Australian Equestrian Chris Burton Wins Silver at Versailles

Chris Burton, an Australian equestrian, has just snagged a silver medal at the Olympics held at the stunning Chateau de Versailles. What’s even more surprising? He achieved this incredible feat riding a horse named Shadow Man that he’s only been with for five months!

The 42-year-old from Queensland made a bold move back to eventing after focusing on show jumping. His gamble paid off, leaving him in awe as he steered Shadow Man to a remarkable second place finish.

After starting third in the competition following the dressage and cross country rounds, Burton secured his silver position after a solid show jumping qualifying round on Monday morning. They managed a clear round, even if it was slightly over the time limit.

As the sun blazed down, Burton and Shadow Man tackled all 12 fences in the grand finale against the magnificent backdrop of the Chateau. This performance brought them tantalizingly close to an individual eventing win for Australia—a feat not accomplished since Matt Ryan in Barcelona back in 1992.

Burton expressed his excitement, admitting he thought he might actually take gold for a moment. But in the end, he praised the outstanding German rider Jung, who took the gold and made history by winning his third individual eventing gold.

The path to silver was quite a journey for Burton. He started competing on Shadow Man back in March after the horse’s owner, Ben Hobday, loaned him for six months. Ben, anticipating tough competition in the UK, took this rare step of allowing an Australian partner to ride his talented horse.

Burton, who previously earned bronze in Rio 2016 for team eventing, was grateful for the chance to return to the sport he loves. He fondly referred to Shadow Man as an amazing horse, highlighting his springy movements and talent.

Despite the worries from his wife, Bek, about returning to the risks of eventing, Burton managed to push through with her unwavering support. He found Shadow Man to be extraordinary, always seeing potential in him even before this journey began.