The Defender Burghley Horse Trials will be the last outing for Richard Jones and Alfies Clover
Rutland-based international rider Richard Jones has taken the decision to retire his top eventer Alfies Clover after his final run at the Defender Burghley Horse Trials this week.
The 17-year-old international eventer is fit and fully prepared after an earlier foot perfect outing to Burgham International's four-star event.
He is now ready for his last hurrah in the Burghley dressage ring, around the testing five-star cross-country course and over the show jumping poles on the final day.
Richard explained: "The horse is happy and enjoying every minute of the build up to the Burghley event and I owe it to him to keep him that way for as long as I can."
Top eventer Alfies Clover has been the star turn at Team Jones' yard run by Richard and Victoria Jones in Rutland since he started taking on the testing five-star eventing courses just over seven years ago.
A tenth at Badminton, two seventh place finishes at Burghley, a sixth at Bicton and a place on the reserve squad for the 2022 World Championships are on his stellar career of top 10 five-star placings.
The action kicks off tomorrow (Thursday) and Friday with dressage, followed by cross-country on Saturday, and then show jumping on Sunday.
Eventer Phil Brown - who used to be based in Stamford - returns to the prestigious competition for the third time.
Brown finished 27th on Harry Robinson in 2022, but has unfinished business at his local venue after being forced to retire last year.
And the 37-year-old, who will ride the same horse once again, is returning with a different, more relaxed attitude to a place they once called home.
"The first year was what dreams are made of, it went probably as well as it could have gone," Brown said.
"You’ve spent your whole life wanting to do it and there’s a lot of anticipation, but equally you feel that you’ve got there, so what happens happens.
"The second time, I think because it went well the first time, I had a level of expectation on myself. I probably put unnecessary pressure on myself, it felt very different.
"This time I think, I’ve had it both ways now, so go and enjoy it and do the best you can."
Brown, who moved back to his native Yorkshire shortly after his first appearance at Burghley, had previously been based just down the road from the famous venue.
He added: "It’s so exciting to be going back. We’ve got loads of friends down there, owners of other horses that live just over the road, and it’s such a beautiful place.
"Because we were based in that area, when you go round you can hear people screaming for you and that’s really cool.
"In our heads we try to just stick to the normal routine that we’d have for any other event, and try to treat it ultimately as just another event.
"But you can’t ignore that it’s regarded as one of the biggest events in the world. The prestige and the occasion and the enormity of what the horse and you’ve achieved to even get there, it does hit you."
The pair banished the demons of that frustrating retirement in 2023 with a strong performance at the five-star competition in Pau shortly after, when Harry Robinson jumped clear.
"He’s 16 now and I've had him since he was six, so we know each other inside out,” Brown said.
"He’s just like a big labrador – he’s an absolute pet really, but to ride he’s quite feisty.
"He’s been a great partner to me. I thought one five star was the aim and to get that was amazing, and now he’s lining up for his fourth one.
"It’s incredibly exciting to have a horse that is going there three years on the bounce and is sound and happy and still loving its job. That’s really special.”
In terms of major goals, Brown has been careful not to put too much pressure on his shoulders and to learn from his and Harry’s experience last year.
But he added: “A repeat of the first time would be nice!”
Defender Burghley Horse Trials (September 5-8) has been a major international sporting and social event for more than 50 years.
It attracts the world's top equestrians and is attended by vast and enthusiastic crowds. For more information visit www.burghley-horse.co.uk
