Ros Canter gallops into the lead at Defender Burghley

The pair, the only combination to achieve the optimum cross-country time, returned to roars of appreciation from spectators for a flawless performance towards the close of a thrilling day’s sport.

“As we came home, the noise the crowd made was fantastic and it gave me the extra push to keep ‘Walter’ going and he galloped home very comfortably,” said Olympic team gold medallist Ros, who also won Badminton in May and is the reigning European champion with her horse of a lifetime.

“It’s a big deal coming here in my situation [pregnant] and the reality is that all eyes were on me, but the moment I had a jump on Walter this morning, I knew it was all systems go.”

Ros has a showjumping rail in hand with Archie and Michele Saul’s 13-year-old bay gelding now over Austin O’Connor, who produced another vintage display of galloping and jumping on Colorado Blue. The Irishman finished just two seconds over the allowed time of 11 minutes 24 seconds and does not have a fence in hand over last year’s runners-up, New Zealander Tim Price and Vitali.

“It was true cross-country,” said Austin of course-designer Derek di Grazia’s track. “You had to have a horse with scope and gallop - in short, they had to want to be cross-country horses.”

Harry Meade yet again rose to the CCI5* cross-country challenge; his three clear rounds, from Annaghmore Valoner, Cavalier Crystal and Et Hop Du Matz, now fourth, fifth and sixth respectively, was an outstanding achievement.

There were, of course, disappointments, none more so than for the dressage leader Oliver Townend when Cooley Rosalent ducked out at the corner at the Maltings, fence 18b. Samantha Lissington, fourth after dressage on Lord Seekonig, retired, as did Emily King (Valmy Biats, lying sixth). Piggy French, lying fifth on MCS Maverick, was eliminated for missing a fence, having already had a run-out.

There were 30 completions from the field of 50 cross-country starters, with 19 clear rounds.

Harry, also, was full of praise for the course and the day’s sport.

“The headline is that it allowed all the right ingredients of a top event horse - agility, scope, speed and bravery - to come to the fore. Burghley is so important to our sport and is what eventing is all about,” he said.

Ros and Lordships Graffalo set the record for the best finishing score in Burghley history when they won last year; a clear round tomorrow will ensure that they surpass their own record, according to Irish statistics company EquiRatings.

Every moment of the action from Defender Burghley 2025 is being shown live on Burghley TV: https://burghley-horse.co.uk/burghley-tv