ONE of the strongest renewals on record of the five-star Defender Burghley Horse Trials is underway in Lincolnshire where British Olympic gold medallist Ros Canter leads the way after a sensational dressage test aboard Izilot DHI (19.9), the second-best first phase score in the history of the competition.

The sun was shining at the incredible venue which welcomed no less than seven five-star winners and multiple Paris Olympians, including Canter’s Lordships Graffalo who sits in second place on 22.0, a five-star personal best.

“We’ve managed to go up a notch from Paris so I am absolutely delighted,” said Canter adding that the cross-country game plan is very different for her two horses. “Izilot is trickier in character and he goes first, then I’ve got enough time to change my plan a bit if needed for Lordships Graffalo. The plan is to be competitive; I’ve got two great horses.”

Last to go on Friday afternoon, New Zealand’s Tim Price slotted into third with Vitali (22.3), just ahead of Britain’s Emily King and Valmy Biats (24.1).

Cooley Rosalent (Valent x Rosalier) is the highest placed Irish Sport Horse in the field after dressage on a score of 24.4 under Oliver Townend. The Woods Rosbotham-bred 10-year-old grey mare won Kentucky CCI5* in the spring and produced a beautiful test which included a 10 for her halt. “I was very happy with her. She’s still a baby, and she’s been to some big occasions already and there are lots of bits for improving. The first change was completely my error, I overrode it,” Townend commented.

The 11-year-old mare Greenacres Special Cavalier (Cavalier Royale x Touchdown) is in eighth place after a personal best score of 25.4 under New Zealand’s Caroline Powell. The Badminton winners are bidding to become the fourth combination to win Badminton and Burghley in the same year.

Berry best of Irish

Ireland’s best placed rider is Co Down’s Susie Berry who, riding her Paris horse Wellfields Lincoln, who was making his five-star debut, scored 31.5 to sit in 25th after the first phase. The pair produced a lovely clean test and scored a number of eights; namely for the second halt, the walking pirouette and the second flying change. However, the last flying change was late behind and received scores of four, dropping her below the 70% mark.

Ian Cassells is in 30th place with Bridget McGing’s home-bred Master Point (Pointilliste x Kings Master) after a solid score of 32.4. Next best is Austin O’Connor and his Paris mount Colorado Blue (Jaguar Mail x Rock King) on 33.9. Speaking afterwards, O’Connor said: “I was happy with him. We’re never going to be at the sharp end on Thursday or Friday, but hopefully we can change that on Saturday. I don’t know what more I could have done, he’s still improving. It’s done and we’ll look forward to the exciting bit.”

Just behind O’Connor on a score of 33.9 is Padraig McCarthy and Lady Ophelia. That is by far this combination’s best international score on their five-star debut. Lady Ophelia (originally named GRS One) is a half-sister to GRS Lady Amaro. Bred by Denis Hickey, she is out of the mare Legal Lady (Over The River) with no recorded sire.

“For me, that’s a massive victory. I’m so so so chuffed. I think it’s possibly the best test she’s ever done in her life, and to do it here today, with all the owners here, is fantastic, I’m over the moon,” McCarthy said afterwards.

Looking forward to the cross-country, McCarthy added: “She’s always been a very good cross-country horse. We haven’t met anything she can’t jump yet. Maybe the Leaf Pit (fence 7) is one of those things tomorrow... It looks really, really scary, but I’m late in the day, I’ll have the opportunity to watch quite a lot go and formulate a plan. But she’s a really gutsy mare, so I’m up for it and I think hopefully she is as well.”

Cross-country course

Burghley is well known to be an influential cross-country track, with only two horses having made the time last year. The track is almost four miles long with an optimum time of 11 minutes 16 seconds.

Riders are in agreement that Derek di Grazia’s track is one of the biggest and most challenging they have ever seen. Townend said: “It’s a serious, serious course. It’s bigger than it’s ever been in places, and it’s getting skinnier and skinnier. It’s getting more and more like Kentucky every year and obviously it’s a bonus that my mare has been there, but at the same time, the terrain here is a different league again.”

Two-time Burghley winner Pippa Funnell suggested some of the fences were too big, commenting: “I’ve never seen such big arrowheads, they are very, very meaty. Coming out of the Leaf Pit, I would think they might be five or 10cm on the too big side. But it is Burghley and hopefully the horses will read the questions well.”

Cross-country begins at 11am and is streamed live on Burghley TV (subscription).