark grey clouds. The rain we had at lunch was more of an annoyance than a threat.
Going into the Show Jumping rounds, Rosalind Canter was in 1st place with a fence in hand. She had knocked it out of the park with her Dressage, and came in 3rd with her Cross Country coming in clear and 1 second under the time. She was going to be the Lady To Beat. It was clear that Harry Meade and Tim Price had the trophy in their sights as Harry brought all 3 of his horses the full way through and Tim’s Vitali is not one to be underestimated.
It was a delight to see so many Burghley debutantes make it to the Show Jumping. I’d really like to mention the Japanese Rider, Ryuzo Kitajima who was a member of the historic Bronze Medal Cross Country Team for Japan, make it all the way to the end of the Trials. It is exciting to see how our sport is now expanding across the Globe and riders from Japan, Lithuania, and Switzerland are now able to come to Burghley and compete with our own home grown lot. Yes, the New Zealanders, Australians and Americans have been a part of the Horse Trials for many years, but to see new countries and new faces is really very exciting. In an era where so many people are saying that the equestrian world is dying, it looks to me like “the reports of our death are greatly exaggerated”.
The course was not as complicated as it could have been, which I think was a good thing after the Cross Country the previous day. It seemed to ride nice and had a lot of flow. Although some of the lower ranking riders did have fence penalties and/or time penalties, the same problems also effected the those of a high experience. The 2nd fence (The Bridge) caused several of the more junior riders to take a 2nd or 3rd look before dropping the pole and Penultimate Fence seemed to be this year’s bug-bear that caught Harry Meade (3rd with Superstition & 4th place with Annaghmore Valoner winner) and Tim Price (2nd place winner with Vitali) for 4 faults. The fences were a minimum of 120 cm with some at 130cm. To my eye, it all looked rather big. I’m sure if I was a “touch tired” horse, they probably looked bigger.
It was a delight to watch Rosalind Canter and Lordships Graffalo ride their round. They had done so well up to this point and came in, as I said, with a fence in hand. Tim Price immediately proceeded them and had completed in the time but with 1 fence down. This gave Rosalind Canter an 8 point advantage, but she didn’t seem to take it that way. With a look of serious determination and an obvious desire to take nothing for granted, she rode the round to perfection. She asked and Lordship Graffalo answered with what looked like ease. It was clear. It was in time. It was what a winning Burghley Combination should be. The roar from the crowd upon their completion was not only supportive of their efforts but an affirmation of their victory. She started in 1st and ended in 1st.
Congratulations to Rosalind Canter and Lordship Graffalo, the 2024 Burghley Horse Trials Champions!
The Masterclasses
I always say that I come to Burghley Horse Trials to learn things. This year was no exception. The Masterclasses were on Retraining Race Horses, Developing Horses for Burghley (William Fox-Pitt, host), and Dressage Techniques (Carl Hestor, host).
Retraining Racehorse to a Riding Horse did not actually provide much more information than what we (Beowulf & I) already knew, but it was good to have a confirmation of our knowledge. We were told/advised to take our time and to work with the horse until it understood what we were asking of it. We were reminded that Racehorses tend to be a bit more spicy and temperamental – we have never experienced that ever! LOL! Mostly, we were told to create a programme that would meet our ultimate end goals and slowly work towards that. Racehorses are capable and smart (really?), but are trained to run fast in a herd. They don’t always work well on their own and we need to help them learn that they can be part of a herd but to work alone. Lastly, we are not to “dominate” a racehorse. I would like to introduce her to Tango. Those teeth were not made for suggestions!
The Preparing a Horse For Burghley was a relaxed discussion of some of William Fox-Pitt’s training methods and a long talk about how he cloned his horses, Chilli Morning and Tamerillo. It will be a while before we see what the actual results of these clones will be as the progeny are still very young. Gemma Stevens’s horse, Chilli Knight is a direct descendant of Chilli Morning, not a clone. Again, the key to all training is time, patience and persistence. Being reasonable about what a horse can and can’t do, and then tailoring a programme for them to reach their full potential. As a 6-time winner of BHT, William Fox-Pitt does know what it means to reach a potential and when to accept that not every horse will be a 5* champion.
Dressage Techniques with Carl Hestor was probably the best of the Masterclasses and the best I’ve seen him present. He got into the nitty-gritty of the Dressage Test and where things went wrong. He explained that although event riders aren’t Grand Prix Dressage riders, the techniques need to be the same. Perhaps it was a theme, but he also stressed the need for patience, time and persistence as well as doing everything down to the smallest detail right.
As per usual, Carl began by telling us that everything depends on the walk. It must be a balanced, equal 4 beat movement. Use a metronome if you can’t feel the even beat. Until your horse can do that properly, you are just creating more problems for yourself in the long run when you attempt more complicated movements. LEARN TO WALK.
This learning to walk means that the horse must use his hind quarters and reach underneath himself to create the power needed. This will create the core muscle the horse needs (it seems that horses need them as much as we do!). This walk comes from the Rider’s seat. Legs are meant to guide and direct, not flap and kick. Do less and get more. Also, an extended walk should not have the horse’s head lower than the point of the shoulder. If the head is lower, then the horse is on the forehand and pulling itself along. If the horse’s head is high, then the back drops (hollows) and it can’t engage its hindquarters to push itself along. Oh, do we have work to do at Sunshine!
Then there was the discussion of the Pirouette. The Pirouettes failed because the walk was not consistent and the horse’s legs didn’t go up and down but front to back. Horses need to be trained to lift their back legs. Pole exercises are not something to do occasionally but regularly — like every few days.
Lastly, the Flying Changes are dependent on a properly collected canter which comes from the horse’s hind legs reaching cleanly underneath them so that they can push off the ground, giving enough space for the change to happen. This training starts in the THE WALK. I’ve been given a couple of exercises that Beowulf and Ebony will be doing (yes, they already know they will be) and if possible, I’ll bring down to the Classes.
It was an exciting class and I would have loved for it to have gone on longer, but alas, we had to get back to the afternoon Dressage Competition. It was good to have the importance of seat, the quietness of hands, the necessity of bio-mechanics and using a metronome reaffirmed. Riders: Get Prepared.
Final Thoughts
I always worry when I come away from the yard for a week at the beginning of September if this is a good use of our time. Yes, it is tradition that Beowulf, Huw and myself go to Burghley Horse Trials. This is my 15th year. And I also worry that many of the staff want to come, and the yard needs to be closed on the Saturday. Is this a good thing? Then I arrive, settle in and realise my fears are for naught. The more we learn and develop, the better the results for you, our riders.
This year’s Burghley was very much worth our time. It has reignited my passion for horse riding and for proper equine education. I have new, fresh ideas for teaching, and confidence in the ones I use already. Although we are not the poshest of yards, it has confirmed we have everything we need to create promising riders and develop talented horses.
I’m fired up again for this year. Let’s go and do some serious riding!