Equestrianism: Fox-Pitt's clear round the cream of strong British showing

After five years of New Zealand dominance, William Fox-Pitt headed an almost exclusively British line-up at the Burghley Masterfoods Horse Trials, where his victory on Highland Lad was one of eight home riders in the top 10. There might, however, have been a sixth consecutive Kiwi victory had Andrew Nicholson, in the lead after Saturday's cross-country, not been forced to withdraw a lame New York.

Nicholson's departure left Polly Stockton out in front on Word for Word but, never having achieved a single clear show jumping round on the horse, she was never favourite. Even the legendary Mark Todd had problems in this phase with Word for Word, who had four fences down when the New Zealander rode him here in 1999.

Fox-Pitt turned the screw when he jumped one of the rare clear show jumping rounds on Highland Lad, leaving Leslie Law and Stockton – the last two riders to jump in the reverse order of merit – with the uncomfortable knowledge that a single error would be decisive.

Law looked to be in with a fine chance of gaining his first win at four-star level until having the last fence down on Shear l'Eau, which dropped him from second to fifth. Stockton had a shorter fall when slipping from first to second with just one error on Word for Word which, given the horse's record, was a triumph rather than a disaster. She finished on the same score as Mary King on King Solomon III, but took the higher place by virtue of a faster cross-country.

King had been the last British winner here when she rode Star Appeal to victory in 1996, two years after Fox-Pitt enjoyed his first Burghley triumph on Chaka. "That first win was on an experienced horse and I always knew I had a chance," Fox-Pitt said. "This time I was on an inexperienced nine-year-old and it never entered my head that he could win." The rider had considered Moon Man, with whom he finished seventh, as a more likely prospect.

The results could hardly have given British eventers a better send-off for the World Equestrian Games that open in Spain in eight days' time. Two members of the Great Britain team – Fox-Pitt and Jeanette Brakewell – rode two horses into the top 10.

The other two team members are Law and Pippa Funnell who was sixth on Primmore's Pride. Stockton will be competing in Spain as an individual.