All things considered, 2016 was a very good year for Christopher Burton. It would have been a spectacular year had those costly show jump rails not hit the dirt in Rio, dropping the 35-year-old Australian from first to fifth. An Olympic medal (team bronze) is an Olympic medal, nonetheless.

A few weeks after Rio, ‘Burto’ became the first Australian for a decade to win the four-star at Burghley, one of eventing’s six majors. He ended the year at number three in the world rankings.

Growing up in rural Queensland, cattle and horses were a daily part of life. While brother Karl went on to become a professional in cutting and campdrafting (a cattle cutting and penning sport), Chris chose to take the eventing route, inspired by Australia’s back-to-back Olympic victories in ’92 and ‘96. He ran a successful business near Sydney before relocating to the United Kingdom in 2011 with his wife, Rebekah. The couple are expecting their first child on May 28th.

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