An interview with Chris Hector
Christopher’s trip to Aachen for the CIC was not a glorious experience, in fact, his horse, Graf Liberty never even got to do a dressage test! Still it was a chance to catch up with Christopher, and ask about his experiences in the UK.
I’d like to talk about what you have learnt in your time in the UK? Let’s start with your riding…
“It’s a good question, it’s difficult for me to self-reflect on my riding, it’s not hard to say that my riding has improved, but I think more than anything, it is competition skills that you learn in the UK. I feel sometimes like I’m catch-riding, I’m away three-day eventing so much, then I get back and I get flung on a horse to ride that I haven’t sat on for a week and I am competing it. So you really do have to hone in on your competition skills.”
“But for whatever reason, I have a nice team of horses, I’m having a good run, and I am going to enjoy it while I can.”
Christopher Burton and Santano II competing at Camphire International Horse Trials 2015
Photo: EquusPix Photography
Fitness of the rider, have you changed what you do at all?
“I’ve had a few little stints where my back has given me grief, so I do a lot of yoga and pilates and strengthening. I don’t really do any fittening in the season, I try to manage fatigue, try and get away from it all and do something else. In the winter time I do a little bit of fitness work, jogging and things like that.”
With the horses, have you changed the way you condition them?
“No, I can’t say I’ve changed a lot.”
Not into the heart rate metres and numbers?
“You know what, I’m really not. It’s the kind of person I am, I am not a pen-and-paper type guy. I’m really a feel person. If I come off the gallops and I say to the guys, that horse is fit, he’s ready, then that’s enough for me.”
Hills?
“The one thing that I am very fortunate with, is that there is good galloping around me. Amazing up hill surface tracks, and so I feel we are able to get the horses fit on good surfaces, in good conditions. It’s not that I’ve changed what I do, but I’ve learnt more about injuries. Horse fitness doesn’t mean running them up a hill fifty thousand times, it means the horse is fit and sound and happy.”
Is the veterinary support more sophisticated than in Australia?
“The support I am getting is fantastic. I have a good vet at home, and I am very fortunate through the high performance panel that I have regular access to Graeme Potts, and he’s the guy we all bow down to. I am lucky in that respect, but I can’t honestly say the veterinary care in England is better, that’s a lot of nonsense. I had excellent veterinary support in Australia. My point is you learn and develop as a rider, particularly in the sport of eventing – I assume other disciplines are the same – as you get older. What a great sport that we can continue to do it into our 50’s and 60’s…”
You’re not quite there yet…
“That’s my point, I’m 34, I’m still a young rider.”
In terms of horse power, is it easier to find better horses in the UK?
“It’s an interesting question. Many people have stopped shopping in the UK because it is shopped out and the sterling is high. It is easy to go to Ireland, or Germany, where we like to go, and find horses. You can find very nicely bred three and four-year-olds for a reasonable price, you can be confident about their breeding and what they will do.”
You like that Holsteiner breeding…
“I do like Holsteiner breeding.”
Camphire CIC3* Winners, Chris Burton and Nobilis 18
Photo: EquusPix Photography
You weren’t so worried that Graf Liberty couldn’t start here at Aachen, because he is already qualified for Rio, and Jamaimo is going pretty well, but the team coach (Prue Barrett) says the one that gets her a bit excited is Santano II, the horse you set a dressage record of 24.5 with…
“The Sandro Hit… he is a very exciting horse, I think Rio is the wrong thing to do to him, but let’s be honest, Blyth (Tait) won a gold medal on a eight-year-old, and he will be nine next year. I am in a fortunate position, I have a team of lovely horses, and of course it is disappointing not to be able to ride Graf Liberty here at Aachen but I have been having a good run lately and that makes it easier. He is still in one piece, he is qualified for Rio, we’ll take him home and look after him.”
“And I have these amazing young horse, the Sandro Hit broke a world record for an eventing finishing score…”
It must have been out of a good mare, they don’t call him Sandro Shit for nothing…
“I doubt Mary Hanna would agree with you. My take on the Sandro Hits is that I hear from my friends in Germany that you see them jacking-up at the Bundeschampionate in 5 and 6-year-old classes. My point is why are you pushing them into these young horse classes so hard. Gareth Hughes has got one that performs very well for him, and he is in that minority of riders who can get horses to Grand Prix. My take is they are hot, they are difficult, they are not simple, but for a professional. I think they can be ridden, in the right hands, they can be trained. To be honest that’s how we got ours, he came out of a dressage yard…”
Too hot to handle?
“Yeah.”
And it jumps?
“It jumps and it gallops.”
Sandro Hit was bred to be a jumper, but he couldn’t jump…
“But behind that is Sandro Song and Sandro, jumpers, and Sacramento Song – Thoroughbred. Maybe a lot comes from the dam side but we have a very nice horse…”
What does the campaign look like from here on in?
“I have two lovely horses for Burghley, TS Jamaimo and Haruzac, with very supportive owners. I am looking forward to going back to Burghley, a place where I haven’t had a lot of success. From there we have Noblis, a very exciting horse, going to Blenheim, we feel he will be a real four-star horse. There is another nice mare doing eight and nine year olds at Blenheim, and Temperanillo is coming back from an injury. She has had 12 months off, I hope to qualify her for Rio too.”
How do you find time to ride them all, or is Bek doing all the hard yards?
“I’m lucky that Bek helps me manage and organize the yard, because that is the one difference I do find in the UK – it’s a full time job just managing an eventing yard in the UK. We have a lot of horses in work, we are competing a lot, it is hard to get it right. I have a great team at home, my staff and my riders, help me out a lot.”
George Morris talks about Chris Burton’s style over a jump
I would just like all riders, especially event riders, to look at this impeccable picture of Christopher Burton. Notice the length of stirrup, it’s not too long, it’s not too short. There is a nice 110/120 degree angle in his knee, look at that leg position – that flexible ankle, his heel is down, the stirrup leather is perpendicular to the ground. It’s an absolutely classical position, his stirrup is at right angles to the girth, as is told in the German Equitation manual, but they don’t tell the teachers. His seat is clear of the saddle, he is not jumping ahead of the saddle, not dropping back, not doing that hail the taxi that they like. I’m very critical of the eventers, when necessary to save your balance, you lean back over the top of a fence – but he is so with this horse. Eyes are up and ahead, almost textbook perfect. If he would just lower his hands a few inches, so we don’t see the right hand – but that is acceptable, bracing with his right hand, turning with his left, but to be textbook perfect, he would lower his hands two or three inches, so both sides of the horse’s neck would be a straight line to the mouth. I don’t know Christopher Burton, but I particularly like his form over a fence.
This article first appeared in the October 2015 issue of THM.