Piggy March has taken over the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials dressage lead in a resounding fashion. She scored 22.6 to claim a four-penalty margin over Pippa Funnell and Billy Walk On’s score for this morning’s top test during this first day of dressage (1 September).
Piggy had Trevor Dickens’ sometimes tricky 17-year-old mare Vanir Kamira at her best in the arena. The pair scored a 10 from Andrew Bennie at C for her mid-test halt, as well as nines from Andrew and Judy Hancock at E for the canter stretch circle.
Piggy’s marks only really dropped down in the 8m circles in canter, where “Tilly” occasionally dropped the contact a touch.
This was an international personal best mark for the 2019 Badminton winner at any level.
“It’s absolutely brilliant – she’s felt on good form and I was so praying for a personal best,” said Piggy. “Her days [competing at this level] are numbered. How many more of these we do with her, god knows, but we’ll let her tell us.”
Piggy admitted that she felt the pressure today and wasn’t sure she had Tilly where she needed her before their Burghley Horse Trials dressage test.
“I didn’t want to let her down, she’s been so solid for me here. It’s such a fine line with her and, to be honest, I thought we were on the wrong side of this line. It felt like one of the hardest tests I’ve had to ride with her here. She felt hot and she was very sneezy just before went in.
“She went to pull herself up for the first halt and she can feel a bit crabby, a bit stuffy. I thought, ‘Is this the start of the test being behind me?’ I felt I was on total eggshells, but it was not cracking the shells. To score 22.6 for her at this level is amazing.”
Piggy said a win for Vanir Kamira this week would be a “complete fairytale”.
“But I don’t care what happens as long as she goes out being a great Burghley horse and finishes sound and well. That’s all she owes us these days – but we’ll be trying,” she said.
You might also be interested in:
Pippa Funnell and Billy Walk On take early lead in Burghley dressage: ‘I felt I got the balance right’
Riders’ reactions to Burghley’s cross-country course: what they like – and what they want to see changed
‘I treasure every moment’: Classic Moet’s groom on tending the no-fuss veteran star
‘My horse’s flight was cancelled five times’: tortuous trip to Burghley ends in smart test
Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all summer long
Keep up with all of the breaking news, behind the scenes insight and the best of the action throughout Burghley Horse Trials with no limit on how much you can read from as little as £1 per week with a Horse & Hound unlimited website subscription. Sign up now. Plus enjoy our full 20-page magazine report on Burghley, including in-depth analysis and exclusive comments from Nick Burton and Mark Phillips, in next week’s magazine (8 September).
