Articles: Horse News
Boyd Martin and Neville Bardos Lead the U.S. Effort After Day One at the
2011 Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials
Neville Bardos and Boyd Martin at Burghley
(Photo: www.stockimageservices.com)
Contact:
United States Equestrian Federation, Inc.
4047 Iron Works Parkway
Lexington, KY 40511-8483
Tel: (859) 258-2472
Fax (859) 231-6662
Web site: www.usef.org
NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 1, 2011
By Joanie Morris
Lexington, KY - American Boyd Martin rode confidently into the main arena at
the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials to put in a top 12 effort on the first
day of dressage. Riding Neville Bardos, whose trip to England was made
possible by a Land Rover Competition and Training Grant, Martin was accurate
and produced an excellent effort at the CCI4*.
Neville Bardos' appearance at the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials is
something of a miracle after the 12-year-old Australian Thoroughbred gelding
was trapped in a fire in Martin's barn in May. Incredibly the little horse
survived and recovered from the smoke inhalation, amazing all of his
connections and veterinarians. His score of 47.9 at his first Burghley is a
testament to the time and effort that Martin and his team have invested in
him. Tenth at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games last year, Neville
Bardos appears to be returning to form.
"I was pleased to get here and make it one-third of the way around so far,"
said Martin. "That's his weakest phase of the three and we got through it
close to our best."
The talk of the event has been the challenging cross country track, and
Neville Bardos is renowned for his ability to run and jump. Only 10 points
off the leader, Great Britain's William Fox-Pitt and Parklane Hawk (39.7),
the Neville Bardos Syndicate's hope is well within reach of a top placing.
William Coleman looked like he was ready for a top placing with Jim
Wildasin's Twizzel this morning after spending the summer in England
utilizing his Land Rover Competition and Training Grant only for the
15-year-old Westphalian to go inexplicably lame moments before he went in
the ring. Coleman has been preparing and training all summer and Twizzel has
improved tremendously, it was horrible timing for the combination. Coleman
withdrew and Twizzel is being evaluated.
The final U.S. pair to compete today was Colleen Rutledge. Riding in only
her second CCI4*, Rutledge rode Shiraz to a score of 63.7. The 13-year-old
American Thoroughbred coped admirably with the electric atmosphere that is
the Burghley main arena.
UK-based American rider Jules Stiller kicks things off tomorrow morning,
dressage for the second half of the field begins at 9:30 AM local
time. Stiller and Chapel Amble will be first in the ring. Michael Pollard,
who also received a Land Rover Competition and Training Grant AND was named
to the Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team for the Pan American Games on Tuesday
(with Schoensgreen Hanni) will ride Icarus at 11:00 am and the final
American will be Sinead Halpin, she rider Manoir de Carneville at
12:45. Halpin received the Jacqueline Mars Training Grant from the USET
Foundation to fund her trip. She is the reigning Rolex/USEF National CCI4*
Champion.
Information about Land Rover's partnership with the USEF is available here:
http://www.landrover.com/us/en/lr/experience-land-rover/sponsorships-events/equestrian-usef/
Follow all the action at http://www.burghley-horse.co.uk
Video on Demand should eventually be available here: http://www.burghley.tv
Information about the Rolex Grand Slam is available here:
http://www.usef.org/images/eblasts/rolex/grandslamhome.html
Follow the U.S. Eventers in Europe this fall here:
http://usefnetwork.com/featured/EventersinEurope/
ENDS
The vision of the United States Equestrian Federation is to provide
leadership
for equestrian sport in the United States of America by promoting the
pursuit
of excellence from the grassroots to the Olympic Games, based on a
foundation of fair, safe competition and the welfare
of its human and equine athletes.
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