Resounding Success at Burghley

What a week and what an achievement once again to have not one, not two, but three top performances at Burghley.  After a less than ideal preparation this year – just 7 weeks post injury (three broken ribs, a punctured lung and torn AC ligament in my shoulder) along with 4 weeks out of the saddle – it was thanks to a huge team effort that we made it to the start line with three horses for a third consecutive year.  

This year we were back with Cavalier Crystal and Annaghmore Valoner, placed 3^rd and 4^th respectively in 2024, as well as Burghley debutant, 11 year old Et Hop du Matz, 3^rd in Kentucky this year.

Et Hop du Matz was drawn No 1 and therefore pathfinder across country for all other competitors.  He was also first down the centre line for the dressage and showed huge progress from his last 5* test in the Spring.  He is a long, gangly horse who is continuing to grow in strength and is still far from the finished article.  He put his best foot forward for a really solid test and a score of 32.

Cavalier Crystal was up next.  She’s never been the easiest in the dressage phase, but we managed to keep her sweet and she really knuckled down and nailed as good a test as we could possibly have hoped for with her, putting herself in a competitive position after the first phase with a personal best 5* score of 30.5.

Annaghmore Valoner had been working beautifully in the run up to her test and was all set to really show what she’s capable of, but drama ensued when we were pulled up before entering the boards.  There was a question over possible blood on the side of her mouth but thankfully protocol was followed and having wiped her mouth there was no evidence of any blood and we were allowed to begin.  Sadly, it all took time and she’d gone slightly over the top by the time she began her test. None the less she put in a solid performance with just one uncharacteristic but expensive mistake in a flying change to score 29.8.

There was a lot of talk about the course ahead of Saturday – it had had a major shakeup, lots of new and different combinations, and importantly a change in direction.  We all felt it would be a relentless stamina test, with no let up, and would be very difficult to make the time. 

Et Hop du Matz (Hoppy) had the unenviable job of being first out of the start box – we know he’s a good cross-country horse and that he was fit, but nobody knew how this course was going to ride or how they would cope with the stamina test of the reversed course.  Aside from a slightly hair moment at the second last when he pecked on landing and almost dislodged me, he gave me a fabulous ride from start to finish, crossing the line just 5 seconds over the optimum time and still full of running.  Following his round he stayed at the top of the leader board until my next ride on Cavalier Crystal.

Cavalier Crystal (Nell) was absolute perfection the whole way round, I’ve been riding her since she was 5 so we know each other like the back of our hands, she loves her job and is such a professional.  She doesn’t have the biggest stride but she has the biggest heart and she too finished full of running, and pushed Hoppy off the top spot on the leader board.

Annaghmore Valoner (Annie) was last of the day.  She came into Burghley with a significant lack of match practise having missed the spring events and then with me out of action over the summer.  Out of the three of them she would need her hand holding the most, but she trusted me and gave me a superb ride around a relentless course.  She kept on answering the questions and like the other two finished full of running just one second over the optimum time. 

At the end of cross country day, we had three in the top six – Annaghmore Valoner 3^rd, Cavalier Crystal 4^th and Et Hop du Matz 6^th.   What a position to be in.

All three horses came out on Sunday morning looking and feeling great and sailed through the final horse inspection. 

With three to jump on Sunday in a field that was now under thirty, it was a fairly tight and logistical operation.  Usually if you’re lying in the top ten at a three-day event, with the show jumping running in reverse order, there’s time to watch the course jumped in the early stages but this was not the case.  Et Hop du Matz, first to jump of our crew, took the hit on this.  He jumped immaculately other than jumping too quietly into the double and not making the distance, taking both parts with him.  I am over the moon with him and his two rails were not a fair reflection of how he is going.

Cavalier Crystal, was next to jump and I would not be making the same mistake again.  As soon as we got into the arena, I got her going in a really big canter and she put in her usual polished performance to jump clear and bank 5^th place at worst. 

Annaghmore Valoner was a little bit looky at the first couple of fences, but having missed her prep runs and show jumping outings with me out of action over the summer, and in such an atmospheric arena, this was hardly surprising.  She then jumped beautifully and was very unlucky to have the second last down with the lightest of touches dropping her below Cavalier Crystal. 

Huge congratulations to Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo who were the undisputed champions – rock solid in all three phases – but for our three to finish 3^rd, 4^th and 9^th at Burghley was an unbelievable achievement and I could not be prouder of the horses or the team who got us here.   We are the first team ever to have completed Burghley with three horses on more than one occasion.

Having done a week of walking and had a thorough post-match MOT, all three are now happily out in the field together with their shoes off and growing woolly coats.  Nothing makes me happier than to see this.