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William Fox-Pitt (GBR) Tastes Victory at Burghley

September 7, 2025

William Fox-Pitt (GBR) is invincible in the 2008 HSBC FEI Classics rankings, having scored an emphatic one-two at the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials, in Lincolnshire, England, the fourth out of the five legs in the series.

He is 25 points clear of Phillip Dutton (USA), who was unfortunately not able to improve on his score, despite lying second at Burghley, as he had to withdraw his horse Woodburn before the final horse inspection.

Therefore, all eyes will be on Nicolas Touzaint (FRA) at the final event, Les Etoiles de Pau, to see if last year’s winner there can improve upon his third position with 15 points.

Mary King (GBR), third and fourth at Burghley, entered the rankings for the first time, in 9th place with 10 points. Nicola Wilson (GBR), 5th, has moved up into 10th place with 10 points also, adding 6 points to the 4 she scored at Badminton in the spring.

Fox-Pitt has now entered the Burghley record books, equaling Mark Todd and Ginny Elliot’s record of five victories, and becoming the third rider to score a one-two in the event’s 47-year history. In finishing first and second on Tamarillo and Ballincoola, he follows Mark Todd with Wilton Fair and Charisma in 1987 and Blyth Tait (NZL) in 1998 with Chesterfield and Aspyring.

EMOTIONAL VICTORY
It was an emotional victory for Fox-Pitt, 39, who was disappointed not to take his much-loved Tamarillo to the Olympics. The pair have had a rollercoaster career since they were first united in 2000 by Tamarillo’s owner-breeder Mary Guinness.

They won Badminton and Olympic team silver in 2004, but the horse was injured in Athens and was not able to jump for an individual medal on the last day. They came back to be 2nd at Badminton in 2005 and win European team gold and individual silver medals, plus team silver at the 2006 World Equestrian Games, but a major victory eluded them for four years despite the 16-year-old part Arab gelding’s obvious ability.

“This is an emotional result for me,” said Fox-Pitt. “Tam has been a fantastic horse. He made the cross-country feel easy and I don’t think I’ll ever have another ride like it.”

Fox-Pitt also had mixed emotions about his runner-up spot on Ballincoola, as this will be his last ride on the horse, as he is being passed to the owner Judy Skinner’s grandson to ride at junior level.

KING REIGNS SUPREME
Mary King, one of the most popular and enduring international riders whose career spans 20 years at this level, finished third and fourth on Imperial Cavalier and Apache Sauce.

“I’m so lucky to have two such exciting horses,” said the reigning European silver medallist. “They are both 12, but they have plenty of years of promise and I think there is more to come.

“Apache Sauce used to be quite lively, but he has learned to settle. I’m so impressed with him. And Imperial Cavalier is a special horse. At Badminton I felt I had let him down with our mistake two from home, so it’s been great to be able to make it up to him here.”

INFLUENTIAL JUMPING
The jumping phase proved influential, especially the double and treble combinations, with riders still climbing the order despite having one and two fences down. Only two managed double clears, Nicola Wilson (GBR) on high-jumping Opposition Buzz, fifth, and Clea Phillipps, sixth on the handsome racing-bred Lead The Way.

The main losers were Rodolphe Scherer (FRA) on the 18-year-old Fairfax, who dropped from sixth to 11th with 16 faults, and James Robinson (GBR) and Comanche who fell from seventh to 12th, also with 16 faults.

Single faults from Mary King on both horses gave Fox-Pitt breathing space and, by the time he went into the arena at the climax, he had already won on Ballincoola and had four fences in hand to win on Tamarillo, who used up two of those lives.

“I knew he’d knock down the second fence. It was facing the cameras and had his name all over it. I knew he’d be distracted,” said Fox-Pitt affectionately. “He perhaps lacked his usual spring after his amazing effort across country, which is why he hit two fences, but who cares! I am just thrilled and excited.”

STANDINGS AFTER FOUR LEGS OF THE HSBC FEI CLASSICS (KENTUCKY, BADMINTON, LUHMUHLEN & BURGHLEY):

1. William Fox Pitt (GBR) – 40 points;
2. Phillip Dutton (USA) – 15 points (Differential Score – 41.70);
3. Nicolas Touzaint (FRA) – 15 points (DS – 48.70);
4. Rebecca Holder (USA) – 12 points (DS – 47.30);
5. Lucy Wiegersma (GBR) – 12 points (DS – 49.80);
6. Frank Ostholt (GER) – 12 points (DS – 51.40);
7. Stuart Tinney (AUS) – 10 points (DS – 52.20);
8. Missy Ransehousen (USA) – 10 points (DS – 57.30);
9. Mary King (GBR) – 10 (DS – 58.7); 10. Nic Wilson (GBR) –
10 (DS – 59.80);

The HSBC FEI CLASSICS is a new FEI series linking the five 4-Star Eventing competitions currently on the international calendar.

Written by Malina Gueorguiev · Filed Under Burghley Horse Trials, Europe, Europe and British Isles, Malina Gueorguie 
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