AUSTIN O’Connor and the amazing Colorado Blue have finished second after their 2025 Defender Burghley Horse Trials show jumping round this afternoon (Sunday) despite having a fence down.

They completed on a score of 32.6, nine points off winners Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo, who won the event for the second year in-a-row as well as winning Badminton twice, making 'Walter' the first horse ever to win two titles at both Badminton and Burghley.

Austin and 'Salty’s' result marked Ireland's best finishing score ever at Burghley and the highest place for Ireland since Harry Freeman-Jackson won with St Finbarr in 1963.

“I’m over the moon,” Austin said after his round. “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.

“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 O'Connor and Colorado Blue on their way to securing 2nd at the Burghley Horse Trials 2025 \ Nigel Goddard

“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 (Canter's mount) are in a league of their own at this level.”

‘Salty’, who is by Jaguar Mail was bred in Ireland by Kate Jarvey and is owned by The Salty Syndicate alongside his rider.

“It’s a dream that’s continuing," O'Connor went on. "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.”

The winner Ros Canter commented: “The overriding emotion is relief that I managed to pull it off – every time I ride 'Walter' the pressure builds and I know one day I won’t be perfect and he probably won’t have my back at some point as he won’t be able to. But I’m so grateful for the opportunities for myself, my team and my owners that we get to have with him. He’s the horse of a lifetime and hopefully an inspiration to many.”

Harry Meade and Cavalier Crystal (ISH) were third for the third year in-a-row. Meade was also fourth on Annaghmore Valoner (ISH), in a further echo of last year’s result.

Alice Casburn was fifth on Topspin, their fourth consecutive top-10 finish here, with Tim Price and Vitali sixth. The New Zealand pair dropped down three placings after show jumping with fences 5a and eight down.

The next best placed Irish rider was Sam Watson and Ballyneety Rocketman who rose to 13th following a clear round over the coloured poles today, followed by Lucy Latta and RCA Patron Saint in 22nd. O'Connor was the final Irish finisher on his second mount, Sixmilewater.

Click here for the full results.

O'Connor and Colorado Blue secured overnight second place at the Defender Burghley Horse Trials after a foot perfect cross-country while defending champion Ros Canter is first.

The crowd roared their approval as the O'Connor, known for his prowess across country, crossed the beams just two seconds over the optimum time to add 0.8 penalties to his five-star personal best dressage score.

"It's the toughest track we've ever ever jumped I think, at that speed," O'Connor said after his round.

"It took a lot of jumping from the word go, and a lot of galloping. I think there was a little bit of juice in the ground to be fair, beautiful ground, but there was a bit of juice in it. He was amazing, he got me out of trouble a couple of times, as he does, and I'm delighted. I'm watching him there now and his ears are pricked and he seems very happy, it seems he is getting better with age."

O’Connor and his crowd-favourite mount 'Salty' also earned rapturous applause after their dressage test yesterday which put them in an enviable eighth place coming into Saturday's cross country.

Earning 27.8 penalties in phase one, the pair earned high praise from commentator Carl Hester, who said O’Connor had finally nailed his flying changes to earn what was his second-best dressage result ever with this mount and the pair's personal best result at five-star level.

Austin and Salty, who is by Jaguar Mail and was bred by Kate Jarvey, were third at Badminton in May and won the Maryland 5* in 2023.

“It’s worth the wait (to get a sub-30 score), it’s (dressage) never either of our natural phases, but not for the lack of trying or the lack of help. Tracie Robinson can take all the credit - she is the one who kicks my ass!” O’Connor said after his dressage.

“We’ve been on the verge of good tests before, but either I get distracted or he gets a bit bored. I usually get a terrible draw, normally first thing Thursday morning. This was actually our first Friday test and the atmosphere actually helped and he rose to the occasion, he loves the crowd. We’ve got to enjoy today, but there’s certainly no foregone conclusions. It’ll take a lot of focus, and a lot of jumping, it’s a serious, serious track.”

Top tier

Britain’s Oliver Townend and the Irish Sport Horse Cooley Rosalent lost their lead after dancing to a superb score of 22 on Friday afternoon when collecting 29.2 cross country penalties.

By Valent, this 11-year-old mare was bred by the late Woods Rosbotham and already had a second at Badminton and a win at the Kentucky 5* under her belt. They lie in 14th overnight.

Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo were just slightly behind on 22.4 for second after dressage and when they went clear across the country a whopping eight seconds under the optimum time they stole the lead with ease. Canter now has 6.2 penalties in hand over O'Connor as they prepare for Sunday's show jumping.

New Zealand’s Tim Price and Vitali, who placed second at Burghley last year, lie in third after adding 8.8 cross country time penalties to a dressage score of 23.1.

Harry Meade and the Irish Sport Horse Annaghmore Valoner (bred by Sinead Healion) lie in fourth place after adding 3.2 time penalties to their dressage score of 29.8. Meade also holds fifth with Cavalier Crystal (ISH bred by Thomas Horgan) and sixth with Et Hop du Matz.

Joseph Murphy and Belline Fighting Spirit (Freeman VDL) were sitting in 17th overnight on 30.9 but were pulled up on course.

Badminton 2024 runner-up Lucy Latta lay in 28th overnight with RCA Patron Saint on 34.4 but an uncharacteristic stop on the cross country and time penalties pushed her down to 22nd on 73.2.

Sam Watson and Ballyneety Rocketman who was 33rd overnight flew up the leaderboard to 16th when adding just 23.2 time penalties to his dressage of 35.4.

O'Connor's 5* debutante Sixmilewater (ISH by OBOS Quality 004) is the final Irish entry still in the running in 28th after an educational first run at Burghley.

Young horses

Outside of the five-star action, Ireland’s Susie Berry had a super second place finish in the five-year-old young event horse class at Burghley riding Ron and Catherine Pearson’s Purple Rain (Poker De Mariposa TN). The competitive class was won by Piggy March riding Quantum Leap.

In the four-year-old section, Milchem Equestrian rider Jason Doerflinger also brought home a second for Ireland with Milchem Giovanni. This class was won by Max Warburton on (Patron Of Keros) with Harry Horgan third with HHE Cool Touch. Ireland’s Cathal Daniels was fourth with Tullibards Benny’s Night Star. Full Burghley report next week.