Will Faudree and Mama’s Magic Way. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
We’re just a few weeks out from the next CCI5* of the year, the Defender Burghley Horse Trials (September 5-8), and we’ve got a very early look at the entries that have come in so far. Entries will remain open until August 15, and we’ll expect a full field for this marquee event in Stamford, United Kingdom closer to the closing date.
Mia Farley and Phelps. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.
We were expecting a strong U.S. contingent and those are some of the early entries on the list, which are currently as follows:
- Mia Farley (USA) and Phelps
- Will Faudree (USA) and Mama’s Magic Way
- Sophia Hill (AUS) and Humble Glory
- Hannah Sue Hollberg (USA) and Capitol H I M
- Lucy Latta (IRL) and RCA Patron Saint
- Gaspard Maksud (FRA) and Zaragoza II
- Emma Thomas (GBR) and Icarus X
- Aistis Viskauskas (LIT) and Commander VG
Thus far we have two racing-bred Thoroughbreds on our list in Mia Farley‘s Phelps as well as Sophia Hill‘s Humble Glory, who was sired by well-known U.S. racing sire Bernardini and who finished on the podium in their first CCI5* at Adelaide last year. Sophia’s come over to the UK to prep for Burghley and have had some really good results at both Bicton and Bramham’s CCI4*-S, finishing on their dressage score in both events.
Hannah Sue Hollberg and Capitol H I M. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Will Faudree excused himself from consideration for Paris as an alternate so that he could fully focus on Burghley with Mama’s Magic Way, who was second in the Tryon CCI4*-L this spring after re-routing from Kentucky and has also finished 16th at Burghley in 2023.
Most eventing fans were introduced by storm to Ireland’s Lucy Latta, who delivered a seriously impressive second-place finish at Badminton with RCA Patron Saint in their CCI5* debut. That result put them onto the short list for the Irish Olympic squad, and Lucy will be looking to hunt down another podium finish (possibly a win?) at this second 5* start.
Lucy Latta and RCA Patron Saint. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.
In terms of entries yet to come, we know New Zealand’s Monica Spencer and Artist (who’s also a Thoroughbred – this is shaping up to be a big fall for the Thoroughbred event horse!) will also be basing in the UK and aiming for Burghley. Kentucky 5* winners Oliver Townend and Cooley Rosalent are also aiming at Burghley.
We will continue to provide periodic entry updates as the list populates, but you can keep up with them on the Burghley website here as well.
Gaspard Maksud and Zaragoza. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
If you’re planning to attend Burghley this year, you’ll want to check out the full schedule of events and activities, including Masterclass demonstrations from the likes of Carl Hester and William and Pippa Funnell, the Dubarry Burghley Young Event Horse competition, the Shetland Grand National, and much more. You can view the full provisional timetable here.
For those not able to attend in person, definitely get yourself sorted with a Burghley TV pass, which costs just about $25 USD and grants you full access to the live stream, replays, and archive footage from previous years for a full year. Click here to learn more.
Defender Burghley: [Website] [Entries] [Burghley TV] [EN’s Coverage]
EN’s coverage of Defender Burghley is proudly presented by Kentucky Performance Products, your one-stop shop for science-backed nutritional support for every horse. Click here to learn more about KPP.
