Pure Class

Oliver Townend heads a formidable line-up of Brits on young horses, as the sun shines on a wonderful weekend of sport at a vintage Burghley

- Pippa Roome

Land Rover Burghley, Lincs

OLIVER TOWNEND won Burghley, performing with all his innate horsemanship and acquired skill on a beautiful young horse he has produced through the grades, the flea-bitten grey Ballaghmor Class.

He led a British assault which resulted in a home-side top four and spectacularly ended a barren period. It is six years since William Fox-Pitt’s 2011 victory on Parklane Hawk, the last British triumph here.

This was Oliver’s third four-star win and it has been a long eight years since that magical season when he took both Badminton and Burghley on two other greys, Flint Curtis and Carousel Quest.

“I keep crying; it’s not good for my image,” the 34-year-old said, back in the collecting ring moments after pulling off his hat in a victory salute as he crossed the finish line. “For me, Burghley is the most difficult four-star to win and this means the world.”

With his Yorkshire accent as strong as ever, Oliver can appear tough. He’s the hardest-working rider in eventing — the leading rider in Britain over the past three seasons by sheer weight of numbers and his results week in, week out. But his deadpan façade can hide how much he cares about his horses and the huge emotion he feels in a big result.

To say Oliver has been in the wilderness would be wrong. He has had 12 top-eight four-star results since his four-star double. But he has often been squeezing every inch out of average horses, or coaxing performances out of ones with all the ability, but none of the ride ability.

They have been building years, growing-up years. Unashamedly driven by financial security, Oliver has owned a farm since he was 25 and in the intervening time has consolidated his business. Meanwhile he has tried to cut back on equine numbers and dross.