Fox-Pitt bidding for six of the best at Burghley

By Steve Bond, Sportsbeat

WILLIAM Fox-Pitt admits it would be a dream come true to land his sixth Burghley Horse Trials title this week and etch his name into the sport's history books once again.

SIX OF THE BEST? William Fox-Pitt is aiming for a record sixth Burghley title this week (Getty Images)

The 41-year-old will compete at Burghley, the penultimate leg of the HSBC FEI Classics series, bidding to claim the title he first won in 1994 and last won in 2008 for a record-breaking sixth time.

Fox-Pitt will take horses Macch-iato and Seacookie to Lincolnshire for the annual competition, which starts on Thursday, as he attempts to move clear of double Olympic champion Mark Todd of New Zealand and Ireland's Ginny Elliot - who both have five Burghley wins to their name.

And while Fox-Pitt - who helped Team GB to Olympic silver in 2004 and bronze in 2008 - is well aware of what is at stake, he insists that has not changed his preparations for Burghley.

"It is a great championship to win but it is also the one that everyone wants to win and I have been very lucky to win there five times," he said.

"I hope I haven't used up all my luck and I hope I have it in me to win there again.

"There is the added bonus of perhaps setting the record for the most wins at Burghley if I was to win another one but that doesn't change how I approach the event because I would go out there to win regardless.

"It is such an honour just to share the record with Ginny Elliot and Mark Todd but of course it would be brilliant to stand outright and be the best because that is what any sportsman wants.

"I do feel pressure whenever I come back to Burghley but it is a different pressure and one I put on myself because I have won there before."

The HSBC FEI Classics unites the top end of the international eventing circuit - namely the five four-star competitions across the world. The Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials is the penultimate event in the HSBC FEI Classics