Whittington beats nerves to nail cross-country at Burghley

By Ben Hart

Francis Whittington overcame sickening nerves to ride a clear round at the devilish cross-country course at the Defender Burghley Horse Trials.

Whittington, 47, and DHI Purple Rain battled to the end of the four-mile extravaganza, marking a return to form after missing the final round at the Badminton Horse Trials in the spring.

The Rotherfield-based rider was sure of his plan that he nearly missed his morning course walk but the extended rest proved worthwhile in the end.

“I was out cold. Somebody sent me a message this morning asking if I was coming to walk and I was still asleep. I was clear in my head what I wanted to do, clear on my plan the lines I was going to take, and because of that I slept soundly,” said Whittington.

“I was still sick as a pig before I started which I am all the time, but once you set out there you just go into the zone and are unaware of everything - apart from the wonderful lady at the lake crossing who shouted ‘well sat’ as I stayed in the saddle when I got it wrong.

“I heard that and that pumped me up a gear to wake up, relax and get over it.”

Whittington and DHI Purple Rain impressed at both UK 5*s in 2023, finishing 19th at Burghley and 22nd at Badminton.

But after a retirement after a couple of early problems in Gloucester earlier this year, Whittington was pleased to be back on track.

“I’m really pleased with him,” he said.

“We had an unfortunate moment at Badminton in the spring and we haven’t had a great build up to here so I was measured at the beginning, set my plan out, I knew the pace I was going to ride at, the long route at the leaf pit just to make sure we were as close to being on the same page as possible and not pushing hard in between the fences but I found a pace we could take from beginning to end.

“I was really pleased with him, he was mega today.”

Riders are often seen punching the air after finishing the cross-country course, such is the toll it takes on human and horse, and Whittington made sure to postpone any celebrations until he knew he was past the finish line.

“I felt a smile start to break but I thought there are two more fences still to jump, don’t foul this up,” he added.

“It was a lovely feeling coming over the last. Purple Rain was just superb today and it was wonderful to see him finishing happy, confident. As far as a final event this year for him, it’s been brilliant.”

Defender Burghley Horse Trials (5-8 September 2024) has been a major international sporting and social event for over 50 years. It attracts the world's top equestrians and is attended by vast and enthusiastic crowds. For more information visit www.burghley-horse.co.uk