- Chris Burton earned a silver medal in equestrian
- He revealed that all he wants is to enjoy a beer
- Claims the interview would have been more entertaining if he were hungover
Australian equestrian silver medalist Chris Burton has candidly shared that all he desires is to enjoy a beer with his friends and family during a humorous interview, suggesting reporters should revisit him later when he’d be amusingly hungover.
At 42, the Queensland athlete shifted from show jumping to give eventing another go this year, and it proved to be a remarkable decision as he navigated his new horse Shadow Man to a second-place finish.
Burton, now residing in the UK, started in third place following the dressage and cross country rounds but climbed to silver after the show jumping qualifying round on Monday morning.
Under the scorching sun with the stunning backdrop of the Chateau de Versailles, the dynamic duo successfully cleared all 12 jumps in the final round.
‘I’m a bit surprised you didn’t want to do these interviews tomorrow because we are usually hungover and those are the most engaging interviews you’ll ever get,’ Burton humorously remarked to Fox Sports Australia.
‘I don’t understand why you’d prefer to hear from a sober eventing athlete.’
‘I’ve been whisked away for a urine test and shuttled from one press conference to another answering the same typical questions.’
‘All I truly want is to catch up with my mates, team colleagues, my wife, and family over a beer, but I’ll see you all soon, don’t worry.’
Chris Burton (pictured) states he only wants to enjoy ‘a beer’ with friends and family to commemorate his unexpected individual equestrian eventing silver medal
Burton found it puzzling why reporters wanted to interview him while he was still sober after securing Australia’s third silver medal of the Paris Olympics
The esteemed German rider Michael Jung clinched victory with 21.80 penalty points, finishing 0.60 ahead of Burton. Laura Collett, who previously led Britain to the team title, came in third with 23.10.
Remarkably, Burton and Shadow Man had only participated in their first competition in March, after owner and rider Ben Hobday, feeling he faced stiff competition for a spot in the Olympics, loaned the horse to his friend for six months in a rare show of equestrian camaraderie.
Having previously won a team bronze in Rio eight years ago, Burton transitioned into show jumping before deciding to make one final attempt at eventing with the gifted horse Hobday insisted was ‘the best in the world.’
‘I took a little break from eventing, so it’s truly wonderful to come back and achieve this. Right now, I can’t help but feel incredibly fortunate,’ expressed the beloved figure, endearingly known to his teammates as ‘Burto.’
Burton (pictured with sons Harry and Jack) mentioned that a hungover interview would have provided better entertainment for the media
The concept of the loan was initially broached in January, with Burton admitting his wife Rebekah was less than thrilled about his return to the challenging world of eventing.
‘You should remember that I had a very upset wife for putting her through all of this. I joke about that, but she has been incredible. She orchestrated everything,’ said Burton, who believes Bek was pivotal in arranging the whirlwind global schedule that led him to qualify.
As for Shadow Man? ‘He’s an extraordinary horse to ride. Isn’t he a powerhouse? What a joy! He practically bounces off the ground and is a real pleasure to work with,’ Burton beamed.
‘I’ve had my eye on him for years. I always knew he had that kind of potential. We tried twice to purchase him, but Ben was too attached to let him go—and I completely understand why.’
