Fox-Pitt picks up a hat-trick of victories at Burghley (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Fox-Pitt picks up a hat-trick of victories at Burghley

THE WEATHER was perfect, the going was good and Mark Phillips's course at the 2005 Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials last weekend came in for much praise.

And it sets a hopeful note for next week's European Championships at Blenheim that team member William Fox-Pitt, this time riding Ballincoola, achieved his third Burghley win, narrowly beating Australian Philip Dutton and The Foreman, who had been almost foot-perfect, into second place.

Third came Andrew Nicholson on Lord Killinghurst, owned by Nicky and Robin Salmon, of Tetbury, who was in with a good chance until he three down in the show jumping.

Finishing fourth was Mary King and Call Again Cavalier, who might well have been even higher placed but for incurring penalty points on the steeplechase phase.

Local connections, who featured high on the list, were Gatcombe-based Australian Andrew Hoy on the always consistent Mr Pracatan who came sixth and Rodney Powell from Swindon on the spectacular grey, Liquid Ice, who jumped a cracking cross country round and finished tenth overall. This looks like one horse to watch in the future.

The main casualty of the meeting was top American rider Kim Severson who was tipped as a possible winner, who had a bad fall from her Athens silver medal winning horse, Winsome Adante, at Cabability's Cutting.

Luckily, she has only a sprained shoulder and the horse was unhurt. The Winergy Burghley Young Event Horse Final for Five Year Olds was once again won by local connections.

This time, it was Zeus of Rushall, ridden by Darell Scaife, who were in the ribbons.

As his name suggests, Zeus comes from Rushall, near Marlborough, where he was bred by the Wookey family.

As you read this, the European Championships at Blenheim will be beginning.