I never like to count chickens until they hatch, but after the spring three-day-events we had five horses aiming for Burghley. It’s been a decade-long plan to produce young horses through the grades and have a strong hand at five-star level, and some have been with us since they were three or four-year-olds. To produce them to five-star is a challenge, but then to keep them there, happy and confident and sound, is another matter. Even in the short window between the entries closing and a five-star event starting, a substantial proportion of the entrants drop out. So, I was coy when asked if I had anything for Burghley, knowing how fortunes can change so rapidly.
Cometh the hour, all five were fully prepared and ready to go. To arrive at the start line of the toughest five-star in the world with five horses was an extraordinary achievement by our team – so much work goes into it and the effort behind the scenes from the whole team at Church Farm has been tremendous.
Photo Credits: FocusOnHorses
With a maximum of three able to start, we had to select a who would go and who reroute to another five-star. We chose to run Cavalier Crystal (3rd at Burghley 2023), Annaghmore Valoner (Bramham winner 2024) and Superstition (previously 5th Kentucky & 7th Maryland twice), all three of whom I believed could be really competitive. Away Cruising, previously 6th Burghley and the most experienced of the bunch, and Et Hop du Matz, who at only 10 years old is the least experienced but probably the best cross country horses of them all, will both head across the Atlantic to the Maryland five-star in October.
Although Superstition drew the short straw as pathfinder, he put in a strong performance in the dressage with solid score of 32.1. Cavalier Crystal followed with another solid test to creep ahead of Supersition on a score of 31.3. Annaghmore Valoner was the last of our gang to go and she really excelled herself for a score 27.8. She’s really settled down in her brain this year and has been consistently scoring in the mid 20s in her one-day events, so we had high hopes for her. She was a joy to ride in the arena and excitingly there’s still more to come. As well as concentrating on the overall way of going of each horse, my aim was to nail the twelve flying changes and six pirouettes across the three tests, and was delighted by the end of the first phase that none had been missed between them.
Derek di Grazia designed a great track with some really interesting 5* questions. On my first walk I did wonder why I’d left Away Cruising and Et Hop du Matz behind. Superstition, first out of the start box, did a superb job as pathfinder, both for me and the rest of the field who were all waiting eagerly to see how it rode. He was absolute perfection from start to finish and popped round it as if it were a Novice course. Coming in off the back of some time out earlier in the year, and this being his first Burghley, I wanted to ensure there was enough petrol in the tank to get home – he breezed up the last hill and through the finish with 10 time faults but full of running to meet a delighted team.
Burghley is a big stamina test and until a horse has done it you don’t really know what you have. In 2023 Cavalier Crystal took me by surprise with her speed and stamina so this year I knew I could ask a little more. She’s a true professional, brave as a lion and always looking for her lines, and gave me an epic ride all the way to come home with three seconds in hand.
Annaghmore Valoner was the least known quantity of our three but she truly rose to the occasion and came out of cross country day having had a great experience and a better horse for it. She’s 75% TB and oozed quality all the way round and I was able to ease up at the end still finishing a whopping 11 second inside the time. Only four horses made the time all day and our two girls were the fastest of them!
All three came out on Sunday morning feeling great and looking a picture. Superstition got us off to a great start in the show jumping with an immaculate clear, jumping out of order at the end of the morning session. Cavalier Crystal is probably the best jumper I’ve ever ridden and gave me another class clear round to ensure herself a 5th place finish at worst. Annaghmore Valoner was lying in 3rd place ahead of the final phase. She’s also a great jumper and I wanted to put myself in a position where if anyone else faulted she could win it, so time faults were not an option. I perhaps made one roll back slightly tighter than I needed just touching the pole which came down dropping her from the possibitly of 2nd place to an eventual 4th place with Cavalier Crystal sneaking ahead into 3rd. Whatever we’d done we weren’t able to beat Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo who were deserved champions!
As a team our focus for many years has been on producing horses to the very top level without losing sight of this goal. I’m so proud of our team of horses and the team behind the scenes that we had really achieved our goals. I’m grateful for the patience and belief that our wonderful owners have in the team and the system, which doesn’t involve winning week in week out but waiting for the big occasion. The horses all came home safely and have been enjoying living out 24/7 with the sunshine on their backs.
A final thank you to Burghley for putting on the most top class event – everything about it is worked around the horses and riders, the team couldn’t be more helpful – it’s a joy to be lucky enough to compete there.
