SCOTTISH-BASED New Zealand rider Caroline Powell and Lenamore kept their cool to produce a clear round in the final showjumping phase to win the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials. The pair also produced their own piece of Burghley history; Caroline is the first New Zealand female winner – and the first from New Zealand since Blyth Tait in 2001 – while Lexi Mackinnon’s 17-year-old Lenamore is the oldest horse to win the Land Rover Perpetual Challenge trophy.

“Goodness that was good,” said Caroline as she came out of the arena. “I am so thrilled with the way he jumped – he has been a wee star all week.”

The pair who finishes on their dressage score was given the luxury of a fence in the bank when William Fox-Pitt and Seacookie, despite jumping clear, added one time fault to their score to give Caroline the fence in hand. “It was quite nice to have a breathing space but even better that it wasn’t needed,” said Caroline who has lived in Kelso for 18-years.

The winners denied William Fox-Pitt his sixth Burghley victory. The British team member was still second with Catherine Witt’s German-bred part Trakehner, Seacookie, who added just 2.6 time penalties to his dressage score.

A double clear brought British-based Australian Clayton Fredericks up to third place with the Thoroughbred mare Be My Guest II – another bred in Germany – a ride he took over from German rider Dirk Schrade in the spring. Burghley is just their sixth competition together – their last cross-country run was an open novice at Wilton.

Renfrewshire rider Nicola Malcolm was released from hospital yesterday morning after a crashing fall from McFly during the cross-country section, where she was airlifted to hospital.