‘I'd ride Master Craftsman at Burghley…'

Take six top riders and ask what their fantasy competition would be – their horse, the venue, their team-mates and who joins them on the podium. Pippa Roome delves into the world of imaginary eventing

- Pippa Roome

William Fox-Pitt, winner of 14 fivestars and 20 world, Olympic and European medals

“I’M limited in what horses I can ride because of my height, but I remember admiring a horse called Mins Lincoln with Lucinda Green. He was fourth at Bramham 1988 but never made it to the top – I don’t think he stayed sound.

“So the horse I’d like to ride would be Master Craftsman. Ginny Elliot taught him to do everything well and he had a very athletic demeanour; he could really gallop, jump and move. He was a gear up on the likes of Priceless and Night Cap – they were beautifully trained, but he started off a much smarter individual.

“People often choose horses like Murphy Himself, but I like horses that chip in and are clever. I’d have gone green riding the super-bold Murphy!

“I’d like to ride Master Craftsman at Burghley – he was European champion there in 1989. At Badminton you might not have noticed what a special horse he was, whereas on that terrain, he’d have shown his class. Mike Tucker designed Burghley in 1997 and 2001 and I’d like to ride round one of his courses.

“My fantasy team is a big one – you need some reserves, horses always go lame! I’m lucky enough to have ridden on teams with the likes of Ian Stark and Ginny. And of course I had great years with Leslie Law – we shared many a room at my early Olympics – and Jeanette Brakewell. Amazing cross-country riding from Jeanette and later Nicola Wilson paved the way for all of us.