Austin O’Connor and the brilliant Colorado Blue have finished second after their 2025 Defender Burghley Horse Trials showjumping round this afternoon (7 September).
They could afford to have a fence down in the final phase and they used this buffer up at fence 10a – the first part of a double combination.
They completed on a score of 32.6, which was nine points adrift of winners Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo, who have won this event for the second year in a row.
Austin and “Salty’s” result marks the best since 1966 for Ireland.
“I’m over the moon,” said Austin. “We had a rail down but it didn’t make a difference to the final result. We have been beaten by out and out champions.”
On incurring four faults in the final Burghley Horse Trials showjumping phase, Austin O’Connor said: “Our biggest problem was that Salty was so fresh, which is extraordinary after yesterday. He was pulling my arms out at the end of the cross-country yesterday, so if that’s the reason I had a rail this year, then I’m delighted.”
Austin and Salty, who finished 14th at Burghley last year, said that their event here in 2024 “wasn’t their year”.
“Look, it wasn’t our weekend last year, but we won Maryland 5 Star in 2023, were third at Badminton in 2023 and this year and now this finish here – it’s unreal. I think Salty and Lordships Graffalo are in a league of their own at this level.”
Continuing his praise for ‘Salty’, who is owned by The Salty Syndicate alongside his rider, Austin said: “It’s a dream that’s continuing – horses like Salty don’t come into our lives very often, no matter who you are or how successful you are – how he’s jumped is so exciting.
“He’s 16 but he thinks he’s six years old. If you don’t have a special horse with a special heart, you’re never at the races.
“It was a fair track, a nice track, of course there was a lot of pressure, but Colorado Blue was mad fresh today and pulling my arms out, but actually, that’s great.”
To stay up-to-date with all the breaking news throughout Burghley and other major shows this year, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website, from £1 a week. Horse & Hound’s 20-page magazine report on Burghley is published in 11 September issue, including full analysis and exclusive comment from six-time Burghley winner William Fox-Pitt.
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‘Definitely the toughest track he’s jumped at this speed’: Austin O’Connor and crowd-favourite ‘Salty’ on top form for second place after brilliant Burghley cross-country
‘Ros sprinted off and got me her watch’ – meet Burghley’s youngest rider, who’s based with Ros Canter
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