The final rider to come in front of the judges for the Defender Burghley Horse Trials dressage, Tim Price, powered into third place on a score of 22.3, behind Ros Canter’s pair of rides, Izilot DHI and Lordships Graffalo.
Tim and the Giannamores’ Vitali – who broke the dressage record here at Burghley last year on 18.7 – scored a 10 from Nick Burton at E for their entry and a number of nines, including two for harmony from Nick and Christina Klingspor at C. They were trending around 80% after the trot, but the marks dropped fractionally in the canter, where they showed a slight quickening through the flying changes.
“I’m very happy with him – he’s a really good dressage horse, so then there’s a bit of pressure on you to do what the horse is capable of and I had all day to sit and wait, but he warmed up really nicely, went in and did a similar test to last year, which I was really happy with,” said Tim Price after his Burghley Horse Trials dressage test.
“You do an 18 one year and you think, ‘How do I go a bit better?’ because that’s what we do with all our horses across the levels. I watched last year’s test before I went out and thought, ‘How can I improve on it?’ But he was great, he went in and was rideable and you try to ride the test as well as you can.”
Penultimate rider Harry Meade slotted into 11th with his final ride, Bramham Horse Trials CCI4*-L winner Annaghmore Valoner, owned by Dinah and Stephen Posford and their daughter Juliet Carter.
“I’m really pleased with her. I love that horse – she’s an absolute trier, very sensitive but a real athlete and without an ounce of malice in her,” he said. “She’s a lovely person and it’s nice to give her confidence and try to keep her happy and for her to go in with a big atmosphere on Friday afternoon, hold it together and produce a really nice test for her first five-star. I’m thrilled with her.”
Earlier in the session Pippa Funnell was pleased to score 29.6 for 17th with Mare Sebestak and her own Majas Hope, who had a difficult time in this phase at Badminton. Her changes for this event from then included riding “Hopey” in a double bridle.
“There’s no hiding he finds that phase difficult, but he tried harder than he did at Badminton and let’s hope he finds tomorrow enjoyable,” said Pippa, who added that she’s not sure if she’s shrinking but she’s never seen such big arrowheads as riders have to tackle tomorrow if they take the direct route at the Holland Cooper Leaf Pit.
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