Last year’s runners-up Tim Price and Vitali head the Defender Burghley Horse Trials field at lunchtime on Friday after receiving a mark of 23.1 for their “rideable and relaxed” dressage test.
“He’s super. He’s a class dressage horse, and he has got all the ingredients for a really hot test,” said Tim.
“It’s funny, because sometimes he’s been quite unrideable and scores really well, sometimes he’s been really rideable and scores not so well, and vice versa, so it’s a little bit down to what the judges are looking for on the day.
“But from my point of view, rideability, super, relaxation, lovely. Just a great partnership on display.
“He went through all the motions other than one movement where he thought he was going to halt on the centre line or do a poo or something.
“The rest was spot on what I was looking for.”
Tim, who won the title here in 2018 with Ringwood Sky Boy, and Vitali hold the record Burghley dressage score of 18.7, a feat they produced in 2022.
Vitali is a 15-year-old gelding who is owned by Joseph and Alex Giannamore.
Podium changes
Overnight leaders, Piggy March and MCS Maverick, have dropped to second, while Alexander Bragg and Ardeo Premier now sit in third.
Tom Crisp and Dassett Rock Star, the 11-year-old gelding owned by Eve Mayes, Izzy Mayes and Louise Nash, were another pair to upset the business end of the leaderboard on Friday morning after they produced a test for 28.5 to slot them into fourth.
“I knew we could do it and I’ve been working hard at home with Sune [Hansen] at Spring Hill Dressage. He’s helped me a lot just to be a bit more confident and really go for it,” said Tom.
“If you make a mistake, you make a mistake, but I think you’re better off setting off thinking you can go for it and make mistake than be a bit too careful, which is what I’ve been guilty of for a few years.
“This horse is very capable of doing a good test and today it came together, so we’re really, really chuffed.”
“He was just with me the whole way, kept his head in the game, nailed all of his changes, and it’s so easy just to miss one of them and then that’s a mark gone, isn’t it?
“We’re very rarely at this end of the leaderboard after dressage.
“It feels a bit strange, but I can get used to it.”
The pair completed Badminton earlier this year in 51st position.
Other new additions to the leaderboard after the Friday morning session were Max Warburton riding Deerpairc Revelry, who scored 29.1 for sixth, Katie Magee with Treworra, seventh on 29.3, and Laura Collett aboard Bling, who received a mark of 30.2 and sit ninth.
Top 10 after dressage (at Friday lunchtime)
The standings at the end of the dressage phase are:
- Tim Price and Vitali on 23.1 penalties
- Piggy March and MCS Maverick, 25.7 penalties
- Alexander Bragg and Ardeo Premier, 28.4
- Tom Crisp and Dassett Rock Star, 28.5
- Will Rawlin and Ballycoog Breaker Boy, 28.8
- Max Warburton and Deerpairc Revelry, 29.1
- Katie Magee and Treworra, 29.3
- David Doel and Gallileo Nieuwmoed, 29.6
- Laura Collett and Bling, 30.2
- Harry Meade and Cavalier Crystal, 30.5
View the full overnight leaderboard here
Images by Tim Wilkinson
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