Piggy March shares her thoughts on Burghley, Blenheim and the World Championships, plus the fine margins in modern eventing and swings of fortune
IT’S funny how things go sometimes. I had a quiet summer, which didn’t give me much motivation – a couple of top horses off with minor injuries or avoiding the unusually hard ground, plus our worries about my sister-in-law Caroline and Nicola Wilson, as they continue their recoveries after falls. Then suddenly, within a couple of weeks, I’ve had two massive wins.
You never know what’s around the corner with horses and usually the swing isn’t down to any change of system or mindset. Over the years I’ve learnt to treasure the good days.
Burghley: the ultimate test
To win Burghley was the realisation of a lifelong dream and it was extra special to do it on Vanir Kamira, who thoroughly deserved it, after all her solid Burghley performances. I was so proud.
Well done to the new Burghley Horse Trials team – no doubt they’ll make tweaks, but it was an amazing event. Crowd numbers showed the general public love it as much as we riders.
New designer Derek di Grazia provided a clever course. The terrain is toughest running in that direction. I don’t ever remember lots getting the time there and as long as you have happy pictures of horses and riders finishing, that’s what Burghley should be about – the ultimate test.
I wasn’t disappointed it was a small field. You can have a brilliant day’s sport with 40 to 60 competitors, as long as there is good variation and healthy thrills and spills.
My only cross-country day negative was the Fairfax & Favor Boot Racks, at the most tiring point before the turn to the Cottesmore Leap. I’m no course-designer, but we’re all trying to understand what horses do and why. To my mind, a wide ascending oxer, with ground that falls on landing, will invite horses to shut down and not finish their jump properly to protect themselves from what’s coming next.
There were some unlucky casualties there, particularly the broken frangible for leader Kitty King, whose Vendredi Biats jumped a confident, scopey round under a rider who was at her best and hungry for it. I did feel for Kitty and her day is definitely yet to come.
Frangibles are there for safety – and they did their job – but we don’t want to make cross-country day a showjumping competition. Would a hedge work here if Derek wants to keep the dimensional challenge?
World Championships: an unbelievable performance
The difference between the right and wrong side of the line in sport is so fine. Everyone was shocked that the British team at the World Eventing Championships was just, by a fraction, on the wrong side of the luck we all need. It reminds us all that nothing is ever guaranteed.
Yasmin Ingham gave an unbelievable performance to take the individual gold. It’s brilliant for her backers, Sue Davies and Janette Chinn – the aim was to find and nurture lovely horses and how they’ve been repaid for that investment.
I have to feel for Ros Canter, in fourth on the same score as individual bronze – she took another one for the team as pathfinder on a beautiful young horse. She is the ultimate event rider in her talent and attitude, and looked every inch the world champion she was four years ago.
Blenheim: a cool horse
Blenheim Horse Trials, organised by The Jockey Club, is also on the up. To win the eight- and nine-year-old class was special – I’m particularly fond of Halo; he’s a stallion, part of an exciting new venture for us, and feels like a cool horse for the future.
It’s great when you can reward an owner, too. It’s been on Jayne McGivern’s wish list to have a horse at Blenheim, her local event, and she has supported me since coming on board at the end of my disappointing year in 2012.
The course for the young horse class was appropriate in difficulty. Aside from the fences, it’s such an occasion for them with the crowds, the water crossings and the terrain.
God Save The Queen
It came as a shock to everyone how saddened we are by the death of The Queen. Blenheim marked the occasion with two minutes’ silence every day, the reading out of tributes and the national anthem sung by soprano Laura Wright. It felt fitting to be at Blenheim Palace; I’m sure she’d have loved to be there watching the horses.
Little did I know that Burghley was the last time I’d sing the national anthem as “God Save The Queen” – it’s the one that will mean the most to me. Rest in peace, Your Majesty, and thank you.
• Which riders impressed you at Burghley, Blenheim and the worlds? Write to hhletters@futurenet.com
- This exclusive column will also be available to read in Horse & Hound magazine, on sale Thursday 29 September
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