Torrential rain overnight then a beautiful sunny day for the finale and the showjumping at Burghley today. No issues for either Viscount Viktor or Vitali at the jog this morning although a couple of prominent names were missing from the start sheet including Pippa Funnell and Tom McEwen which was a shame for them and their teams.
Viktor jumped in the morning session and for a horse that was once considered to have a bit of a weakness in this phase he came of age today with a superb round where he just tipped the last vertical out of the treble. It was a polished and confident round and Viktor ended up in 34th place out of 67 starters at just 10 years old so he has certainly justified Tim’s belief in not only him, but in the fact that he truly felt he was ready for Burghley. Viktor has looked very much at home here all week and I suspect he will make it his own in the years to come.
Cosby Green has had a dream week at Burghley with Copper Beach ( Sean) and Jonelle and Tim can take the credit for a great coaching job as she has piloted her 18 year old chestnut to a 16th place finish with a PB at 5 star in the dressage, a clear yesterday and she put the showjumping at Badminton truly behind her today with just 4 faults. That is a real team effort!
Just three clears from the morning session and the afternoon was held in a jam packed arena full of proper horse people who sat in utter silence when the horses jumped. There were no cricket scores but when Monica Spencer had a rail and 2 time she dropped from 7th to 11th which is some £8000 fall in prize money as well it didn’t help the nerves for Vitali!
Joe Giannamore told me a few weeks ago he thinks it is the afternoon crowds which spook Vitali so the team were taking no chances here. As Tim cantered in the commentator asked the crowd not to clap which they immediately refrained from ( although to be fair Vitali sort of looked around as if to say “Excuse me, did you not see my dressage or cross country”) and Tim commenced his round. He had a rail in hand to stay second but that has never been enough of a comfort zone for Vitali at 5 star so it wasn’t much of a buffer zone.
I don’t think Tim and Vitali have had a rail since their catastrophic round at Badminton this spring and Vitali pulled out all the stops this afternoon for a round which just saw him tap out one rail late on. He got through the tricky treble with the related distance to the oxer and he barely breathed on any other fence and as the crowd roared their appreciation he kind of acknowledged it with a brief Kiwi tip of the head. He is an extraordinary horse as he made us all look like idiots for doubting him….when he has toppled down the order so many times before on a Sunday! Second place held and guaranteed…so well deserved for Tim and owners Joe and Alex Giannamore.
Too much to hope that Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo (Walter) would have 2 rails…they jumped a beautiful clear with a couple of time to take the win which was utterly deserved. Joe Giannamore likes fine wines….maybe he’s done the waiting now as Vitali is maturing into the ultimate event horse.
But best of all is that Vitali will now go back to Joe’s to holiday with Tommas, the 4 year old that Jonelle rides for Joe and they can hang in the field together and chat. Hopefully Vitali will leave out the brat behaviour at the jogs but he has much to teach his mate. Grappa Nera ( Grape) is fine and dandy and furious that Jonelle left the driving seat so early on, Viktor has Luhmuhlen and Burghley under his belt this year and is so ready for a holiday and Jonelle is….well, just trying to catch a break if I am honest and she deserves this rotten luck streak to come to an abrupt close.
