12:20pm Friday 3rd September 2010
EARDISLEY eventer Louise Skelton admits the Burghley Horse Trials can’t come quickly enough as she goes in search of her second win in the space of a month.
Skelton travels to the Lincolnshire countryside still on a high from claiming her first victory of the year aboard Bit of a Barney at the British Open last month at Gatcombe Park.
The 34-year-old will ride Barney at Burghley, which acts as the penultimate leg of the HSBC FEI Classics series, as well as Partly Pickled.
Skelton finished 16th aboard Barney at last year’s Burghley Horse Trials but admits tasting victory at Gatcombe has made her hungry for more.
“I head to Burghley off the back of a fantastic win at Gatcombe and it was all very exciting,” said Skleton.
“I have won at that level before but to win at Gatcombe is just that bit more special and it was a big win for me. It was a brilliant experience so now I hope I can take that same kind of form over to Burghley.
“My aim is to win at Burghley and even though it will be slightly harder because Burghley is a tough course, I head there full of confidence after winning at Gatcombe and I now can't wait to get going.
“Both horses are in good form so I am aiming high and am definitely targeting a top 20 finish with both of them. They are both very capable horses and it is just about getting it right on the day.
“I took Barney to Burghley last year and we finished 16th so I guess the aim would be to finish higher than that because he is better than that now and last year's run wasn't brilliant.”
Skelton first rode Bit of a Barney and Partly Pickled at Burgley back in 2006, finishing 23rd on the former while the latter was eliminated.
However, Skelton isn’t just targeting a win in the Lincolnshire countryside this year but at the Osberton Horse Trials at the end of the month as well.
“I do like Burghley and the course is huge – one of the biggest in the world I think,” she added. “So I really like the challenges it brings and let's hope I am up to it.”
The HSBC FEI Classics™ unites the top end of the international eventing circuit - namely the five four-star competitions across the world. The Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials is the penultimate event in the HSBC FEI Classics™.
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