He spent years trying to buy one special horse. Together, they won a silver medal

Paris: In a week when the competitive relationships between man and horse have again been probed, Chris Burton’s love for Shadow Man is perhaps the story this sport needed.

At the grand Palace of Versailles, no less, where the French kings and queens were taught from a young age to ride by their best equerries, the Queenslander had a twinkle in his eye when he spoke about his new four-legged friend, who delivered him an Olympic silver medal.

When Napoleon declared himself Emperor in 1804 and moved into this grand estate, its perfectly manicured gardens spreading over more than 800 hectares, he knew being a good horseman was an essential component of power and strength, as portrayed through art and literature.

He was so insecure about his riding abilities that even the most famous painting of him, depicted by Jacques-Louis David, shows him on a horse crossing the Alps through the Great St Bernard Pass.
Truth is, Napoleon was not a skilled horseman. He made the trip on a donkey, not a white stallion.

While the winner of the individual eventing competition here, Germany’s Michael Jung, was seen as the main favourite for the title, the underdog Burton, ranked 151 internationally, shocked the crowd over the three days of competition by beating most of the sport’s heavyweights on Shadow Man, a horse with no notable international track record.

Silver medallist Christopher Burton was riding a horse lent by a British equestrian friend who was unable to compete in the Olympics.Credit: Getty

Burton, whose performance in the individual eventing competition appeared to have surprised almost everyone but himself, pursued the chestnut gelding through his co-owner, one of Great Britain’s top eventers Ben Hobday, for years like a love-struck adolescent.

Earlier this year Hobday, believing he had no chance of making the Olympics himself amid huge UK competition, relented and allowed Burton to lease the 14-year-old for six months and aim for the Olympics.

“I spotted him years ago. I always knew he was that good, I tried twice to buy him”, Burton told journalists after winning silver. “Isn’t he a machine, isn’t he a delight... I honestly can’t believe it.”

Burton, 42, grew up on a grain-and-cattle farm at Brymaroo – halfway between Toowoomba and Dalby. He started riding at young age, winning his first eventing competition aged 16.

The individual eventing medal ceremony takes place in the magnificent grounds of the Palace of Versailles. Credit: Getty Images

He moved to Britain in 2011 to bolster his chances of making the Australian team for London 2012. That bid that was ultimately successful, but he shared bronze with compatriots Shane Rose, Stuart Tinney and Sam Griffiths.

His third Olympics in Tokyo 2020 was cruelled when his horse, Quality Purdey, was ruled out before travelling to Japan. He stepped away from eventing after Tokyo, focussing solely on showjumping, but the opportunity to compete with Shadow Man lured him back for Paris.

The moment he first rode him, in March this year, they clicked. It prompted a late return to eventing that has brought him back to the Australian team for Paris.

“The second I sat on him, I was straight away mates with him,” Burton said. “I honestly think he’s the best horse in the world. He’s the most beautiful animal, very easy to get to know.”

Burton was lying third overnight after the dressage and cross-country components of the competition but moved into the silver-medal position after Monday morning’s showjumping qualifying round.

Then, on a blazingly hot afternoon against the majestic backdrop of the historic Chateau, Burton and Shadow Man had no fences down again in the finale to put the pressure on the last rider, three-time Olympic champion Michael Jung.

But the 41-year-old, on his horse Chipmunk, thrived under the ultimate pressure, going clear over the 12-fence course himself inside the 60-second time limit to win on 21.80 penalty points, just 0.60 clear of Burton.

“I’m not gonna lie. I thought we had it there for a second,” Burton said. “I just gave a cheeky interview on German television. I said, ‘Mickey, I hated you for so long, but you’re the greatest of all time’. He’s amazing. So there’s no shame in coming second behind that.”

“Watching his round, it’s a funny thing. The Germans call it schadenfreude, it’s a lovely term. You sort of want to watch, but then you want to enjoy the moment – and it’s a little bit tearing … I honestly can’t believe it.”

The Olympic equestrian community has this week had to face tough questions amid a competition overshadowed by the publication of a video of British dressage star Charlotte Dujardin repeatedly hitting a student’s horse with a whip from the ground during a coaching session. The controversy has rocked the sport in recent days and led to wider questions over the treatment of competitive horses.

Jung, who secured his third individual Olympics win after London 2012 and Rio 2016, was quick to pay tribute to Chipmunk after his win.

Jung, described as the discipline’s greatest by his eventing peers, told journalists: “I know him, he knows me; we mastered it together.”

Jung said he would “coddle and pamper” his partner with a good portion of carrots, after he “jumped amazingly” for him.

“I need a moment to realise what it all means,” Jung said. “It’s a very special moment for me.”

Shadow Man and Burton will now part. It’s time for the Australian to move home with wife Bek and their young sons Harry and Jack.

“We’re going to go build a house, put up a white picket fence and live a dream,” he said.

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