Ros Canter wins Defender Burghley
Britain’s Ros Canter and her charismatic horse Lordships Graffalo entered the pantheon of greats in the sport of eventing with an emphatic triumph at Defender Burghley, which carries a first prize of £110,000.
Their finishing score of 23.6 is the best in the 63-year history of Defender Burghley and is the climax of a golden 18-month run for Ros with Archie and Michele Saul’s 12-year-old Lordships Graffalo. This has included victories at Badminton and the 2023 European Championships, plus an Olympic team gold medal in Paris six weeks ago. “It was an amazing opportunity to bring ‘Walter’ here,” explained Ros, who lives in Lincolnshire locally to Defender Burghley and has been competing here since her Pony Club days. “If there was ever an event and a horse that were well-matched, this was it.
“Defender Burghley has always been an event I felt I hadn't got quite right and it was great to be able to bring a horse like Walter and to let rip. I was determined to enjoy it — I sometimes struggle to enjoy top-level competitions — but this week I felt I got the balance right."”
The popular New Zealander Tim Price rode brilliantly to conjure a near-perfect round — just one fence down — on Joe and Alex Giannamore’s Vitali, a famously difficult horse to manage in the tense atmosphere of the showjumping finale.
“You have to reinvent the wheel each time with this horse,” revealed Tim. “I believe in him and have long been trying to find the key to his long-format jumping issues, so I am thrilled. Today will go down as one of the greatest days of my life.”
Harry Meade was third and fourth on two mares, Cavalier Crystal, also third in 2023, and the relatively inexperienced Annaghmore Valoner, plus 12th on Superstition. “It’s been a whirlwind week trying to do all three horses justice, and so this is a great outcome,” said Harry, whose late father Richard won Burghley exactly 60 years ago in 1960.
“As a little boy, I grew up wanting to ride at the big events. It’s what I try and dedicate my life to and one day I hope to be sitting where Ros is sitting.”
The 2022 Defender Burghley runners-up, Tom Jackson and the ever-consistent grey Capels Hollow Drift, finished fifth. Frenchman Gaspard Maksud was the best first-timer in sixth on Zaragoza, ahead of his more experienced compatriot Nicolas Touzaint, also a debutant here, seventh on Absolut Gold HDC. British riders Alexander Bragg (Quindiva), Gemma Stevens (Chilli Knight) and Alice Casburn (Topspin) filled eighth, ninth and 10th places respectively.
It was a measure of the good conditions on yesterday’s cross-country phase that horses performed so well in today's final showjumping — there were 14 clear rounds from the 39 to complete Defender Burghley, eight of which were within the time allowed. Ros Canter described Defender Burghley as “a magical place” and Tim Price added: “We’re so grateful to Defender Burghley to keep presenting the sport of eventing at this level.” Event Director Martyn Johnson expanded: “It’s been a great weekend for five-star sport. We always look to improve and future-proof this event. It’s a balancing act to keep it in the traditions everyone loves while keeping it fresh and relevant.”