MARLBOROUGH-BASED eventer Andrew Nicholson suffered a heavy fall as Australian Christopher Burton won the Festival of British Eventing's feature class at Gatcombe after a dramatic cross-country finale.
Burton, riding TS Jamaimo, climbed from ninth place after showjumping, courtesy of collecting just 2.8 cross-country time faults and other British Open title challengers coming to grief.
Burton's fellow Australian Sam Griffiths fell from his 2014 Badminton winner Paulank Brockagh when in pole position to take top spot, while New Zealander Nicholson suffered a heavy fall from Cillnabradden Evo at the last fence and was unable to ride his later starter Perfect Stranger.
Nicholson was later taken to hospital in Swindon for further medical checks.
Surrey-based Queenslander Burton finished on a score of 43.7 penalties, with New Zealander Jonelle Price, from Mildenhall near Marlborough, and Classic Moet second, just in front of third-placed Nicola Wilson and Beltane Queen.
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