Rutland rider Matthew Heath experienced every emotion at his eighth Defender Burghley Horse Trials appearance.
Heath, 41, finished 38th with experienced gelding Askari, who was produced by British Eventing guru Dickie Waygood, but there was a feeling of what might have been after picking up 98 penalties during Saturday’s cross-country.
Heath’s best finish at the famed 5* event was 22nd with The Lion in 2014 and 2019, and despite failing to eclipse that effort this time round, he feels his brave horse is trending in the right direction.
“I’m really pleased with the showjumping,” said Heath, on a day where Olympic Ros Canter added a first Burghley crown to the team eventing title she captured in Paris.
“He’s not always found this phase this easy, or any of it really easy in fact, he’s just a real trier and brave and he’s managed to get to this level which is a credit to him.
“He jumped super in there, just got a little bit in my hand at the base of the one he had down which was disappointing but on the whole I’m really pleased with him.”
It was, however, another glorious day for Olympic champion Ros Canter, who put the finishing touches to her spectacular summer by adding a first Burghley title and third 5* crown to the team eventing gold she captured in Paris.
Of the 29 horses which progressed to the final round in Lincolnshire, no pair picked up more penalties during the cross-country than Heath and Askari. The rider admits he could have done more to help the pair climb the leaderboard.
“He did a good test I was gutted about yesterday, he just tripped going into the water for the first penalty and the second penalty was completely my fault,” said Heath.
“He finds it really difficult to re-group and rebalance when he’s tired. His brain doesn’t always catch up and I just put him on too committed a line with too much in the hand.
“I don’t think I’d have done that if the first penalty hadn’t occurred, I think it was just a momentary lapse in concentration, so I’m gutted for him because he felt really quite classy through the other bits yesterday.”
That said, the pair dusted themselves down quickly and were first to the arena for Sunday’s showjumping, picking up just 6.0 penalties to take their final score to 135.9.
“It's a quick turnaround, the horses were tired and sore today, there was a lot to do yesterday,” added Heath, who also saddled Golden Recipe before a retirement during Saturday’s cross-country.
“He was here last year and that experience gives you a hand. I’m disappointed and pleased all at the same time.”
Defender Burghley Horse Trials (5-8 September 2024) has been a major international sporting and social event for over 50 years. It attracts the world's top equestrians and is attended by vast and enthusiastic crowds. For more information visit www.burghley-horse.co.uk
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