Oliver Townend wins the 2017 Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials
Oliver Townend and the 10-year-old Irish Sports Horse Ballaghmor Class (Sire: Courage II) bred by Noel Hickey, is the 2017 winner of The Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials. Ballaghmor Class won the CIC2* at Ballindenisk International in April 2016 and was 4th in this year’s CCI3* at Tattersalls International. This was the second Burghley title for Oliver, who won in 2009 with Carousel Quest.
It was a nail biting finish. Gemma Tattersall and Arctic Soul had left Oliver Townend a little room for error after they had a fence down. It was a costly fence for Tattersall as Piggy French and Vanir Kamira had a clear round, which moved the combination up to take second place.
After his win Oliver Townend said that “Such a lot can go wrong with a young horse – and he’s only just learned to do flying changes – but he’s in a different class to anything else I’ve ridden recently.”
“He’s always been very sharp and he’s had us all on the floor at home, though it’s quite a while since he had me off, but he had a girl off going up the gallops just two weeks ago and he’s gone through arena mirrors and out of the school through the fence in the past.
Sarah Ennis over the Collyweston Slate Mine
Ireland’s Sarah Ennis withdrew BLM Diamond Delux, who jumped a clear cross country yesterday , before the final horse inspection due to a shoulder muscle injury.
Clare Abbott and Euro Prince over the Cottesmore Leap
Clare Abbott, a Burghley first timer, achieved the best Irish result finishing in 13th place with Euro Prince.
Alan Nolan and Bronze Flight over the Slate Mine (Fence 7)
Ireland’s third entry, Alan Nolan and Bronze Flight finished in 27th place.
