Burton and his 13-year-old Thoroughbred Newsprint clinched the title and $8000 in prizemoney in a nail biting finish at the Australian International Three-Day Event, the only four-star rated competition in the southern hemisphere, and one of six in the world.

Held in the spectacular setting of Rymill Park in the centre of Adelaide from November 14-16, the event showcased dressage on the Friday, cross country on Saturday and the final showjumping event on Sunday.

Eighteen of the 20 combinations entered in the four star event, including Burton and Newsprint, were competing at the elite level for the first time, adding extra pressure to the newcomer crowd.

Burton put in a solid dressage performance to score 52 penalty points and gain equal second place going into the cross country behind Beijing Olympic silver med-

allist Megan Jones, riding Kirby Park Allofasudden, who led with a score of 49.1.

Burton’s skill in the saddle saw Newsprint jump a clear round over the cross country fences and finish without time penalties, leaving the 27-year-old on his dressage score of 52 and in first place by a small margin.

Five combinations were eliminated from competition on Saturday due to a number of rider falls and jump refusals.

An injury put NSW’s Hamish Cargill and his horse Sandhills Tiger out on the second day, while Australia’s top dressage rider, Heath Ryan, was eliminated when his horse jumped from the arena heading into one of the final movements on the first day.

With just two penalty points separating the top four riders entering into the final showjumping phase of competition, Burton admitted he couldn’t afford to make any mistakes.

Proving cool and calm under pressure, Burton and Newsprint jumped a beautiful clear round to finish on his dressage score and claim the coveted crown ahead of Jones, earning him the greatest win of his career.