Zara riding high again after thrilling comeback at Burgie

ROYAL FORGETS withdrawal WITH WIN BUT FAILS TO EDGE OUT SCOT IN ONE-STAR CLASS

By Dave Edwards

Published:

UP AND OVER: Zara Phillips on Secret Legacy at Burgie. Sandy McCook

Zara Phillips found the perfect tonic after her Olympic withdrawal by winning the 30th anniversary Burgie International Horse Trials two-star class in a thrilling showjumping climax.

Phillips, riding Secret Legacy, pipped overnight leader Nigel Taylor to hand the world champion another success and she almost pulled off a remarkable double when she finished runner-up to overnight leader Ruth Edge’s Nick of Thyme in the one-star competition while riding Tiger Lily IX.

Phillips said: “Tiger Lily means a lot to me as he has been injured and so much has gone wrong for him, but he’s there now and I’m delighted for him, especially as last time I was here at Burgie I had quite a few fences down in the showjumping.

“Hopefully, I will be back to defend my title next year as Burgie is such a fantastic place to come to.

“When I came out of the ring in the two-star event my first thought was thank God I’ve qualified, but then Nigel got those two fences down, and I know just how he feels, it was very sad for him, but obviously I’m very happy for my horse.”

Burgie gave Phillips’s three young mounts, all candidates for the 2012 Olympics, the perfect opportunity to prove themselves in a high-class field. The Queen’s grand-daughter had to pull out of the Olympics earlier last week when her 15-year-old bay gelding Toytown was injured, but a return to Burgie worked wonders and she said: “Hugh Lochore has built another great cross-country course. His tracks are always quite challenging.

“Hopefully with 2012 in mind one of the horses in my yard might come through, but that is a long way away.”

Ruth Edge triumphed in the one-star competition, on the seven-year-old bay gelding Nick of Thyme, edging out Phillips.

Olympic hopeful Edge, one of three reserves from which one will be selected to take the place of Phillips, said: “I am really thrilled with Nick of Thyme as he is a lovely, classy horse who not only jumped a double clear but he also did a super test in the dressage ring on Friday. It would have been sad if I hadn’t managed to come through and win after being first, second and third going into the final show-jumping stage. I wasn’t really expecting Paper Tiger to come through as he struggles with his show-jumping, while Kilkee had never had a fence down until today so that was a shame.”

Edge, who lived at Midmar, Aberdeenshire, for several years added: “This result will do no harm whatsoever to my hopes of being selected for Beijing. Phil and Maureen Smith, the owners of Nick of Thyme, also own my Olympic reserve horse Two Thyme, so it is a very exciting time for me.”

Inverurie’s Jennifer Johnston on her 11-year-old bay mare Craigmancie April had been sitting in fourth spot after the dressage stage in the two-star event, but 20 jumping penalty points in Saturday’s cross-country, and four jumping faults took her to eighth place. In the same competition Aileen Ferrari from Rafford, finished 11th overall on Harry Hedgehog.