Australian rider Christopher Burton demonstrated that he has lost none of his eventing artistry when taking the dressage lead in the Connollys Red Mills CCI4*-S at Millstreet International Horse Trials, Co Cork, Ireland.

The 2016 Olympic eventing team bronze medallist and Burghley winner known in the sport as ‘Burto’ has been concentrating on showjumping since the summer of 2021 — only last weekend he was representing Australia at the Rome Nations Cup — but this year has been combining it with a return to the international eventing stage.

He scored 25.7 with an elegant test on new ride Shadow Man, a 14-year-old Belgian warmblood produced to five-star level by British rider Ben Hobday.

‘I haven’t lost it!’ joked Burto, explaining that he managed to acquire Shadow Man literally at the eleventh hour before the January 15, 2024 cut-off point for registering a horse with a nation for potential Olympic selection. ‘On January 14 I asked my wife how she felt about my going eventing again — she said “oh no”! — but by the end of next day we owned a percentage of Shadow Man.

‘Ben has been very good to me, helping me get used to the horse, who has been beautifully produced and is an absolute joy to ride. He is so easy to get along with.’

Millstreet is an Olympic selection trial for several nations and the Australia currently holds three of the top four places in the CCI4*-S, which incorporates the FEI Eventing Nations Cup TM. First-day leader Andrew Barnett is now in second place on Go Tosca and Millstreet regular Kevin McNab is fourth on Scuderia 1918 A Best Friend. Germany’s Felix Etzel is third on the stallion TSF Polartanz and Jennifer Kuehnle is best of the Irish in fifth place on Sammy Davis Junior.

Sam Ecroyd is in pole position after dressage in the CCI3*-L with a mark of 27.9 on Bloomfield Manuscript, an Irish Sport Horse by Financial Reward previously produced by Mark Davidson. 

‘I only took on the ride this year so I can’t take too much credit,’ said the British rider. ‘I think he has the ability to be a top horse but he is very big, very thoroughbred and needs to grow and develop.

‘I come to Millstreet because it is one of the best cross-country courses; it’s immaculate, they do a great job of mowing it and it always has nice big distances.’

Britain’s Kirsty Chabert is a regular prize-winner at Millstreet and she currently heads the Eventing Ireland CCI3*-S after dressage with a score of 26.1, riding Hanerina SSF, a 12-year-old Dutch warmblood mare previously competed by owner Nicole Pearson who rides for Hong Kong. 

Antipodean domination continues in the Donal Hickey CCI2*-L, in which New Zealander Samantha Lissington and the seven-year-old Dutch warmblood Mr Cookie Time scored 22.2 to hold a clear lead over US rider Mya Poulos on Cock-A-Doodle-Do.

The Foran Equine CCI2*-S is led by Ireland’s Caitie Slater riding Derena Super Star and the CCI2*-S Coral Cove Championship for young horses, named for the great event horse bred by the Duggan family, is headed by British rider John Tilley, who is based in Ireland at Carol Gee’s Fernhill Stud, aboard Wellfields Casino Royal, a Hanoverian by Casiro.

Ciara O’Connor leads the Carr & Day & Martin CCI1*-Intro on the seven-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare Ashwood Iron Lady.

Competitors in the Noel C Duggan Engineering CCI4*-L, which is headed by American Caroline Pamukcu, will be first out on the cross-country course tomorrow, from 8am.

For startlists and results, visit www.rechenstelle.de

For livestreaming, visit www.clipmyhorse.tv

Picture caption: Christopher Burton returns to the eventing world in style, taking the dressage lead in the Connollys Red Mills CCI4*-S at Millstreet International Horse Trials on Shadow Man (Picture is free to use, but please credit Bit-Media).

Notes to editors:

Millstreet has previously hosted Young Rider, Junior and Pony European Championships and is the Irish leg of the 2024 FEI Nations CupTM series.

The FEI Eventing Nations Cup TM for 2024 comprises seven European legs, of which Millstreet is the second to take place, with a final at Boekelo, Netherlands, in October. The series was established in 2012 and has provided invaluable team practice for up-and-coming riders and some thrilling competition.

The Duggan family have long been steeped in the Irish equestrian world, producing top-class competition horses and hosting international competitions. They are currently providing accommodation to some 300 Ukrainian refugees.

Millstreet has expansive facilities with eight all-weather jumping arenas and eight all-weather warm-up arenas, plus a beautiful parkland cross-country course in the grounds of Drishane Castle.

Mike Etherington-Smith (GBR) designed the cross-country courses for the Olympic Games  in 2000 and 2008, the world championships in 2010 and the European championships in 2005, 2019 and 2021.

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