Kiwis Ready to Pounce at Burghley

New Zealand eventers start as hot favourites to take the crown at the prestigious Burghley International Horse Trials in the UK tomorrow evening (Thursday NZ time).

Equestrian Sports New Zealand eventing high performance leader Erik Duvander says he couldn't be happier with the preparation of his riders for one of the top events on the global eventing calendar and the next round of the rich HSBC FEI Classics Series.

Leading the charge is the in-form World Championships bronze medallist Andrew Nicholson, whose winning run of late is arguably unrivaled by any rider in recent times.

Burghley has become an event he loves, despite a rather scratchy start that saw him fall off the first three times he competed there. Since then though, he's won this prestigious title twice and finished second more times than he cares to count.

Defending champion Caroline Powell and the evergreen Lenamore are also serious contenders to retain the crown – along with the NZ$100,000 prize purse for the winner. Rising star Jonathan Paget, who finished seventh in his first world champs in 2010, rounds out the top Kiwi trio, all of whom are starting two horses.

Nicholson recently won the British Open Championship, finishing first on Nereo and second on Avebury – the two horses he’ll start at Burghley.

Duvander says any of those three could win, with another raft of Kiwis capable of making the top 10. The newly-crowned eventing world cup series winner Clarke Johnstone, double Olympic gold medallist and former Burghley winner Mark Todd, who is currently sitting in third spot on the classics leaderboard, Jonelle Richards and Neil Spratt all have strong hopes.

Out to catch the eye of selectors will be the come-back campaigner Blyth Tait who needs to earn himself a spot on the Olympic long list. There are 13 New Zealand combinations set to start at the event..

“To be getting such results this early in our preparation for the Olympics shows we are on track,” says Duvander. “Our (high performance) squad riders are looking amazing...I think none have ridden better and it's an exciting place to be as we head to Burghley.”

He says the promised retro cross country track may prove a challenge for some of the more inexperienced riders in the field, but he's not expecting any difficulties for the majority of the 16 Kiwis in the start list.

“The event, as always, has attracted a big field with many top combinations in there,” he says.

Burghley starts on Thursday (NZ time) with the dressage, which will run through Friday as well, followed by the cross country, designed by Captain Mark Phillips, on Saturday and showjumping on Sunday.