NZB Graduate Parklane Hawk (NZ) Wins Burghley Horse Trials

New Zealand Bloodstock graduate Parklane Hawk has shown his immense talent in transitioning from thoroughbred racing to top level eventing with a win at the Burghley Horse Trials in England last night.

Parklane Hawk (NZ)

Ridden by William Fox-Pitt in the elite four-star event, Parklane Hawk won with a score of 40.7, almost five points clear of kiwi rider Andrew Nicholson aboard Nereo on 45.1 points.

A dream clear round in the show jumping with Parklane Hawk gave Fox-Pitt his sixth Burghley victory and put him in the history books as the first rider to attain this achievement. "I can't believe it," said Fox-Pitt who first won at Burghley in 1994. "He was superb. I might have looked cool but deep down this mattered a lot, it is huge and a real honour."

An event which was first run in 1961, Burghley has been won five times by New Zealand Bloodstock sponsored kiwi rider Mark Todd who first won the event in 1987 with Wilton Fair. Mark became the oldest winner of the prestigious Badminton Horse Trials earlier this year on NZB Land Vision and competed in the Young Event Horse section at Burghley this year.

Bred in 2000 by D A & Mrs N H Bell, Parklane Hawk (NZ) (Grosvenor x Deebee Lady) was bought by Rogerson Bloodstock from Fayette Park Stud for $65,000 at the 2002 Karaka Premier Sale.

Trained by Graeme Rogerson & Garry Newham, Parklane Hawk raced under the name Park Lane and raced on 19 occasions on the flat and over hurdles and Steeples for four placings before being retired in mid 2006.

Parklane Hawk first competed in March last year before taking his first win in a three-star event, the Blenheim Palace International in September 2010. He came second in the three-star Blair Castle International just last month before winning Burghley last night.