Chris Burton and Graf Liberty took the lead late in the day on Friday at the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials and they stayed there. A score of 32.9 is a personal best for the pair and puts them ahead of Germany’s Ingrid Klimke riding Horseware Hale Bob on 36.4 and Ireland’s Jonty Evans riding Cooley Rorke’s Drift on 37.2
Graf Liberty, a 12-year-old Irish Sport Horse by Limmerick was acquired by the Graf Liberty syndicate as a seven-year-old. He won the CCI1* at Tattersalls and was then aimed at the World Young Horse Championships which were rained off so the pair travelled down to Pau instead and won the CIC2*. He was fourth in first CCI4* at Luhmuhlen in 2015.
We talked to Chris after his test along with some of the syndicate owners, Sally Humpston, Jill Martin and David Webster, and Chris’ wife Bek who is expecting their first baby and doesn’t want too much excitement on cross country tomorrow!
