The Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials are underway and the Kiwis are already off to a good start. Former winner Caroline Powell took out the Hi Ho Silver Best Dressed competition in a very smart sky blue coat, coupled with black pants and above the knee boots.

At the end of the first horse inspection 70 horse and rider combinations from 10 nations will make up the start list. Two horses were held for re-inspection but withdrawn before being re-presented.
Five-time winners Sir Mark Todd and Andrew Nicholson are both picked as ones to watch, and they’re looking forward to the challenge.

“I am very happy with the two horses,” said Mark of Kiltubrid Rhapsody and NZB Campino. “They have both come here out of good preparations. The first phase – the trot up – is over so I am looking forward to it.”

At 62 he is the oldest rider in the field. Burghley holds a special place in Mark’s heart as the first “big one” he competed at in the UK. “It is a fabulous event and always amazing to be here and be part of it,” he said.

It was a similar story from Andrew who will compete aboard Jet Set and Swallow Springs. “Our preparation has all gone very well so I have no excuses . . . I just have to do a good job,” said Andrew, who also noted the top quality of the field. “You have to do well in all three phases to have a chance.”

Having had a look at the Captain Mark Phillips-designed cross country he felt it was very fair. Horse and riders could both clearly see what had to be jumped but the jumps were big and the way it had been laid out will likely make going inside the time allowed difficult.

“You have to concentrate all the way around.”

The dressage gets underway this evening (NZ time) with Mark and NZB Campino second out at 9.38am (UK time). Tim Price aboard Bang, Andrew on Jet Set and Caroline Powell aboard On the Brash are all in the first section. Ginny Thompson and Star Nouveau are set to go at 11.26am with Dan Jocelyn and Dassett Cool Touch at 12.06pm, Mark and Kiltubrid Rhapsody at 3.04pm, Tim on Ringwood Sky Boy at 3.59pm and Andrew aboard Swallow Springs at 4.15pm.

CLICK HERE FOR FULL DRESSAGE START TIMES


HOW TO WATCH BURGHLEY
New Zealand viewers will be able to access the livestream via the Burghley Facebook page on the following days:

Horse Inspection

Thursday 30th September

2.00am

Dressage Day One

Thursday 30th September

8.00pm

Dressage Day Two

Friday 31st September

8.00pm

LIVE and Replay coverage will also be available on Sky Sport in NZ:

Cross Country-LIVE

Saturday 1st September

10.00pm

Sky Sport 7

Cross Country – Replay

Sunday 2nd September

6.00am

Sky Sport 6

Showjumping – LIVE

Monday 3rd  September

2.00am

Sky Sport 1

Showjumping – Replay

Monday 3rd September

2.30pm

Sky Sport 3

The horse details:
Star Nouveau – owned by Elaine Butterworth, Anthony Quirk and Ginny Thompson
Teseo – owned by Philip Channer and Andrew Nicholson
Jet Set – owned by Libby Sellar
Swallow Springs – owned by Paul and Diana Ridgeon
NZB Campino – owned by New Zealand Bloodstock and Sir Mark Todd
Kiltubrid Rhapsody – owned by Niki Ryan and Dr Elizabeth Donald
Ringwood Sky Boy – owned by Verenna Allen and Tim Price
Bango – owned by The Numero Uno Syndicate
On the Brash – owned by Sarah Tobey and Sue Smiley
Dassett Cool Touch – owned by Therese Miller and Dan Jocelyn

 

By Diana Dobson – HP Media Liaison
Photos by Libby Law/ESNZ