Alex Bragg stormed into second place in the closing stages of today’s Defender Burghley Horse Trials dressage on Ardeo Premier.
The British rider and Debbie and Neil Nuttall’s 12-year-old put in a consistent, accurate test to score 28.4. This puts them behind day one leaders Piggy March (MCS Maverick) and ahead of Will Rawlin (Ballycoog Breaker Boy) in an overnight British top three.
“I’ve always believed he’s capable of a 70% test,” said Alex Bragg, whose Burghley Horse Trials dressage mark today translates to 71.6%. “He can do everything very accurately. He doesn’t have heaps of talent and capability, but almost the trainability of him and his heart makes up for that.
“I think I always knew where his strengths and and weaknesses are and I think knowing that helps you get the marks where you can and not lose the marks. He’s not a big mover in the trot, but he can be very accurate and if I’m accurate, I don’t drop too many marks.
“In the canter, he can gallop and he’s good at coming back in the gallop, so I needed good transitions in and out of my medium and extended canters and then to try and be forward in the flying changes – and you can’t miss a change because that hammers your mark.”
Although Alex modestly insisted “it’s him, not me”, he articulated well how he has to give Ardeo Premier confidence.
He explained: “He can be a little bit anxious, but he doesn’t express himself by rearing, bucking and all that. He just sort of tries to hide and go within himself. So I have to try to initiate belief in him and trust him – just ride him forward and say, ‘Be brave. I’m feeling brave, so you can be brave too’.
“I feel more comfortable doing that when I’m in a jumping arena and cross-country, but the dressage has maybe never been my strongest phase, especially when I started eventing. I guess I’ve got to get over that a little bit. And I think today I had to lead and I did.”
Alex, 45, was a late starter to eventing – he is also a farrier and a former semi-professional rugby player – and he hit a five-star high when he was third at Badminton last year on Quindiva. He was 16th at Badminton this spring on Ardeo Premier, who comes to his first Burghley.
British riders also hold fourth and fifth in the shape of David Doel (Galileo Nieuwmoed) and Harry Meade (Cavaliler Crystal). The early leader Joseph Murphy (Belline Fighting Spirit) is now sixth for Ireland.
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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