Burton 4th in Luhmühlen CCI4* with his rising star Graf Liberty

Chris Burton and Graf Liberty are 4th at Luhmühlen CCI4* finishing on their final score of 36.40 - a great result for this up-and-coming horse who is competing at his first CCI4*. The couple performed a very good clear round in the cross-country that seemed pretty easy for the 10 year old Irish Sport Horse and doubled in the Jumping phase with another clear and very fast round.

Other Aussie rider, Kevin McNab and his stallion Fernhill Quality Street had 66.20 penalties to carry into the cross-country where they did a very good job, gaining more than 10 places in the ranking and finishing clear with 22.80 time penalties. The Jumping test didn't go as good unfortunately with several fences down and time penalty.

Burton's London 2012 Olympic team mate, the seven time Olympian Andrew Hoy riding Algebra started the cross-country with a score of 53.40 but retired on the course.

Ingrid Klimke (GER) rode brilliantly to produce a clear round under huge pressure to win her home CCI4* for the first time and set up an unassailable lead in the FEI Classics™ 2014/2015. In the finale, her flawless round on the spring-heeled 11-year-old Hannoverian mare FRH Escada JS denied New Zealander Jonelle Price her first CCI4* victory by just one-tenth of a penalty. "I’m really thrilled with my fantastic horse. She felt so full of herself today.” She finished with a final score of 32.70.

When Klimke entered the arena, she could not even afford a single time fault because Price, on her exciting Olympic prospect, the 10-year-old Dressage-bred Faerie Dianimo had ridden a perfect round.

So, too, had Michael Jung (GER) and his wise 15-year-old gelding, La Biosthetique Sam FBW, third, Christopher Burton & Graf Liberty, fourth, and Sir Mark Todd (NZL) with NZB Campino, fifth, which meant that, unusually for this level, there was no change to the top five after Cross Country.

Looking towards the FEI Classics™ 2014/2015 finale at Burghley (GBR) in September, Klimke is out in front but her peers, such as second-placed Michael Jung, who has now overtaken four-times series winner William Fox-Pitt, Christopher Burton, Mark Todd and Tim and Jonelle Price, will be in fierce and fascinating competition for the other cash prizes.