BRITAIN’s Piggy March (42) won the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials for the first time in her career last Sunday aboard the 17-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare Vanir Kamira, who led an Irish horse one-two on the podium.

Trevor Dickens mare won the five-star Badminton Horse Trials in 2019 and becomes just the 14th horse – and second mare – to win both Badminton and Burghley, the world’s most difficult five-star events. Fourth after a dressage personal best (22.6), they rose to take the lead after just 0.4 cross-country time penalties, and held onto that led on the final day, just knocking one fence to finish on a score of 27.

“Hallelujah!” said an emotional Piggy after her round. “I’ve been through a rollercoaster of emotions today but the main one I’m feeling now is relief. Vanir Kamira (Tilly Bean) so deserves this – to win at Burghley is so special and I’m delighted that she will have her name on Winners Avenue, she absolutely deserves it and this is what dreams are made of.

“I am just so proud and so delighted for Tilly and the owner, Trevor Dickens, she is a true true Burghley horse in my eyes. To be second twice and fifth and only have four time faults in all four rounds round Burghley with me, she deserved to have her name up there.”

Guts

Asked where the win ranked for her, Piggy said: “It is definitely the best in the world. Badminton and Burghley are without doubt the two biggest best and hardest events to win. For Burghley, you need a horse with guts that can gallop and run and no other type of horse can win Burghley, so that makes it feel all the more special.”

Vanir Kamira is by Camiro de Haar Z out of the Dixi-sired Fair Caledonian, bred in Co Monaghan by Kathryn Jackson. It was only Piggy’s second five-star win following Badminton in 2019.

Burghley first-time Tom Jackson (29) was runner-up with the 11-year-old gelding Capels Hollow Drift who, by Shannondale Sarco St Ghyvan out of Lucky Crest (Lucky Gift) was bred by Jeanette Glynn. Jackson was 13th after dressage (28.9) and added 3.6 cross-country time penalties to jump up to fourth place before jumping a perfect clear on the final day to finish on 32.5.

“I don’t quite know how to sum up this week to be honest,” Jackson commented. “I’m absolutely over the moon. Capels Hollow Drift is pure class and to have delivered like he has over the last few days is just phenomenal and makes my life very easy. If I’m honest I came here thinking we were capable of a top-10 finish but to be on the podium is beyond expectations.”

New Zealand’s Tim Price held on to a podium place despite three fences down with Vitali on the final day to slip to third, finishing on 38.5. Price was naturally slightly disappointed, but philosophical, about Vitali’s performance: “He’s not God’s gift to show jumping but I think we’ll get there – he’s got the ability, I just have to find a way to get it out.”

Tim’s wife Jonelle Price was just behind him in fourth aboard the brilliant 19-year-old mare Classic Moet (40.2) who had two fences down on the final day but was the only horse in the field to make the time across Derek di Grazia’s cross-country course, despite a broken stop watch for the rider!

Dressage

At the end of two days of dressage action in the main arena, Britain’s Kitty King held the lead on Vendredi Biats, scoring a career best of 21.2. European gold medallists in 2021, Kitty admitted to being disappointed to have not have been selected for the British team for the upcoming World Championships in Pratoni and said she had a point to prove.

“I don’t know what to say really other than I’m thrilled and relieved,” she commented after her test which came on Friday afternoon. “He a very sharp horse and we haven’t always been able to produce what he can do at home on the big stage so it’s a huge relief to eventually be able to show everyone what he is capable of.”

She just had 0.1 of a mark to spare over Tim Price and Vitali, while Britain’s 2021 European individual bronze medallists Sarah Bullimore and Corouet were third on 22.5, ahead of March and Vanir Kamira in fourth.

Cross-country

As expected, everything changed over Saturday’s difficult cross-country course, designed for the first time by di Grazia.

Dressage leaders Kitty King and Vendredi Biats dropped to sixth place having picked up six time faults and 11 penalties for activating the Mim Pin at fence 19, while third-placed Sarah Bullimore retired Corouet after a run-out at the difficult leaf-pit at fence seven.

Price and Vitali moved up to second place after adding just 5.2 time penalties on the horses first time around Burghley, while March took over the lead with Vanir Kamira.

“She was wonderful. There are not many words that I have to say about her, she is just such a trier, the heart of her; the grit and determination,” commented Piggy.

“She is just like Classic Moet, they are freaks and fabulous amazing horses for our sport, they are proper Burghley horses. I was praying she enjoyed it as she always did, and she would come home happy and safe, and that is what she did.”

Jonelle Price, with Classic Moet, was the only one to make the time. She said: “She still looks as well and feels as good as she ever did. She had a couple of years off due to Covid and we take it one day at a time but she keeps putting her hand up and says that she wants to do it, so we do.”

“It’s great to be back here with her as she’s a Badminton and Burghley specialist. Burghley is the ultimate endurance test. I know she can make the trip and I know she can make it fast – there’s really no excuses for me on cross-country day.”

Of the 51 starters, 31 completed the course. Among high-profile fallers was Oliver Townend with his two mounts – Swallow Springs (fifth after dressage) and Tregilder. Ireland’s Susie Berry, who was 14th after dressage on 29.3, suffered an early fall with Ringwood LB.

Show jumping

When March entered the ring as last to go, she knew she had two fences in hand over Tom Jackson, who had leapt from fourth to second place with a brilliant clear round and Tim Price’s 12 faults meant he dropped below Jackson.

The pair had an early rail at fence 4a and had to keep it together until the end, which they did, despite tapping a number of fences on the way around. Piggy punched the air and galloped around the arena after crossing the line with four faults.

“I think we rubbed virtually every fence, we usually do! Good horses were having two or three down in there so I had assumed we would too but she was just phenomenal,” a delighted March said afterwards.

There were just six clears inside the time in Sunday’s final phase, one of them coming from 20-year-old Alice Casburn and Topspin on their Burghley debut to finish in fifth place.

Padraig McCarthy was the only Irish finisher in 19th place with HHS Noble Call. The pair started on 38.5 and added 13.6 time penalties across the country, before completing with 16 show jumping faults to finish on 68.1

“I had a plan to take out a couple of strides in places because it was very tight in the morning session. That all came up well but sadly he just didn’t jump high enough a few times. I don’t think they were necessarily mistakes from me, he wasn’t spooky, it was a nice round to ride, the poles just went down,” McCarthy said afterwards.

Cathal Daniels withdrew Rioghan Rua after cross-country, where they picked up 14.8 time penalties.

“Red didn’t look 100% last night so we took the decision to withdraw her,” Daniels posted on social media.

“Thankfully she’s bright and well in herself this morning and hopefully ready for her next adventure,” he added about the 14-year-old mare.