It’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for: that special, chaotic time in which team EN, plus a rogue chinchilla, dive deep, deep down into the FEI records, the personal anecdotes, the whims and weirdness of each and every competitor’s backstory as we look ahead to this week’s Defender Burghley Horse Trials. Want to know your favourite rider’s favourite hobby? We’ve got you. Want to know how a horse you liked the look of at the trot up might perform between the boards over the next couple of days? We’ve got you there, too. Buckle up: it’s going to be as wild of a ride as Burghley itself.

Want to jump straight to your favorite horse and rider? Click the links below to jump to their section (the combinations are listed below in alphabetical order by last name; sections in alphabetical order by country and last name):

Tom Bird and Rebel Rhyme (GBR)
Alexander Bragg and Quindiva (GBR)
Phil Brown and Harry Robinson (GBR)
Rosalind Canter and Pencos Crown Jewel (GBR)
Alice Casburn and Topspin (GBR)
Luc Château and Viens Du Mont (FRA)
Tim Cheffings and Gaston (GBR)
Sarah Clark and LV Balou Jeanz (AUS)
Richard Coney and Poetry In Motion II (GBR)
Tiana Coudray and Cancaras Girl (USA)
Tom Crisp and Liberty And Glory (GBR)
David Doel and Galileo Nieuwmoed (GBR)
David Doel and Ferro Point (GBR)
Arthur Duffort and Toronto D’Aurois (FRA)
Will Faudree and Mama’s Magic Way (USA)
Christoffer Forsberg and Con Classic 2 (SWE)
Sophie Fouracre and Lordana VH Leysehof Z (GBR)
Pippa Funnell and Majas Hope (GBR)
Kristina Hall-Jackson and CMS Google (GBR)
Louise Harwood and Native Spirit (GBR)
Matthew Heath and Askari (GBR)
Andrew Heffernan and Harthill Phantom (NTL)
Nicky Hill and MGH Bingo Boy (GBR)
Lauren Innes and Global Fision M (NZL)
Emily King and Valmy Biats (GBR)
Lauren Lillywhite and Billy Beaufort (GBR)
Lauren Lillywhite and Hacien (GBR)
Boyd Martin and On Cue (USA)
Boyd Martin and Tsetserleg TSF (USA)
Greta Mason and Cooley For Sure (GBR)
Padraig Mccarthy and HHS Noble Call (IRL)
Tom McEwen and Luna Mist (GBR)
Tom McEwen and Toledo De Kerser (GBR)
Harry Meade and Away Cruising (GBR)
Harry Meade and Cavalier Crystal (GBR)
Harry Meade and Tenareze (GBR)
Harry Mutch and HD Bronze (GBR)
Harry Mutch and Shanbeg Cooley (GBR)
Julia Norman and Ardeo Berlin (ZIM)
Austin O’Connor and Colorado Blue (IRL)
Wills Oakden and Arklow Puissance (GBR)
Wills Oakden and Oughterard Cooley (GBR)
Michael Owen and Bradeley Law (GBR)
Jessica Phoenix and Wabbit (CAN)
Tim Price and Vitali (NZL)
Holly Richardson and Bally Louis (GBR)
Tom Rowland and Possible Mission (GBR)
James Rushbrooke and Milchem Eclipse (GBR)
Jennie Saville and FE Lifestyle (USA)
Richard Skelt and Credo III (GBR)
Grace Taylor and Game Changer (USA)
Emma Thomas and Icarus X (GBR)
Zara Tindall and Class Affair (GBR)
Oliver Townend and Ballaghmor Class (GBR)
Oliver Townend and Swallow Springs (GBR)
Oliver Townend and Tregilder (GBR)
Aistis Vitkauskas and Commander VG (LTU)
Sam Watson and SAP Talisman (IRL)
Francis Whittington and DHI Purple Rain (GBR)
Christopher Whittle and Skip Mill (GBR)

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Sarah Clark and LV Balou Jeanz. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Sarah Clark and LV Balou Jeanz (AUS)
Thirteen-year-old New Zealand Hanoverian gelding (Balou du Rouet – Cotton Jenny xx, by Colombia xx). Bred by Little Valley Farm. Owned by the rider and Gill, Colin, and Linda Clark. Groomed by Kirsten Poulsom.

Sarah came to the UK on the back of great success in her native Australia with “Jeanz” — as he’s known at home — completing in the top 10 in seven of their thirteen CCI4 and 5* runs — top 4 in five of them — earning Jeanz Eventing South Australia Horse of the Year in 2022. His 5* debut came when he was just a nine-year-old, after rocketing through the levels on his way to the top of the sport.

When she left Oz for her Great British adventure, Sarah boarded the flight with her “Dreamcatcher” with no return ticket and no funds to buy one. After fulfilling a “life-long dream” and completing at Burghley last year — posting a 34.3 dressage and adding 32 time penalties to a clear cross country, ending the event in 22nd — Sarah based herself with Great Britain’s David Doel and crowdfunded her way to the next thing on her bucket list — Badminton. It wasn’t to be however, and she withdrew before the competition got underway as Jeanz wasn’t feeling 100%. But she’s back at Burghley for another go around and will be looking to get a second 5* completion under her girth as she continues her journey with her lovely thirteen-year-old.

Typically mid-30s in the dressage, they have scored as low as 31 at the 4*-S level, and they can be expected to climb the leaderboard come cross country day, having added jumping penalties in just three of their 33 FEI competitions (with just three non-completions). They won’t be the quickest on the day, but they have made the time at 4*-L before, and the 32 time faults they added at Burghley are the most they’ve had at 4*-L and 5*. The show jumping can be a bit patchy for them — they added 12 jumping and 5.2 time last year at Burghley and 12 in their most recent run — the 4*-S at Alnwick. But in general, they do keep it to one pole, and can go clear on their day.

Sarah describes Jeanz’ style as “unconventional” but he adores his job — like all eventing fans, he’s particularly partial to the cross country — and he’s an “out and out trier”, which is exactly the kind of horse you want to be sat on in the start box on Burghley cross country day.

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Jessica Phoenix and Wabbit (CAN)
Thirteen-year-old Thoroughbred gelding (Line of Departure xx – No Kissing xx, by Great Gladiator xx). Bred by Molinaro Stable. Owned by the rider and Jim Phillips. Groomed by Lisa Barry.

It’s getting rarer and rarer to see full Thoroughbreds at top horse trials, so it’s a real treat to see Wabbit and Jessica Phoenix’s names on the roster for Burghley. A Thoroughbred to a ‘T’, Wabbit is known for his bravery and athleticism on the cross country course, but he’s also “a lot of horse,” according to owner Jim Phillips.

While Wabbit was a lackluster racehorse, earning only $2200 in five starts, he’s truly found his stride in the eventing world. Jessica told Horse Sport that, “[Wabbit] makes cross-country effortless over those huge tracks,” says Jessica. “His gallop is exceptional and he’s never pushing for time. He’s one of the best cross-country horses I’ve ever sat on.” As brilliant as he is, Wabbit is “an extremely quirky boy and you need to truly understand him. His brain is always functioning at a high-intensity level.”

Wabbit is still new to the CCI5* level and only has three other five-star events under his belt: the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event (which he attended twice and completed once) and the Maryland Five Star at Fair Hill. Out of these three five stars, Wabbit has twice been in the top 20 and once been eliminated. In phase one at Burghley, look for Wabbit to have a mid- to high-30s dressage score, and a fast cross country round with a mere handful of time faults. Show jumping is where it gets tricky for the gray gelding. We’ll have to wait and see if they can get around that last phase clean.

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Luc Château and Viens du Mont. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

Luc Château and Viens Du Mont (FRA)
Fourteen-year-old Selle Français gelding (Norway de la Lande – Kaline du Mont, by King’s Road xx). Bred by Maurice Viel. Owned by E.A.R.L. Haras des Chateaux. Groomed by Caroline Queval.

Viens du Mont’s last two FEI outings were CCI5*s, and now he comes forward for his third. Last year’s home soil top level debut for the pair at Pau saw them finish in 9th place, where they added just 4 show jumping penalties to their dressage of 39.8. They had an impressive 11th place finish at this year’s tricky Badminton, where they didn’t let the weather get to them, jumping clear cross country and proving that they could handle just about any going.

They’ve scored as low as 32.9 in the dressage at 3* and as much as 47.5 at 4*; based on their most recent form we can expect a first phase score in the high-30s — they posted a 37 at Badminton. But it’s the cross country where Viens du Mont will really shine — he’s got no cross country jumping penalties on his record in 19 FEI runs, and has only added time on five occasions, including Badminton where no one managed to beat the clock. We should certainly see them climbing the leaderboard on cross country day. The show jumping is a bit more tricky for him — he has penalties more often than not, and doesn’t often manage to keep it to just one pole. At Badminton, he added 8 in the final phase; at Pau last year, it was 4.

Based in Cour-Cheverny in France, Luc and his wife Caroline run Haras des Chateaux, a riding club and school from which they also run their breeding program. The stallion at the center of the enterprise, Propriano de l’Ebat, who Luc competed until 2018, has recently done them proud with a foal out of Michael Jung’s awesome Kentucky winning mare, FischerRocana.

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Arthur Duffort and Toronto d’Aurois. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Arthur Duffort and Toronto D’Aurois (FRA)
Sixteen-year-old Selle Français gelding (Polack II – Jovaly D’Aurois, by Daloubet D’Evordes). Bred by Robert Maury. Owned by the rider and Julie and Paul Gatien. Groomed by Leonore Gignoux.

British-based French rider Arthur Duffort is looking for a hat-trick of Burghley completions with seasoned CCI5* campaigner Toronto D’Aurois, who’s coming forward for his seventh run at the top level after making his debut at Burghley in 2019. He’s jumped clear on cross country day at each of his attempts bar the first, when he just had a bit of a green mishap; he also picked up a technical elimination late on course at Pau in 2021, but he finished and was clear over all the fences. His first Burghley culminated in 29th place; he improved on that for 15th on his return trip in 2022. Will he continue on his upward Burghley trajectory? Potentially.

Arthur and ‘Toronto’ were 27th at a notoriously tough Badminton in the spring, where they jumped clear across the country but added 52.8 time penalties. However, the going was particularly difficult that day due to the excessively wet weather Britain endured in the lead-up, and fast rounds were very few and far between. The efforts of the previous day seem to have caught up with Toronto when it came to the show jumping, with 20 jumping penalties accumulated in the final phase. Ordinarily, the gelding is a 4 or 8 kind of guy, although he did leave the poles up at Alnwick in the 4*-S last month. Based on dressage form, they won’t be up there going into the cross country: they trend in the high 30s at 4 and 5*. Until recently, their cross country jumping record was pretty clean — with nothing since Burghley 2019. But they had a 20 in the 4*-S at Hartpury a couple of weeks ago — where they also had two poles in the show jumping — so Arthur will be hoping that was just a blip and it’ll be all systems clear come Burghley.

Toronto was produced in France up to 2* by part-owner and Arthur’s friend, Paul Gatien. The original plan was for the horse to be sold on, however, Toronto was so difficult that they couldn’t find a buyer for him, and he ended up staying; Arthur took on the ride in 2016. Toronto’s groom, Leonore Gignoux, describes him as “truly a gentle giant”. He’s very shy and is easily spooked — Leonore says she would turn off the giant screen in the dressage arena for his test if she could! Not one for being fawned over, Toronto loves to be in the field more than anything and during his holidays becomes a “wild horse” that no one can approach. Leonore has a trick though — she brings him treats every day to persuade him into having his rug changed. Sounds like Toronto’s one smart cookie!

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Tom Bird and Rebel Rhyme. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Tom Bird and Rebel Rhyme (GBR)
Thirteen-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Yeats – Fidachta Rebel, by Fast Silver). Owned by the rider and David Kerry.

Burghley is so imposing that we always see a really tiny number of first-timer riders here – but this year, Tom Bird is part of that exalted list at just 21 years old. He rides Rebel Rhyme, who he owns with his uncle, and with whom he was runner-up at the Bramham under-25 CCI4*-L this summer.

The initial plan, Tom tells Horse & Hound, was to do a couple of novices and ‘maybe an intermediate’ with the failed hunt horse, but discovered that despite his quirks, including often not being able to warm up for cross-country and needing a lead into the start box, the gelding is all heart. They’ve amassed a number of good clears at CCI4*-L, including two at Bramham, the closest four-star we have to a Burghley-style challenge, and though they won’t be relishing the first phase – they’ll often sit in the 40s – they’ll look forward to getting out there on Saturday and doing what they came for. A rare elimination in their final run at Burgham will, hopefully, only serve to sharpen them up. Their Saturday climb won’t carry through to Sunday, as showjumping tends to be a tricky phase for them, but that’s not the point of this week: the point is to gain valuable mileage and experience over one of the world’s most impressive cross-country courses, and both horse and rider can be counted upon to do a fine job of that.

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Alex Bragg and Quindiva. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Alexander Bragg and Quindiva (GBR)
Thirteen-year-old Oldenburg mare (Quintender – Ruby Roller, by High Roller). Bred by Cliodhna Carroll. Owned by the Roe Family. Groomed by Sarah Whatley.

Alexander Bragg’s FEI partnership with Quindiva started in 2018 with the mare’s first 1*, where the pair finished on their dressage score of 34.6. In the last five years of FEI competition, the duo has competed up to the 5* level, contesting their first 5* earlier this year at Badminton. Alex and Quindiva scored a typical mid-30s in dressage at Badminton, but retired on cross country. Burghley will be their second attempt at this level.

Alex’s previous 5* experience will be helpful in guiding the lesser experienced mare around Burghley. He has competed on British Nations Cup teams, was a reserve for the European Championships in 2017, and made the long-list for the World Equestrian Games in 2018. He has previously completed Burghley, Badminton, Pau and Luhmühlen.

While his partnership with Quindiva is relatively new to the 5* level, the duo has had plenty of success at the 3* and 4* levels, with their last three runs at the 4* level resulting in a top ten finish. While their mid-30s dressage score might not bump them to the top of the leaderboard on the first day, they are typically clear in the jumping phases, which could maintain a solid position as we’ve seen at the 4* level.

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Phil Brown and Harry Robinson. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Phil Brown and Harry Robinson (GBR)
Fifteen-year-old British Sport Horse gelding (Laytender – Jodie, by Ontario). Bred by W.E. Robinson. Owned by Orbit Electrical Services Ltd.

This’ll be a sophomore Burghley for ‘local’ pair Phil and Harry, who have recently relocated home to Yorkshire after spending years based so close to Burghley that Phil could see the house from his arena. Talk about motivation on those tough days! They made their debut here last year, delivering a steady clear for 27th place and enjoying the week perhaps more than anyone else.

That was a five-star debut for both, though Phil very nearly made his debut years prior with another horse, but an injury put paid to those plans. He’d never have guessed that his biggest career moves would have come with the splashy-faced and charmingly-named Harry Robinson, a horse who was sold earlier in his career but ultimately found his way back to Phil because he wasn’t very easy to get on with. In hindsight, it looks a bit like fate that the pair found each other again, and lovely Phil’s army of supporters are certainly backing that bit of kismet all the way to the finish line. He now rides Harry for family friends Nigel and Susie Bushby, and you’ll no doubt hear their voices among the cheers, which also include plenty of young riders that Phil teaches from the East Midlands area.

They won’t be fighting for the win here – they’ll start in the high-30s, though delivered a high-40s score in their final FEI run at Hartpury CCI4*-S this month. But another clear run is totally within their wheelhouse, and Phil, who’s an admirably horse-first rider, will only be worrying about cutting down on the clock if he feels his ‘not very blood’ horse is capable of doing so comfortably. They’re a joy to support as they revisit their biggest dreams.

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Ros Canter and Ponchos Crown Jewel at Burghley in 2022. Photo by DBHT/Peter Nixon.

Rosalind Canter and Pencos Crown Jewel (GBR)
Fourteen-year-old British Sport Horse gelding (Jumbo – Cornish Queen, by Rock King). Bred by Pennie Wallace. Owned by Kate James and Annie Makin. Groomed by Sarah Charnley.

You want to talk about a potential winner? Let’s talk about the woman who comes into Burghley with the pure, unadulterated elixir of golden confidence flowing through her veins. Former World Champ Ros won Badminton this spring with Lordships Graffalo in the toughest of conditions, and while we won’t see him here because he’s on his holidays after, y’know, becoming the European got-dang Champion in similarly revolting conditions, ‘Jasmine’ is a pretty darn good second string, not least because she’s a maternal half-sibling to Lordships Graffalo and has a lot of the same grit and gumption that makes him excellent.

Of course, she’s her own ‘person’, too. Jasmine is a bit of a Blanche DuBois type in some ways: she wants the eyes on the world on her, kind of, but she also really, really doesn’t, and Ros has to nurture her through a touch of stage fright to get the very best out of her. But that nurturing pays off: when she finished second in Bramham’s CCI4*-L (the toughest, arguably, in the world) last year, she did so while executing a clear round on the final day while the wind actually blew a jump over next to her. That would be, according to Ros, Jasmine’s worst nightmare and biggest trigger type, but she stayed so focused we didn’t even see an ear move.

That steadfast trust in her tiny but exceptionally talented jockey has also taken her to some brilliant five-star results: Jasmine was fourth on her debut at the level at Bicton in 2021, eleventh here last year, and ninth at Badminton this spring. Keep an eye on her, because she and Ros are already excellent – but that confidence that Ros will be riding high on is also one of the most powerful weapons an athlete can wield.

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Alice Casburn and Topspin at Burghley 2022. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

Alice Casburn and Topspin (GBR)
Fifteen-year-old Anglo European Sport Horse gelding (Zento – Capriati xx, by El Conquistador xx). Owned and bred by Caroline Casburn. Groomed by Dave Burton and Caroline Casburn.

It runs in the family with the Casburn team, with Alice’s mom Caroline having evented Topspin’s grandmother Spangle to Advanced before breeding Spin’s dam Capriati from her. Caroline evented ‘Spin’ as a youngster prior to Alice taking over the ride.

Despite being quite a quirky ride, Alice has found a way to click with Spin, and the duo finished their first CCI5* in the top 20 at Pau in 2021. They have had three additional runs at the level since, at Badminton and Burghley in 2022, and Badminton in 2023, and have finished within the top 20 at each one. Their best 5* result was at Burghley in 2022, where they added just a handful of time to their dressage score to finish 5th.

Although Alice is only 21 years old, her experience and partnership with Topspin have served her well, and set her up to be a fierce competitor this year. While their dressage scores can range from the low to upper 30s, their general consistency over fences will make them an exciting pair this week!

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Tim Cheffings and Gaston. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Tim Cheffings and Gaston (GBR)
Twelve-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare (Sanyo – Wadina, by Columbus). Bred by Ned Bloemert. Owned by Emma Bryant and Tim Cheffings. Groomed by Amber Bayldon.

The Defender Burghley Horse Trials will be a big moment for Tim Cheffings and Gaston, as it marks Gaston’s first attempt at a CCI5*-L. The last time Tim was at Burghley was in 2014 with Alinero Van Het Scharenberg, but the pair unfortunately retired. Tim and Gaston are set up for both a triumphant Burghley comeback for Tim and a positive first five-star outing for Gaston as long as they get successfully across the finish line.

Gaston has been competing at the four-star level since 2019 with mixed success. While he consistently brings in low to mid-30s dressage scores, Gaston and Tim had a mixed 2022 season with one elimination and one retirement on course. However, their most recent outing resulted in their second highest placing they’ve ever received at the four-star level, coming in in the top twenty in nineteenth place at the CCI4*-L at Bramham.

If all goes to plan at Burghley, you can expect to see Gaston and Tim with a dressage score in the mid-30s, with no obstacle faults and ten to fifteen time faults on cross country, and potentially a rail in show jumping. Gaston has shown that he’s capable of achieving double clear show jumping rounds, but as this will be his first 5*-L, he’s a little bit of a wild card until it’s clear how he’ll handle the level.

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Richard Coney and Poetry In Motion. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Richard Coney and Poetry In Motion (GBR)
Ten-year-old Irish Sport horse gelding (Yeats – Woodville Soap, by Lux Z). Owned by Sophie White. Groomed by Tilly Freemantle.

After finishing two horses inside the top 20 in his CCI5* debut (Pau – 2020), Richard Coney will bring forward a debut horse this year at his first Burghley. Poetry In Motion (‘Snippet’ at home) is just 10 this year and is also a relatively new addition to Richard’s string, having joined in 2022. He was campaigned through the CCI3* level by fellow Brit Florence White, who’s still very much involved as Snippet is still owned by the White family.

This pair’s best result at the 4* level came at Bramham’s U25 4*-L, where they finished fourth place with some time on cross country and a rail down in show jumping. They’re a pretty dependable cross country pair with just one blip on their international record. While this will be a big ask for a debut horse at 10 years old, Richard will have this well in mind and will have selected this event for this horse with intention. They won’t be a threat to the top of the board on the flat, but we all know Burghley is far from a dressage contest. If they can manage to come somewhat close to the time, they can make some leaps up in the standings – but don’t be surprised if Richard doesn’t concern himself too much with the clock, prioritizing positive experience and confidence with a horse with which he’s hoping for much more to come.

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A dream come true: Tom Crisp and Liberty and Glory. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

Tom Crisp and Liberty And Glory (GBR)
Sixteen-year-old British Sport Horse mare (Caretino Glory – Little Runnymede xx). Bred by Patricia Balfour. Owned by Robin and Patricia Balfour and Sophie Crisp.

There are few riders who know the hills and dales and lumps and bumps of Burghley quite as well as Sussex-based retained firefighter Tom Crisp, who’ll make his tenth start at the event this week with the fiery, tiny homebred Liberty and Glory.

Liberty and Glory, or “Lori”, is always our dark horse pick of the week: she is, after all, quite literally a dark horse. But she’s also one of those classic, feisty little mares, fuelled by rage and opinions, and frankly, her first-phase performances don’t even MATTER when she produces the goods on Saturday. We saw her at her very best at Pau in 2018, where she climbed an absolutely ridiculous 54 places to finish sixth, delivering an emotional five-star best for Tom. After some tricky years, in which they lost valuable time to the pandemic and then battled for a return from niggling injury, they came to Burghley last year and pulled the same kind of magic out again, finishing ninth. At Badminton this year, they made it as far as the Lake – very far in the course, actually – and looked to be on better form than just about everyone we’d seen when Lori took a flyer and twisted in the air over the huge corner in the water and Tom, who was due an operation on a hernia, couldn’t quite maintain the core strength to sit the effort. He was deposited into the drink but even in the midst of his heartbreak at an early end to arguably one of the rounds of the day, he did his best to keep the packed out audience entertained, and did a mock front-crawl in the water that made him everyone’s new favorite rider. Now, he’ll ride for redemption, likely with the loudest cheers of his career to carry him through.

Lori is truly a family horse, ridden by a family man: she’s out of a full Thoroughbred mare who Tom’s wife Sophie competed through Advanced, and Sophie’s parents Robin and Patricia not only bred the mare, but continue to part-own her. The Crisp family at large – including sons Hugo and Harry, and youngest child Hermione – can be seen out in force at events, with everyone chipping in. Harry, who’s in his teens, is already jumping well around Novice (US Prelim) tracks, so we’d be unsurprised to see him trying to cadge the ride on dad’s mega mare before long.

Born on the fourth of July and given a patriotic moniker to match, Lori probably won’t dazzle in the dressage – she’s a high-30s scorer, although Tom has been working hard on her flatwork and her tempestuous nature. It’s Saturday that’ll really have you paying attention – despite the fact that she spent her early years enacting elaborate protests that included lying down in start boxes, 16hh Lori is yet to face any course she considers difficult. Give her a cheer as she flies by: she’ll only pin her ears at you, but deep down, she’ll love it, and she and her jockey alike will find a bit more pace from it.

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David Doel and Galileo Nieuwmoed. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

David Doel and Galileo Nieuwmoed (GBR)
Twelve-year-old Dutch Warmblood stallion (Carambole – Sjaloma, by Harcos). Bred by J.W. & A.P. Jurrius. Owned by Gillian Jonas. Groomed by Lucy Grimshaw.

While David Doel first saw Galileo Nieuwmoed, it wasn’t love at first sight: “He had slightly straight hind-legs, boxy joints just where he was maturing a bit, and slightly flat front feet, so he was in heart-bar shoes at the time. I took one look at him and thought ‘no, not for me’ and just passed him by really,” David remarked.

Despite the slower start to their partnership, it has certainly blossomed into something special — since their FEI career began together in 2018 at the CIC1* level, David and Galileo have only experienced one cross country jump penalty in their time together — at their first 5* together at Bicton, where they were eliminated. The Bicton cross country penalty was certainly uncharacteristic, as the duo has jumped clear around four other 5* events, and 26 other FEI events.

While their dressage scores vary from the upper 20s-mid 30s, their consistency across the country serves them well. While a rail in the show jumping is possible, it isn’t a given with these two. Their best 5* finish was at Pau in 2022, where they finished 4th, adding one rail to their dressage score of 30.6. They’ve finished in the top ten in three of the four 5* they’ve completed, so will definitely be a pair to keep an eye on!

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David Doel and Ferro Point. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

David Doel and Ferro Point (GBR)
Thirteen-year-old Irish-bred mare (Match Point xx – Ferra Jones, by S. Creevagh Ferro). Bred by Trevor Badger. Owned by Christine Lees. Groomed by Stefan Bradshaw.

Starting their FEI career together back in 2016, David Doel and Ferro Point have had seven seasons to get to know each other well. Building a close relationship seems to be an extra important component for this pair, as “[Ferro Point is] a cool little pocket rocket and quite a feisty little blood-type mare.” In addition, she has kissing spine. While her kissing spine doesn’t limit her ability to perform at the top of the sport, it’s a team effort in keeping her happy and healthy, and has her vet, three physios, and a massage therapist to keep her comfortable and enthusiastic in her job.

The pair finished 22nd in their first 5* together in 2020 at Pau, and have since entered in four other 5* events — they retired at Bicton in 2021, and were eliminated in the show jumping at Luhmühlen in 2022, but finished 20th at Pau in 2022, and finished 13th at Luhmühlen in 2023.

While their dressage scores float between mid 30s-low 40s, they look to shine on cross country. Besides a jump penalty cross country in the 2* at Bicton in 2017 and a frangible pin at Pau in 2022, David and Ferro Point have an impressively clear cross country record, including double clear cross country rounds at Luhmühlen 5* in 2022 and 2023. They might see a rail or two on the final day.

While they have yet to see the top of the leaderboard for a 5* competition, this dynamic duo will certainly be fun to watch!

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Sophie Jenman and Lordana VH Leysehof Z. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Sophie Fouracre and Lordana VH Leysehof Z (GBR)
Thirteen-year-old Zangersheide mare (Lordanos – Ratinka, by Elanville). Owned by Kay Jenman.

Sophie Fouracre makes her return to Burghley for the first time since 2015, this time with the 5* debutant mare Lorzana VH Leysehof Z (‘Marlie’ for short). Sophie’s last Burghley was with her longtime partner Geronimo, with whom she completed the event twice, finishing as well as 25th overall.

Now, Sophie returns to the level with the springy Marlie, who skipped around Bramham’s 4*-S in June in her last FEI start, focusing more on show jumping and national competition in the lead-up to this debut at the top level. And show jumping would be the “weak” point for this mare, with two four-rail rounds on her international record, both at Long formats. “Weakness” be damned, though, and Sophie will have been putting in the time to fine-tune those details to give herself the best shot at a strong round come Sunday.

A mid-high 30s dressage score will place them in position to make some moves, and they’ll look for a clear cross country round – they’ve got a strong record to boast on the run and jump phase – to place them mid-pack or so after two phases.

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Pippa Funnell and Majas Hope. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

Pippa Funnell and Majas Hope (GBR)
Sixteen-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Porter Rhodes xx – Brown Sue, by Flagmount King). Bred by Jack Murphy. Owned by Marek Sebestak and the rider. Groomed by Emily Gibson.

Pippa Funnell MBE needs little introduction to eventing fans as a multiple Olympic, European, and World Championships medalist and CCI5* winner, first (and only in the long format) winner of the Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing, Wesko Equestrian Foundation mentor, and video game star. Not content with all that, Pippa has recently relaunched her series of children’s books — Pippa’s Pony Tales — which aim to inspire young equestrians in their horsemanship. She’s also written an autobiography and training guide. Pippa joined the equestrian industry when she left school at sixteen and went to work for Ruth McMullin, where she stayed for almost a decade. Her eventing accolades started early, when she became European Young Rider Champion in 1987 riding Sir Barnaby, the horse which took her to her first Badminton in 1988.

Majas Hope took on his first 5* at Burghley in 2018, when he finished 12th. The following year, he proved his reliability as a capable team pathfinder at the European Championships, where Britain took team gold. Although he may not be the fastest horse in the field, he is consistent and genuine across the country, with just one blip in the 4*-S at Bicton in 2021 in an otherwise clean record since 2017. At Burghley last year he was 16th after adding 12.8 cross country time penalties to his 28.2 dressage, with an uncharacteristically expensive show jumping round seeing him roll four poles; in 2018 he was 13th adding only 8.8 in total to a dressage of 35.2. At last year’s Kentucky he was 14th, posting 35.2 in the dressage and coming home with 11.2 time faults in the cross country and 4 jumping in the final phase. At the pop-up 5* at Bicton in 2021, it was a similar story — some cross country time and a pole; he finished 5th that day. He was 16th in his Badminton run in 2019, with 31 in the dressage, 18.4 cross country time and 0.4 time in the jumping. At this year’s wet and wild Badminton edition, he was top 10, with 32.6 in the first phase, adding 24.8 in the second — which sounds like more than it actually was, relatively speaking; due to the ground, it was a slow day out on course for most competitors — and lowering two poles on the final day.

With five 5* completions under his belt, he’s a safe bet for a clear cross country round — we’ll have to wait and see how tight the time is come cross country day. His latest form suggests he’s likely to have at least one pole on the Sunday — between 2017 and 2021 he was trending on one or none, but more recently that’s crept up. Will he be back on form in the Burghley Main Arena? Only time will tell. What we do know is that Pippa will be totally focused on doing her job — to give her horses “as good, as safe and as fast a trip as is possible”.

As well as being an eventer extraordinaire, Pippa has produced a record number of Burghley Young Event Horse winners, and she produces show jumpers for The Billy Stud, the breeding program she co-founded and runs in partnership with her international show jumper husband, William Funnell, and Donal Barwell. She was 8th at Badminton last year with Billy Walk On, a product of the stud. She’s no stranger to the show jumping ring either, coming top 10 in the 4* at Hickstead last year.

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Kristina Hall-Jackson and CMS Google during the Cross Country phase, Badminton Horse Trials, May 2023.

Kristina Hall-Jackson and CMS Google (GBR)
Thirteen-year-old Irish-bred mare (Baltimore – Shalom Internet, by Cavalier). Bred by Ray O’Reilly. Owned by KHJ Eventing rider and the rider. Groomed by Tessa Downs.

‘There’s no other horse I’d rather do my first 5* on,’ said Kristina of her long term partner, Google, ahead of their Burghley debut last year. Despite an uncharacteristic 20 penalties cross-country, and a rare pole down on the final day, the pair still managed to finish 25th – not bad for their first shot at the level. They managed to complete their second stab at a 5* at Badminton earlier this year, too, despite the heinous weather conditions. It was not necessarily the most polished performance – they incurred 40 penalties out on course and again, dropped a pole in the show jumping, but given that many more experienced 5* campaigners admitted defeat long before the final day, to finish 29th is still worthy of applause.

Based on the family farm in West Yorkshire, 26 year old Kristina is part of the Wesko Equestrian Foundation and thus one of the lucky young riders to benefit from the tutelage of Pippa Funnell – who, by happy coincidence, happens to be one of Kristina’s long term idols. She was also part of the BEF Talent Excel programme from 2015-2017 and had her first Team GB call up in 2014, as part of the Junior European Team.

She and Google, who she describes as ‘a sweet mare, with a heart of gold,’ have been together right from the beginning of the mare’s competitive career, back in 2017. Notable results – other than their cracking 5* debut – include 6th in the CCI-L4* at Bramham last year, adding just a few time penalties to their 35.9 dressage, as well as a 5th place in the CCI-S3* at Burgham, also in 2022, where they enjoyed two faultless jumping rounds to add nothing to their 29.6 dressage score. That score in itself was worth celebrating – Kristina will be the first one to admit that dressage is not this mare’s strong point, and they tend to score mid to low 30’s, so to break into that much coveted 20-something bracket is a huge achievement. However, she managed to better her 33.0 dressage score at Burghley last year by almost 3 marks to score 30.6 at Badminton, so perhaps Kristina will be hoping to break into that zone once again.

This would leave them in a very competitive spot indeed, as what Google lacks in the first phase, she more than makes up for in the jumping phases. Whilst they are not immune to cross country jumping faults, they are more likely to jump relatively fast and clear. Ditto on the final day: Google is not guaranteed not to tip a rail, but again, her show jumping clears far out number the rounds with a few faults. Here’s hoping that Kristina and Google can not only deliver a dressage PB, but also the double clear that they have proven themselves capable of time and again, to finish even better than they did after their last spin around the hallowed turf of Burghley.

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Louise Harwood and Native Spirit (GBR)
Fourteen-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (by Corragary Cruising Porsch). Owned by the rider.

‘Wiggy’, as we all know the rider, has been a stalwart face at the level, both in Britain and abroad, for many years. She’s recognisable, generally, by the fact that she’s Ros-style tiny but generally mounted on huge, sturdy hunter-type homebreds, with whom she has a super partnership. She’s got ten Burghley completions under her belt already, though we’ve not seen her here since 2018, and that was long before Native Spirit joined her string. He’s a relatively new ride, having come to her yard in 2021, but she fell in love with him then and bought him to be her next star.

The name of the game this week will be education; Native Spirit has a few blips on his record that’ll stand in the way of a really competitive run in his first British five-star, including an elimination on cross-country for a rider fall at Burgham CCI4*-S and a retirement on course in his international run prior to that in the CCI4*-S at Aston le Walls. He made his five-star debut at Pau last year, picking up a big E for accumulated refusals. But he’s also completed tough, terrain-heavy CCI4*-S classes at Bicton and Bramham this year, and could well settle into the rhythm of this galloping, bold track, which is the opposite end of the design spectrum to Pau.

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Matthew Heath and Askari. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Matthew Heath and Askari (GBR)
Fifteen-year-old Hanoverian gelding (Askanier 4 – Evita, by Earl). Bred by Gerda Esche. Owned by Plum Rowland.

Matt Heath is no stranger to the hallowed grounds of Burghley, having made his five-star debut here back in 2013 aboard an old fan favorite, The Lion. Since their debut here ten years ago, Matt and The Lion contested the event six total times, completing four times, before the stalwart mount was retired in 2021 at the age of 19. Matt had always envisioned The Lion being retired after another crack at Burghley, but since the event didn’t run that year it was not in the cards.

But Matt now has a new mount ready to step up to the top level and fill those five-star shoes. He brings forward Askari, a horse who was brought along through the 3*-S level by Dickie Waygood before Matt took the reins in 2019. It will be hard not to fall in love with this big bay gelding who sports a handsome wide blaze and a kind eye. Not to mention his barn name is “Muffin” – can you even handle cuteness?!

Matt and Muffin seem to have shaved a couple of penalty points off their average dressage score over the past two seasons and should have a shot at scoring in the low thirties or possibly high twenties in the first phase. They likely clock a fair bit of time across country and then will have some work to do on the final day, as the show jumping appears to be their most difficult phase at the moment.

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Nicky Hill and MGH Bingo Boy. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Nicky Hill and MGH Bingo Boy (GBR)
Fourteen-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (breeding unknown). Owned by the rider. Groomed by Melissa Jeanes.

Nicky and ‘Bing’ are back for a second crack at Burghley, their first CCI5* start since Badminton 2022, where sadly Nicky had to withdraw before showjumping due to Bing sustaining a cut on cross country. Their original trip to Burghley came in 2019, where they picked up an unfortunate 20 penalties, and the pair have certainly gained a lot of miles and experience since their last time here.

Although they’ve been plagued by the occasional 20-penalties in the past, their form this year has been particularly consistent, with three international starts that boasted three dressage scores under a mark of 35 and three clear cross country rounds. Their last start was early this month at Hartpury in the CCI4*-S, where they added no jump penalties to their dressage score of 33.9.

While I wouldn’t expect to see this pair near the top of the leaderboard after the first phase, I suspect that Nicky will be hunting for some redemption and an improvement over their first Burghley run four years ago. She and Bing are certainly capable, coming into this year’s edition with considerably more experience.

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Emily King and Valmy Biats. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Emily King and Valmy Biats (GBR)
Fourteen-year-old Selle Français gelding (Orlando – Aurelie du Prieure, by Hadj A X). Owned and bred by Philippe Brivois. Groomed by Sarah Morrilly.

Emily King and Valmy Biats first started their partnership back in 2020, and have seen strong results at the 4* level, most recently finishing third at Alnwick on a 26.5, and having an impressive start to the 2023 season with a win at Thoresby Park in the CCI4*-S, adding 14.4 cross country time to their 26.8 dressage score.

While we can often expect to see a mid-20s dressage score from this duo, the pair have yet to find the same consistency they’ve previously delivered at the 5* level. Previously competing at the 5* level at Badminton and Pau in 2022, and Badminton and Luhmühlen in 2023, the duo will be looking for this fifth run to continue developing their success at the level.

While their first 5* saw a fall at Badminton in 2022, they came out with an extremely impressive 8th place finish at Pau in only their second attempt, adding only some time and a rail to their 25.5 dressage score. In the 2023 season, we saw Emily retire on cross country at Badminton, due to heavy conditions and Emily noticing ‘Val’ tiring. The pair rerouted to Luhmühlen, where they finished 24th with a very unusual cross country jump penalty, along with some time penalties.

With their typically impressive dressage scores, and a strong partnership that only continues to develop, they certainly look to be a pair to watch!

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Lauren Lillywhite and Billy Beaufort (GBR)
Eleven-year-old Anglo European Sport Horse gelding (My O My – Huntstown Clover, by Clover Hill). Owned by the rider and Janet Peppin.

Lauren Lillywhite brings forward two entries upon her return to the five-star level after over a decade. Her last trip to Burghley was aboard her first upper level horse, One More Step, and this weekend both of her partners are embarking on their debut.

The British-bred gelding, called “Hero,” has one CCI4*-L under his belt, last season at Blenheim where he was 35th after a clear cross country round that added 10 time penalties. His second long format crack at the level ended with a disappointing retirement at Bramham. The pair got off their line through a combination that saw a pin drop and a stop at the final corner, so Lauren decided to save him for another day once she realized his confidence – which is normally rock hard, as Lauren describes him as “one of the most genuine horses I’ve ever met” – was shaken.

While we’ve never seen Hero give the five-star test a go, his past performance indicates we’ll likely find him in the mid-30s after the first phase. He’s a strong cross country horse, and his confidence should be well intact after a strong run at his summer reroute Aston le Walls. The final phase, though, will likely see at least four penalties added with rails down.

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Lauren Lillywhite and Hacien (GBR)
Eleven-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding (Briljant – Lacieni, by Vincent). Owned by the rider.

Lauren’s second ride, “Captain,” is similarly a first-timer at the level. Lauren brought him along since the beginning: she bought him unbroke and backed him herself for the first time, and now she’s bringing him forward his first five-star.

Captain has had a successful summer season ahead of this big weekend with the cherry on top being a clear cross country run at Bramham’s CCI4*-L. We’ll expect this pair to be in the upper 30s after the first phase, and if all goes to plan on cross country, they’ll still likely accrue some time penalties, but none that can dull the utter joy at having a self-produced horse finish a five-star cross country track.

Lauren is based in Lambourn where she runs a yard alongside her sister and fellow upper level eventer, Alyssa. Also cheering her on this weekend is her husband, Jack, and her young daughter, Florence.

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Greta Mason and Cooley For Sure. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Greta Mason and Cooley For Sure (GBR)
Sixteen-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Ramiro B – unknown). Owned by Geoff Mason and Sarah Winfrey.

It’s a Burghley debut, though not a five-star debut, for 26-year-old Greta and her ‘accidental’ partner Murphy, who were fourteenth on their debut at Pau last year, and had an educational non-completion at Badminton this spring in tough conditions. Although Greta’s now based in the Wiltshire area with trainers Rodney Powell and Alex Franklin, she’s something of a local: after spending the first few years of her life in Melbourne, Australia, she moved with her family to the area, and grew up riding with the Burghley Pony Club. En route to gaining her A test, she spent plenty of time riding at rallies in the grounds of the estate and peering over the edge of the Leaf Pit, wondering if she might get a chance to jump down it herself one day.

Now, she will, and though she’s not run an FEI event with Murphy since Badminton, they come in with some good national runs over the summer on their roster. They’ll have been disappointed to miss the run in the British Open Championship at terrain-y Gatcombe, which was abandoned due to terrible weather, but a third place finish – and a sub-30 dressage – in the Advanced at Aston-le-Walls is very good indeed. They’ll hope to start the week replicating their very good Badminton mark of 31.6 (or bettering it, of course!), and then will aim for a positive round without too much focus on the clock. Together, Greta and Murphy, who was originally her brother Silas’s horse, have won the British Under-25 national title at Bramham, so they’re certainly capable of big, bold, terrain-heavy long-format tracks, and this first Burghley run will be all about setting that notion in stone for Greta’s long career at this event to come.

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Tom McEwen and Luna Mist (GBR)
Ten-year-old British Sport Horse mare (Alvescot Paper Moon – Monsoon Matilda, by Wickstead Didger I Doo). Owned by Martin Belsham. Groomed by Adam Short and Rio Russell-Hughes.

While Toledo is Tom McEwen’s seasoned mount, Luna Mist is his new-to-the-level, and new-to-him, wild card. Tom just got the ride on “Luna” in 2022, taking over from Italy’s Paolo Torlonia. The Defender Burghley Horse Trials marks Luna’s first attempt at the five-star level. Despite her inexperience, Luna more than makes up for it with her smart and sharp personality.

At the 2022 Land Rover Blair Castle Horse Trials CCI4*-L, Tom described her as, “She’s a proper little fighter and came home full of running as she’s very fit. She was a bit feisty… but she was amazing.”

Luna’s prowess has continued into the 2023 season. So far, she has earned the title of highest placed mare at the Bramham CCI4*-L. She’s had a lighter FEI season than some other Burghley contenders, having completed only three international horse trials so far this year. Tom’s motto seems to be “quality not quantity,” as Luna has put in quality work this season. At the Burnham Market CCI4*-S she achieved her lowest dressage score yet at the four-star level.

Unless her inexperience catches up with her, you shouldn’t be too surprised if Luna winds up in the top ten at the Defender Burghley Horse Trials. Her record of achieving mid-20s dressage scores, unblemished cross country record, and frequent double clears in the show jumping phase just prove she’s a young mare with a bright future ahead of her.

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Tom McEwen and Toledo De Kerser (GBR)
Sixteen-year-old Selle Français gelding (Diamant de Semilly – Ariane du Prieure II, by Papillon Rouge). Bred by Kerstin Drevet. Owned by Fred and Penny Barker, Jane Inns, and Ali McEwen. Groomed by Adam Short and Rio Russell-Hughes.

Of late, Tom McEwen has graced all of our social media feeds with his heartwarming relationship with JL Dublin. And while he’s had a wonderful year with Dubs, except for a recent fall at the FEI Eventing European Championships, it’s Toledo de Kerser and Luna Mist who will be taking the stage at Burghley.

Toledo de Kerser, “Toledo,” is a powerhouse bay Selle Français who is rarely outside of the top ten. In the spring, Toledo took on the Badminton CCI5*-L and came in fourth. This will be the gelding’s second time at Burghley, the first time being in 2017, where Toledo and Tom pulled off an impressive fourth place win in the midst of a competitive field.

Despite the hugely impressive competition record, riding Toledo isn’t as effortless as Tom makes it seem. Tom told Horse & Hound in 2021 that he doesn’t jump the gelding at home. “If you try he’ll bolt blind, or refuse to come in a second time or he’ll be like a crouching tiger and press himself to the floor, then go flat out. He’s never done a grid or polework. Rather than make an issue of it, we’ve just never made an issue of it.”

While he’s a tough ride at home, to say the least, it’s at competitions where Toledo really shines. “He’s a born competition horse. He’s learnt to trust me, because I’m the one sat on his back for events – the part he loves – so he let me in. He’s a real show-off and loves an atmosphere; his preference is a big event with more people and fewer horses.”

Burghley is a big event for sure, so Toledo is all but guaranteed to thrive in the atmosphere at the historic venue. Thanks to Toledo’s talent and unique personality, Toledo and Tom are real top contenders for this year’s Defender Burghley Horse Trials.

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Harry Meade and Away Cruising. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

Harry Meade and Away Cruising (GBR)
Sixteen-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Cruise On – Parklands Princess, by Able Albert xx). Bred by Eamon O’Flaherty. Owned by Jane Dear and Charlotte Opperman. Groomed by Jessica Errington, Molly Parkin, and team.

Pathfinder for Burghley 2023 and stalwart CCI5* campaigner Harry Meade brings forward his lovely gray Away Cruising for the gelding’s eighth appearance at the level. ‘Spot’, as he’s known at home, was produced by Harry from a five-year-old and made his CCI5* debut at Luhmuhlen in 2017, where he finished 14th. He’s since completed Badminton four times and Burghley twice. The only blip on his 5* record is Badminton 2019, when Harry had to withdraw the gelding after the dressage due to stiffness in the horse’s neck following a routine injection. It was a real blow to Harry, who felt that, based on how his prep and run-up had gone, he had a real chance of a win that year. He finished 16th there this season, in notoriously tough conditions, when a disappointing show jumping round with three poles and two time penalties dropped him down the order. Spot’s first trip to Burghley came in 2017 when he finished 15th; he returned in 2018 and finished 6th, posting 29.5 in the dressage and adding just 1.6 cross country time and four show jumping penalties.

The first phase typically sees this combination trending in the early 30s, but they managed sub-30 at Badminton with 29, and they’ve been as low as 27.5 at 4*. His last run, in the 4*-S at Hartpury a couple of weeks ago, saw them creep back up again, to 34.6. His cross country jumping record proves what a super cross country horse he is though — he’s jumped clear in all but three of his 34 FEI starts, and you have to go as far back at 2017 to find a refusal on his record (he activated a frangible device in the 4*-S at Belton in 2019). What they do add on cross country day is time, and the fast round he posted at Burghley in 2018 hasn’t really been replicated since, although he did finish on his dressage in the 4*-S at Bramham in 2019 — the only other time he’s managed that was back in 2015. His show jumping isn’t so clean as his cross country, and he has a mixed bag of results — this season alone he’s been clear, had two 4s, two 8s and a 12.

Harry is the son of eventing legend and triple Olympic gold medalist Richard Meade. Rising to the top early on, he was the National Pony Club eventing champion in 2000. As a young rider, he spent time with William Fox-Pitt, who gave him his first Burghley ride in Midnight Dazzler in 2005, where Harry was best of the first-timers and U25s. Midnight Dazzler went on to give Harry three Burghley completions. Also a seasoned Badminton campaigner, Harry was the youngest person to ever take home an Armada Dish in 2009 (awarded for five Badminton completions) — he now has two. After coming back from a horrific accident in 2013, in which he fractured and dislocated both elbows, Harry came third at Badminton in 2014, and got his senior call up for the World Championships that year, where he won team silver. A hugely popular rider, in the same year he was voted rider of the year by the Event Horse Owners Association, the Event Riders Association, The British Equestrian Writers Association and Horse & Hound.

A man with a number of strings to his bow, Harry has a degree in Art History as well as being a familiar voice in the commentary box and writing for Horse & Hound. Combining his two main loves, Harry proposed to his wife during a Badminton course walk. Also a hands-on family man (quite literally), Harry delivered his son when baby Charlie decided to come too quickly to get to the hospital. Harry’s two children have inherited the horse DNA from their dad and grandad and can regularly be seen hacking their ponies through their local village alongside Harry and Away Cruising.

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Harry Meade and Cavalier Crystal (GBR)
Thirteen-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare (Jack of Diamonds – Cavalier Iris, by Cavalier Royale). Bred by Thomas Horgan. Owned by Charlotte Opperman. Groomed by Jessica Errington, Molly Parkin, and team.

Spoilt for choice, Harry had four entries on the Burghley list this year and had to choose three to start. He was in a similar position at Badminton in the spring, having three entries but limited to two starts. Cavalier Crystal didn’t make the cut that time around, so it’ll be interesting to see what Harry decides here. Should Cavalier Crystal be one of his three rides, the mare will be coming forward for her first CCI5*.

This season, the pair have had two top 5 results at 4*, adding only cross country time to their first phase score in the 4*-S at Thoresby Park and the 4*-L at Bramham. Significantly, in terms of Burghley prep, they were impressively quick ‘round the tough Bramham track, adding just 1.2 time penalties. It was 14.8 on a slow across the board cross country day at an extremely rain-soaked Thoresby in the spring, with only four horses going quicker than that — one being Harry’s Red Kite, who finished second there that day.

Cavalier Crystal has completed all nineteen of her FEI runs, and her cross country clear jumping record is impressively clear — there’s just one 20, in the 2* Young Horse Championships in Le Lyon d’Angers in 2017. Time penalties are more of a mixed bag — the mare can be quick, but sometimes Harry takes his time with her as she continues her eventing education with him, and we can probably assume that that would be his plan for her as she takes on her first 5* at Burghley. In the first phase, the mare shows much promise, hovering around the 30-mark a fair bit of the time. At her two 4* runs this season she’s posted a 31 and a 34.5; in her most recent run — the 3*-S at Alnwick, she went sub-30 with a 28.6. For the past two seasons, she’s been clear over the colored poles on the final day, so we really are looking at where she starts off in the first phase and how much time she adds cross country for where they end up.

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Harry Meade and Tenareze (GBR)
Sixteen-year-old Anglo Arabian stallion (Jaguar Mail – Utpie Du Maury X, by Quatar de Plape X). Bred by M. Patrick Sisqueille and Castera Verduzan. Owned by David Bernstein, Sophie Caruth, and Nigella Hall. Groomed by Jessica Errington, Molly Parkin, and team.

The final Harry Meade entry is his bay stallion Tenareze, who burst onto the eventing scene with French rider Tom Carlisle in the irons, winning the Young Horse Championships at Le Lion d’Angers in 2013 and 2014, finishing on his dressage on both occasions. He’s been with Harry since 2015 and the combination have made three CCI5* starts together, finishing 24th at Pau last season, withdrawing after dressage at Badminton in the spring, and then having a fantastic fifth place finish at Luhmuhlen, where they finished on their dressage of 30.7.

Tenareze is quite capable of going sub-30 in the first phase – in fact, he’d put down a career-best of 26.9 at Badminton before Harry made the decision that the stallion wouldn’t enjoy the difficult ground conditions, particularly as he was drawn late in the order, and so opted out and rerouted to Luhmühlen – which proved to be a very good decision indeed. At Pau, they’d been sitting in 11th after the first phase with another sub-30 test of 29.3, but a 20 on cross country day dropped them down the order. It’s one of only six cross country jumping penalties on the horse’s record in 26 completions, and was Harry’s first 5* cross country jumping penalty in 13 years. Cross country is something that Harry’s had to work at with Tenareze, who can be a bit ‘ditchy’. To remedy this, Harry has deployed his traditional method of going hunting and team chasing. He also walked 1000 ditches a month with the horse, to build his confidence and prove to him that there were no trolls lurking in the depths. Let’s hope these are lessons well-remembered as they tackle the Burghley ditches.

Harry hasn’t always had his pedal to the metal when navigating cross country tracks with Tenareze, but as their Luhumuhlen result this year proves, on their day they can certainly beat the clock. Tenareze’s show jumping accuracy is truly impressive — from 28 rounds, he’s had jumping faults just five times, and nothing since May 2021. There’s surely another big finish for this pair at 5*, will they bring some of their Luhmuhlen luck to Burghley? Let’s hope so.

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Harry Mutch and HD Bronze at the Roundhouse. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Harry Mutch and HD Bronze (GBR)
Seventeen-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Limmerick – Northern Madera xx, by Toca Madera xx). Bred by Declan Phillips. Owned by Carole Mutch. Groomed by Erica Watson.

This weekend will mark a fourth start at 5* level for Harry and HD Bronze – or Fernando, as he is known at home – and their second start at Burghley. They were going well here last year, until their round was sadly cut short at the Cottesmore Leap, where they had an uncharacteristic fall. They were due to run at Badminton earlier this year, too, but withdrew at the eleventh hour due to a mystery niggle, which was enough for Harry to decide to save him for another day. Fair to say that he is glad he did; after a careful few weeks, his long term partner came back in fine form: a 13th place in the CCI-S3* at Belsay was followed by 8th place in the hotly contested CCI-L4* at Bramham, adding just a pole and 3.2 cross country time faults to their 30.2 first phase score.

They scored a 30.8 in the dressage here last year, and their dressage has dodged between mid to low thirties this season – even dipping into the 20’s at Burnham Market. But for Harry, the main priority has been fitness, to try to prevent any further niggles into the build up to this final big B of the season. As a result, Harry says he has never felt fitter, and like his stablemate Shanbeg Cooley, coped with the undulations of Bramham remarkably well, proving himself as more than well enough for another crack at Burghley.

Again like Shanbeg Cooley, he enjoyed a good run around the CCI4*-L Burgham, coming in just behind his younger counterpart in 10th place, despite a higher placing after dressage. This was due to a slower cross country and an annoying pole on the final day, highlighting these as areas he struggles with more than Harry’s other ride here this weekend. Still, it is with Fernando that Harry has enjoyed much of his successes thus far in his eventing career thus far, and the two have progressed through the levels together. His record on the final day is nothing to be sniffed at either – he is just as likely to jump clear as he is to have one or two down.

Harry has been working hard on this too, as his show jumping at the 2 5*’s he has completed – Badminton 2019 and the pop up Bicton in 2020 – have seen him add a few more faults on the final day than is customary for him – 16 at that first 5*, and 20 at Bicton. Harry also puts this down to fitness, and him perhaps not having quite enough left in the tank on that final day, so he is again hopeful that the added level of fitness he has this year will stand him in good stead going into that final phase.

For Harry, it is enough to have his long term partner back at this level after the disappointment of Badminton in the Spring. As such, just to complete, with a good test, clear cross country round, and an improvement on the final day would be enough, so here’s hoping all that extra work pays off and Harry gets the result that he and Fernando so deserve in this, the twilight of the horse’s long and successful career.

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Harry Mutch and Shanbeg Cooley. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Harry Mutch and Shanbeg Cooley (GBR)
Nine-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (OBOS Quality 004 – Graf After Eight, by unknown). Bred by Lindsay Graham. Owned by Carole Mutch. Groomed by Erica Watson.

‘It may be a year too early, but when he ran so well at Bramham, we thought we might as well take him to Burghley and see what happens.’ Such is the pragmatic approach of Harry’s to the 5* debut of nine year old ‘Jager’ (yes, as in the night ending drink). He describes him as a ‘freak’ – in the best possible way – who could well have been a pure show jumper in another life. This is verified by his show jumping record: over the course of his entire eventing career he has had but five poles down, and only one of those was this season. However, this talent comes with its pitfalls, and Harry would be the first to admit that the athleticism that allows him to jump so well also makes it hard for him to collect enough to gain the top marks in the first phase. That, and the fact that he is a bit of a hot head, who struggles to keep a lid on it at times.

Indeed, Harry has struggled to contain him in the build up to Burghley, saying that he is fitter than he has ever been, and as such, more of a handful than usual; ‘I had a dressage lesson on Sunday [before Burghley week] and I could barely ride through the test he is so fresh!’ However, he will need all of that energy to navigate the infamous Burghley hills, especially since his preference is to run fast. Harry is keen not to interfere with this, despite Jaeger’s inexperience. ‘I let him do it his way, and then try to pick my way into his brain. He is so self aware, he wouldn’t jump himself into trouble. He is arrogant, yes, but it is a nice arrogance, that you can work with,’ says Harry, with a maturity far beyond his years.

Another alumni of the Wesko Equestrian Foundation, this wise approach could be contributed in part to the mentorship of Pippa Funnell, who Harry actually spent a lot of time with last year in the build up to Burghley. Such a foundation has provided Harry with one of his best seasons to date, especially with this horse, the first of his two rides here this weekend. 3rd in he CCI-S4* at Thoresby back in March, Jaeger has pulled a double clear out of the bag at 3 of his 5 international runs this season, with the latest of those earning him 5th place in the highly competitive CCI-S4* at Burgham last month.

This will surely stand him in good stead heading into his first 5* – to have placed within the top 20 in the notoriously tough Bramham CCI-L4* is impressive enough, and as Harry says, plenty enough of a test of a horse’s readiness to step up to the next level. Although his dressage, which does tend towards the top end of the 30’s, will inevitably leave him reasonably far down the leaderboard, if Shanbeg Cooley puts in his usual brave and fast cross country round, and follows it up with the careful jumping round that is so typical of him on the final day, who’s to say how far he could climb up the placings. A top 20 finish on his 5* debut would certainly be beyond Harry’s expectations of him, but as we all know with eventing, the unexpected can happen… so watch this space!

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Wills Oakden and Arklow Puissance. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Wills Oakden and Arklow Puissance (GBR)
Twelve-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Puissance – Cruising Jewel, by Cruising). Bred by Michael Byrne. Owned by Kathleen Wilkinson and Rachel Wood. Groomed by Sarah Murray and Gemma Stewart.

This is the first visit to Burghley for Arklow Puissance – Mr P to his friends. He had his 5* debut at Badminton where, despite sitting a tad further up the leaderboard than his stablemate Oughterard Cooley, after the first phase, they were ultimately eliminated cross country. Still, they have bounced back from that untimely end with a 3rd in the Open Intermediate at Alnwick Ford and a top 20 finish in the CCI-S4* at Burgham last month. His record is littered with double clears – though he is not immune to a pole or two on the final day – and his cross country clear rate is almost as impressive of Oughterard Cooley, who also happens to be a close relation of his (they share the same Sire, Puissance, and Damsire, Cruising). Let’s hope his pal has been giving him a few tips ahead of their trip South this weekend!

Wills was a member of the Gold Medal Winning Young Rider Team back at Blair Castle in 2011, and also rode there as an Individual as part of the Senior European Team too. So it is safe to say that he has bags of experience under his belt. He cut his teeth at the legendary Ian Stark’s yard, before setting up on his own in Perthshire, where he has remained ever since. He took over the reins on Mr P in 2022 – Oliver Townend campaigned him before that, producing him up the ranks to 4* level.

Their partnership has proved to be rather a successful one from the off – they achieved top 20 placings at both Barbury and Burgham CCI-S4* last year, and rounded that first season together off nicely with a 16th place in the CCI-L4* at Blenheim. This year started off reasonably well too – once the Great British weather actually broke for them to have a run – and they enjoyed a very steady trip around Thoresby and Burnham Market CCI-S4* before they took on Badminton. Their dressage marks have shown sporadic improvements across the course of their partnership, though they have yet to produce consistently good marks in this phase. Despite dipping into the low 30’s on several occasions, they tend more towards the mid 30s in this phase. So they will be relying on a good spin across the Burghley hills to bring them up the leaderboard ahead of the final day, when Mr P is arguably just as capable – if not more so – of leaving all of those pesky coloured poles in the right place as his traveling partner Oughterard Cooley.

Indeed, it could be very interesting indeed to see where they both end up, if Arklow Puissance manages to put Badminton behind him and come home safely here. If he does then there is nothing to stop him sitting comfortably within the top 20 at the final reckoning, maybe even giving his kind-of-half sibling/cousin a run for his money. One thing is for sure though; Wills – who is indubitably a rising star in his own right – has found himself another exciting prospect in this horse, and here’s hoping that this weekend provides another step on their way to a very successful future together.

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Wills Oakden and Oughterard Cooley. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

Wills Oakden and Oughterard Cooley (GBR)
Thirteen-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Puissance – Oughterard Sky Cruise, by Cruising). Bred by Gerard Lynch. Owned by Liz Magennis and Debbie Whalley. Groomed by Sarah Murray and Gemma Stewart.

Perthshire-based Wills may be softly spoken, but his riding talents speak for themselves, as was evidenced at Badminton this spring where he headed out as pathfinder – a daunting task on any occasion, but particularly so in this case, so dire were the conditions. Still, on a day that would prove incredibly trying for even the most experienced of competitors, Wills rode an incredibly skillful and admirable round, bringing his horse home safely and willingly, proving what an incredible horseman he is in the process.

They finished up 12th, one better than their 13th placing at Burghley last year – which was itself an impressive result but even more so given that it was also Oughterard Cooley’s first run at the level. He scored a PB in the dressage on that occasion, laying down a 32.4, though he tends to hover more around the mid 30 mark, scoring a respectable 34.6 at Badminton to leave them in 50th place after the first phase. But the fact that they managed to finish within the top 20, despite this inauspicious start to their competition shows just how phenomenal ‘Rich’ can be across country.

Though he often comes home with a few time faults, cross country jumping faults are rare for him – bar a blip at Barbury last year, where they retired cross country, you would have to go back as far March 2019 to find another fault. Similarly impressive is their show jumping record – they had 3 down here on the final day last year, but that is not typical of this horse, who is just as capable of leaving them fences standing as he is of coming home clear cross country. This was certainly the case at Burgham CCI4*-S month, where their steady double clear left them in sixth place – the perfect prep run for Burghley Round II.

Sixth in the CCI4*-L at Ballindenisk last year, Rich is nothing if not consistent, and almost certain to climb well up the leaderboard again here this weekend, where cross country prowess is needed more than anything else. Having already had one trip around the course leaves them in good stead, as does their success in especially heinous conditions at Badminton.

Drawn third on the start list, Wills and Rich, a horse he has taken up the levels himself, are undoubtedly hoping to finish within the top 20 again this weekend, and perhaps if they whip another PB out of the bag in the first phase they could even break into the top 10. A talented combination, and certainly worth keeping your eye on, not just this weekend, but for years to come too.

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Michael Owen and Bradeley Law. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Michael Owen and Bradeley Law (GBR)
Nineteen-year-old British Sport Horse gelding (Mill Law – Scarlet Lady). Bred by Jane Jennings. Owned by The Jenning’s Syndicate. Groomed by Cora Higgs.

I’ve been a member of the Bradeley Law fan club since before it existed and I just love that this horse really captures the heart of the viewing public. If I had to choose one to be sat on in the start box at Burghley, this seasoned campaigner would for sure be the one. At nineteen, Bradeley Law will be retiring after Burghley, and I will surely miss seeing his lovely white blaze at the horse inspection – he’s been such a stalwart CCI5* campaigner that he’s almost synonymous with the two British 5* offerings.

Before that though, we get to enjoy him at this year’s Burghley, for what will be his fourth attempt, and hopefully a chance to rectify a disappointing conclusion to their 2022 competition when he was withdrawn before the final horse inspection, after jumping a brilliant clear round the cross country, just adding 16.4 time penalties. He was withdrawn in his two outings prior to that — at Blair Castle from the 4*-S after dressage, and at the pop-up 5* at Bicton in 2021, where he activated a frangible device and picked up 11 cross country penalties, finishing clear jumping but opting out of the show jumping. In his last seven actual runs, they are the only cross country jumping penalties he’s picked up, and aside from a 20 at Burghley in 2019 and another in his prep run for that event at Burgham, you have to go as far back as 2013 to find any cross county jumping penalties on his scorecard — not including Badminton 2016 and Chatsworth 2014, where Michael took a tumble on each occasion. Here’s hoping that this lovely gelding has the clear jumping he deserves on the cross country at Burghley this year. He won’t be the quickest in the field — although he’ll be far from the slowest — but he will gallop round with a huge smile on his face as he relishes every minute. In fact, he loves his job so much that after Michael came unstuck at Badminton in 2016, the game fellow jumped three fences on his way back to the stables! His career-best 5* finish came at Burghley in 2018, when he was 15th.

He was 16th in his latest outing at Alnwick in the 4*-S in July, where he posted a dressage score of 34.6 and added 13.6 cross country time. He’s also finished 12th this season in the 4*-S at Aston Le Walls, starting with 32.1 and adding 12 time on the cross country and 0.8 in the show jumping. Those dressage scores really prove that Bradeley Law has made steady progress in the first phase. At Badminton in 2018 he posted 47.3 on the first day, and had a run of marks between 40 and 56.5 throughout that season and the next. Then, in his final run of 2019, at Burghley, he went sub-40, putting down a 38.5 and finishing top 20 overall. Since then, apart from one blip, his marks have dropped pretty consistently at 4*; at 5* we’re realistically still looking at high 30s perhaps — at Burghley last year he posted a 38.6, although at Bicton 5* in 2021 he scored 36.8. Prior to this season, you would have said that he was likely to have at least one pole, maybe two, in the final phase, however, he’s jumped clear in both his 2023 runs, so I’ll say no more in fear of jinxing it and have my fingers crossed that his recent form continues.

Michael’s piloted Bradeley Law since 2013, when he took the reins from Mary Lofthouse at the 3* level, but it was a much greener ride that got Michael’s eventing career underway. Aged 17, he bought a five-year-old called Perks of the Job, who he produced through the levels to their 5* debut at Burghley when the gelding was just a nine-year-old and Michael was 21. They went on to compete at Badminton two years later. Not content with one equestrian discipline, in 2010 Michael jockeyed a winner in his debut race. Out of the saddle, he unwinds from all the adrenaline of equestrianism with a round of golf.

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Holly Richardson and Bally Louis. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Holly Richardson and Bally Louis (GBR)
Thirteen-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (breeding unknown). Owned by Julie and Andrew Wingfield. Groomed by Holly Richardson.

This will be a 5* debut for both Holly and Bally Louis, who will be making the trip down from ‘Oop North’ (or North Yorkshire, to be more precise), to tackle their first Burghley with a relatively small support team. Although Louis’ owners will be there to lend a helping hand, Holly will be doing the lion’s share of the work herself – riding and grooming. With a degree in Biomedical Sciences from Durham University and a PhD in Equine Research from Hartpury University, it seems that there is nothing that Holly can’t do.

The same could be said of her ride here this weekend. Initially campaigned by Sarah Wingfield – his owners’ daughter – Holly took over the reins in 2019, taking him all the way up the levels from Novice to this, their first 5*. ‘I have never come across anything that has phased him yet – he just keeps saying yes,’ she says, proudly – although he will turn his nose up at a Polo mint, and can sometimes prove difficult to catch, especially in the dark, on the morning of an event. A small price to pay in return for a brave, bold cross country machine. Any faults on their record are ‘usually my fault,’ Holly says, self-deprecatingly, though she mustn’t be too shabby a jockey given that she is the one that has got him to the brink of his first 5.

Louis does, however, struggle in the first phase, with a tendency to worry and try too hard, consequently become tense, as Holly explains ‘He is always wanting to please, so he can boil up a bit as a result, but we have been trying different things to get him to relax and enjoy this phase a little more, though the crowds at Burghley could be interesting…!’ As a result, his first phase score ranges from mid to high 30’s, although this year has seen some improvement, and has edged towards the lower end of the 30’s on several occasions, so fingers crossed they managed to incline that way this weekend, too.

Louis’ boldness across country will certainly stand him in good stead when faced with the notorious challenge presented not only by the obstacles at Burghley, but the terrain as well, though it can sometimes get him into trouble on the final day. Although more than capable of a clear show jumping, sometimes his natural desire to run on can see the poles topple – although they finished comfortably within the top 25 at this year’s Bramham CCI-L4*, they arguably could have been much higher, had it not been for the three coloured poles that fell on the final day.

However, as Holly says, the main aim this weekend, for their first run at this level, will be to complete, and enjoy the experience as much as possible, absorbing it all and learning yet more together along the way. A truly gutsy partnership, these two may not trouble those at the top of leaderboard, but it will still be a joy to watch them give it their all, providing the heart-warming underdog story that makes our sport so worthwhile. Just make sure it’s carrots you provide for their return, not the mints with holes in them…

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Tom Rowland and Possible Mission. Photo by Libby Law.

Tom Rowland and Possible Mission (GBR)
Sixteen-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Temple Clover – Bahrain Supreme, by Ricardo Z). Bred by Richard Barron Jr. Owned by Robin and Bunny Patrick.

Sweet, aptly-named ‘Hunter’ was actually intended to be exactly that: he was purchased from an Irish hunting yard at the age of five, and came with two years’ worth of experience jumping the country’s colossal drains, banks, and gates. That solid fearlessness has carried him through his eventing career in fine style, and though he’s not the most naturally swift horse in the world, he’s incredibly reliable.

He and Tom tackled their first five-star here in 2018, finishing a very creditable 27th after a slow clear, and then qualified for a run at Badminton the next year, jumping another clear for 36th place. 2020 was a washout for Hunter, as it was for many horses, and in 2021, the pair returned to international competition looking at their very best, particularly at Houghton Hall’s CCIO4*-S, where they were swift and classy to finish seventh in very good company. Last year, they delivered another clear at Badminton, though with an activated safety device, and though they were shocked with their totally uncharacteristic horse fall at Burghley at the end of the season, they returned for Badminton this year none the worse for wear. They picked up their best-ever five-star result – an exceptional 19th place – in a renewal that’ll go down in history for being one of the toughest ever. They’ll aim to do much as they did there and start their week with a sub-30 score – it was a 29.9 at Badminton, a personal best at any level – and then they’ll be hoping for a similarly challenging Saturday to help them keep on climbing.

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James Rushbrooke and Milchem Eclipse. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

James Rushbrooke and Milchem Eclipse (GBR)
Eleven-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (breeding unknown). Owned by the rider.

It’s to be a Burghley debut for James and “slightly weird” Milchem Eclipse, who’ve got two Badmintons under their belts, with clears at both of them. That includes this year’s extraordinarily tough edition, and the confidence that comes from knowing your horse can cope with such tricky conditions is enormous when faced with the prospect of big, bold, terrifying Burghley. If anything, the pair thrive when the going gets really tough; last year, they were 43rd on their Badminton debut with their smart clear; this year, they finished seventeenth after continuing to dig deep when it all seemed rather close to impossible.

A likely cause for their endless well of grit? A lot of time on the hunting field. James is a MFH for the Badsworth and Bramham Moor Hunt, and Milchem Eclipse has benefited from learning about footwork and terrain in the old-fashioned way. That shines through in the way that they tackle huge, solid fences, and in the partnership that they enjoy with one another. Their mid-to-high 30s dressage won’t have them in the reckoning during the week, but a bit like Jonelle Price and Classic Moet used to, they’ll be quietly hoping for a really serious course and a bit of bad weather to help their trajectory up the leaderboard.

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Richard Skelt and long-time partner Credo III. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Richard Skelt and Credo III (GBR)
Sixteen-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding (VDL Tenerife – Tandora, by Marlon). Bred by D. Hindley and P.M. Ruck. Owned by the rider.

Richard, who doesn’t come from a horsey background, cut his teeth working for the formidable Marietta Fox-Pitt, which means he’s got to be tough as nails now. (We can write this with some confidence – your British EN reporter also worked for Marietta, who once made her cross-country school in a field of cows and their calves. “JUST JUMP THE FENCE, THE COW WILL MOVE,” she bellowed. A Marietta favourite? “I don’t know why you fell off – no one ever got hurt staying on the horse.”)

‘Pedro’, who was originally produced by Angus Smales, was a naughty youngster who still struggles in an arena – he averages a mid-to-high 30s mark, and delivered a 35.7 here last year. The pair have jumped steady clears around Bramham CCI4*-L, Camphire CCI4*-L, and Bicton CCI4*-S in previous years but they’ve also picked up horse falls on their debut here in 2019 and at Bicton CCI5* in 2020. Their other two five-star starts, at Burghley last year and then at Pau for a reroute, saw them retire and pick up a dangerous riding elimination, respectively, so this is really a re-consolidation week, particularly as they’ve got one completion among their past five consecutive FEI runs, going a full year back. They’ll take a long route or two and aim to get home with more experience in the bank. And on Sunday? They’ll likely pull two or three rails, though they’ve gone as high as seven at Burgham CCI4*-S in 2018.

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Emma Thomas and Icarus X. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Emma Thomas and Icarus X (GBR)
Ten-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding (Otangelo – Ewivonne, by Lucky Boy). Bred by H.G.A.M. Ten Doeschate. Owned by Rebecca Velarde. Groomed by Harriet Collins.

2023 has been a year of big changes for Emma and Icarus. “Stix” is well-known for being a very difficult ride, particularly on the flat. But after working with Pippa Funnell, made possible by the Wesko Equestrian Foundation, Stix has made big strides. “It’s been amazing,” says Emma. “The first time I took him to her, [Pippa] actually sat on him because he was so difficult. The thing is, he really wants to do it. But the minute you add pressure into the equation, he just internalizes all of his tension. But she’s really helped me just change my entire philosophy towards flat work, and just really feel and understand the horse and what might be going through his head, which has been amazing.”

Previously, it was a struggle for Emma and Stix to make it into the top fifteen. But not this season– so far this year, Stix came in fourth at the Chatsworth CCI4*-S and came in sixth in the Under 25 CCI4*-L at Bramham. Burghley will be a big test for the new system Emma devised with Pippa. It’ll be Stix’s first time at the venue, plus the event draws in stiff competition from some of the world’s top riders.

If Stix continues with his new “reformed bad boy” attitude, this pair could end up in the top fifteen. While they haven’t broken that coveted sub-30 dressage score, it’s rare that the pair has any cross country penalties besides time. They came so close to a double clear in the show jumping phase at Burnham Market, coming in a mere 0.4 seconds off the time, that it’s possible Emma and Stix could have their first show jumping double clear at Burghley.

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Zara Tindall and Class Affair (GBR)
Fourteen-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Obos Quality – Ruby’s Rosshaven Flight, by Laughtons Flight). Bred by Maurice O’Brien. Owned by Gleadhill House Stud.

Niece to the King of England. CCI5* eventer. Olympian. If you don’t know who Zara Tindall is, you probably don’t live in Great Britain or ride horses (why are you reading this form guide, then?). Among equestrians, Zara is probably better known for her eventing career than she is for her status as a member of British Royalty, particularly if you read Horse & Hound on a regular basis. Some of the highlights of her career include winning the 2006 Eventing World Championships at Aachen and winning a silver medal at the 2012 Olympics.

Class Affair has been her longtime eventing partner; she got the ride on the Irish Sport Horse gelding in 2017 after he was introduced to the FEI level by Maria Byrne. After a 2022 season filled with highs and lows, including coming in fifth at the CCI4*-S at Barbury Castle after being eliminated from the CCI4*-L at Bramham, 2023 is quite possibly Class Affair’s best season yet at this level.

So far, Class Affair has had only a single rail for the entire season and no obstacle faults on cross country. In three out of four competitions, the chestnut gelding was in the top ten. In the fourth event, the Land Rover Kentucky Three Day Event, he came in outside of the top ten, in fifteenth place. If Zara and Class Affair can maintain their good record for the Defender Burghley Horse Trials, expect a low-30s dressage score, double clear show jumping round, and only a handful of time faults on cross country for this royal pair.

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Oliver Townend and Ballaghmor Class. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

Oliver Townend and Ballaghmor Class (GBR)
Sixteen-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Courage II – Kilderry Place, by unknown). Bred by Noel Hickey. Owned by Karyn Schuter, Angela Hislop, and Val Ryan.

It’s almost impossible to overlook this pair, who might well be the most consistent five-star competitors in the world: they’ve completed eight so far, winning two of them and never coming lower than fifth place. One of those wins was Burghley on the horse’s debut as a ten-year-old; the other was Kentucky in 2021. ‘Thomas’ also gave Oliver his long-awaited Olympic call-up, where they won team gold and finished fifth individually, and they went to Pratoni for the World Championships last year, though their shock four rails on the final day pushed them down to an uncharacteristic 16th place there and precluded another team gold, too.

With that behind them, though, it all bodes rather well for the tough-as-nails Yorkshireman and the rangy Irish gelding — one of four entries here, from which he’ll pick three — who shares a sire with similarly quirky superstars Ringwood Sky Boy, the Duke of Cavan, and Cooley Rorkes Drift. A couple of outlier scores earlier in the horse’s career drive up his first-phase average, but you can realistically expect a 25 or lower – he’s scored a 20.8 and 21.1 at Badminton before, and though he’s not been quite as low since, he will fight hard for a top five placing in the first phase here.

He’s fast and as accurate as they come across the country, but it’s showjumping that can be the heartbreaker for this pair: they’ve only ever jumped clear on the final day in three long-format events, though one of those was a very convincing round at Kentucky when winning it. A rail at Tokyo cost them individual gold, and they missed out on the win at Badminton in 2019 because they added a stride — and lost a couple of valuable seconds — in a line and handed the win to Piggy by less than the value of a single second.

Though he’s one of the world’s best horses, Ballaghmor Class wasn’t always an easy ride. “He’s always been very sharp and he’s had us all on the floor at home,” said Oliver after that first Burghley win. “He had a girl off going up the gallops just two weeks ago and he’s gone through arena mirrors and out of the school through the fence in the past. But I’ve always liked him and we’ve probably got a stronger relationship as a result.”

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Oliver Townend and Swallow Springs. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Oliver Townend and Swallow Springs (GBR)
Fifteen-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Chillout – Kilila, by Cult Hero xx). Bred by Maria Keating. Owned by Paul and Diana Ridgeon.

Oliver Townend’s direct reserve for Pratoni, Swallow Springs, is also one of the clear frontrunners in this field, despite only joining Oliver’s string late in 2021 after the retirement of Andrew Nicholson – and despite a few notable moments since. He made his five-star debut here with Andrew aboard back in 2018, finishing third, and followed it up with fifth at Badminton the next spring. He was also second at Bramham CCI4*-L in 2018 – despite being chased by a dog in his show jumping round – and won Barbury CCI4*-S twice. With Oliver aboard, he was tenth at Blenheim CCI4*-L – their first FEI event together – and won Burnham Market and Burgham CCI4*-S last year. His third place finish at Badminton that spring was impressive, but not without its dramas: the pair had a wobble early on in the course at the final element of the Quarry, and were subsequently held for over half an hour, restarted, and then eliminated retrospectively for what appeared to be a contravention of the flag rule.

Ultimately, actually, it turned out that they’d been mistakenly eliminated for a horse fall, which was removed once contested, but that flag footage was a stark reminder that the specifics of that particular bit of the rule book are a little bit of a grey area even now. They then fell on cross-country at Burghley last year, and returned for Badminton this year where they weren’t allowed to continue on cross-country after a hold, which came after some scary moments on course. The FEI has this recorded as a dangerous riding elimination, which is worth mentioning if only because it puts to bed some of the conversation surrounding why the pair didn’t continue – a decision that was originally presented in interviews as the rider’s. They redeemed themselves on their reroute to Luhmühlen, finishing seventh despite an uncharacteristic first-phase result, which saw them score in the 30s.

Despite that, though, this is a very, very good horse who’s been produced to attack the toughest courses in a clever, economical way. He’s arguably one of the fastest horses in this field. His first-phase scores are impressive, too, generally hovering in the mid 20s but dipping well below them, too, and he’s a good show jumper, though prone to a rail in a long-format. He’ll certainly make a bid.

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Oliver Townend and Tregilder. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Oliver Townend and Tregilder (GBR)
Thirteen-year-old British Sport Horse gelding (Royal Concorde – Trewins xx, by Hand in Glove xx). Bred by Preci Spark LTD. Owned by the Hazeldines and Mitchell Fox Group.

This year’s Burgham CCI4*-S champion is bringing confidence to the field as Oliver’s “Mr. Consistent”. The gelding hasn’t scored outside the top ten since his 5* debut at Bicton in 2021, and Oliver has big hopes for him. The pair especially have something to prove this time around di Grazia’s grueling course after taking a fall at last year’s Burghley just one fence before the finish. “It’s the sad bit of the sport – he didn’t feel like he did anything wrong all the way round. He was very genuine,” said Oliver. “The good thing is we know we have a Burghley horse.

“Gizmo”, as he’s known in the barn, has had very few cross country jump faults on his record, but a difficult show jumping course might just see a characteristic rail or two down – understandable given his size. “He’s a horse who has taken a long, long time to mature – he’s about 18hh – and he felt very good in all three phases here and I was very proud of him,” Oliver said of the gelding’s Burgham win. “A nice British-bred winner of a big class, and he’s getting better and better still as he gets stronger.”

Aside from this, our chances of a top finish for Gizmo are pretty high — Equiratings’ predictions have him tied for second for the win. Oliver and Tregilder have put in some wicked fast times within the last few years, so he’s definitely one to watch this weekend!

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Francis Whittington and DHI Purple Rain (GBR)
Thirteen-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding (Arthos R – Wynona VWG’S, by Niveau). Bred by D. Gjaltema. Owned by Ro Audley and Amy, Andy, and Belinda Drummond.

‘Prince’ (in our opinion, the most appropriate stable name in eventing) has been produced by Francis from a five-year-old and is distinctive in his flashy, extravagant action — for sure watch out for him at the horse inspection. He’s a rangy horse who’s striking to look at, but sometimes lets his anxious nature get the better of him.

He stepped up to the CCI5* level at the pop-up event at Bicton in 2021, finishing 14th after posting 34.4 in the dressage, jumping clear cross country with 15.2 time, then dropping four poles in the show jumping as well as being slightly over the time — had it not been for the penalties added on the final day, he would have been top 10. Historically, he has found the final phase challenging — which Francis puts down to his anxiety — but his scores have been improving: at the beginning of the 2022 season he had 24 show jumping penalties in the 4*-S at Thoresby Park, prior to that he was a two, three, four — maybe more — kind of horse; but in his six runs since then, the most he’s dropped is two, and there are three clears on his record.

His dressage scores are also a reflection of his character, rather than his obvious talent. At 4 and 5* they range from 30.3 to 41. He was at the top end of that at Badminton in the spring, where Francis had to use all of his experience to hold everything together when Prince got really rather hot in the Main Arena atmosphere. At his last run, at Hartpury a couple of weeks ago, he matched his Badminton score of 41 in the first phase. His cross country jumping record is notably clean though — from 25 FEI starts, he’s been retired on course twice (once due to a tack malfunction) and had one 20. He was particularly impressive at Badminton this year, on a day where many horses found the ground incredibly difficult, Prince ate it up and seemed to thrive in the demanding conditions. He’s not the quickest, likely because of his extravagant action, but, excluding Badminton when time went out the window for just about everyone, he has been improving in his most recent runs, picking up just 8 time faults as his two other runs this season. This will be Prince’s second Burghley attempt; they posted 34.1 in the first phase last year, but activated a frangible device on the cross country after the horse appeared to tire all of a sudden, and Francis made the sensible call to pull up and walk home.

Francis began riding at his mom’s riding school and progressed through the levels, winning team silver and individual gold at the Pony European Championships when he was 16; four years later he was second in the British Young Rider Championships. Although determined to become a professional rider, Francis worked in equine dentistry whilst he established his eventing career. He completed his first 5* at Burghley in 2001. In 2008 and 2012, he was reserve for the British Olympic team and was British Champion in 2014.

When he’s not eventing, you’ll find Francis spending time with his wife, Sam, and two children, who are both keen Pony Clubbers with competition diaries of their own. He spends his downtime enjoying a bit of peace and quiet whilst reading or sleeping (but apparently not listening to Prince’s back catalog).

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Christopher Whittle and Skip Mill. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Christopher Whittle and Skip Mill (GBR)
Fifteen-year-old Irish Draught Horse gelding (breeding unknown). Owned by Andrew Dixon. Groomed by Bella Whittle.

We have a pair of CCI5* debutants in Christopher Whittle and Skip Mill, and what a 5* to pick for your first time. They’ve had a bit of a rocky road to get to this point — Christopher and the gelding both underwent surgery last year — but with a number of 4* cross country jumping clears under their girth, including round the tough Bramham track this season, and with ‘Mills’ having been with Christopher since he was a three-year-old, they’ve got the mileage and the relationship to tackle the highest level of the sport.

Their scores in the first phase typically range from mid-30s to low-40s, but their cross country jumping record shows that this is a horse who loves jumping. In fact, he was sent to Christopher to be backed as his owner’s hunter, but Christopher couldn’t let him go. He describes Mills as “a wonderful, kind horse with the most incredible jump”. He knew the potential was there, but felt that they needed a bit of a boost when it came to producing him as an eventer, so engaged the help of Chris Bartle.

Mills has completed in all but five of his 24 FEI runs, and, aside from Christopher being unseated in the 4*-L at Bramham last season, and having a 20 in his latest run in the 4*-S at Hartpury (after which Christopher put his hand up), you have to go back to a 2* in 2017 to find any cross country jumping penalties on his record (barring a flag in 2019 and a frangible device in 2017). He won’t be the fastest in the field, and given it’s a first time at the level for the pair of them, Christopher is unlikely to put his foot down. He’s jumped clear in the final phase in all three of his runs this season, so let’s hope that form continues in the Main Arena at Burghley.

Christopher’s wife will be looking after Mills at Burghley. She’s a full time equine vet nurse through the week and groom at weekends. When they’re not busy with horses, they love to spend time at the beach.

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Padraig McCarthy and HHS Noble Call. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Padraig Mccarthy and HHS Noble Call (IRL)
Twelve-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Fortunus – Noblina, by Cavalier Royale). Bred by Anne Hughes. Owned by Alan and James Chaffe. Groomed by Jessica Elliot.

Heading in to their fourth 5* together, Padraig Mccarthy and HHS Noble Call have had a quick move up to the top, with their first 5* attempt at Bicton in 2021 during “Ben’s” fourth season eventing.

Originally bred by Irish Olympic show jumper Marion Hughes, Ben has proven to be quite strong in the cross country phase, but has experienced some tension in the dressage and show jumping that takes some management.

In considering their record, Padraig and Ben have consistently scored in the mid-upper 30s, occasionally bumping into the 40s in dressage, and could be expected to pick up a handful of cross country time, or a few rails in the show jumping. However, their typically clear jumping efforts across the country has helped them see a top ten finish at Bicton in 2021, and a top 20 finish at Burghley last year. Keep an eye on this pair to see how they tackle the course!

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Austin O’Connor and Colorado Blue. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

Austin O’Connor and Colorado Blue (IRL)
Fourteen-year-old British Sport Horse gelding (Jaguar Mail – Rock Me Baby, by Rock King). Bred by Mellon Stud. Owned by The Salty Syndicate and the rider. Groomed by Francesca Denning.

Surprisingly enough, this will be the first time that fourteen year old ‘Salty’ has traversed the hills of the Stamford countryside. It is easy to assume, given his top ten finishes at Badminton last year and earlier this year (8th and 3rd respectively), that he is something of a 5* expert, when in actual fact, the opposite is true. Indeed, Badminton 2022 was only his second crack at the level, and his first completion to boot – despite a fast and clear cross country, they were spun at the final horse inspection on their debut at Pau, back in 2020 – which makes his 8th place finish even more remarkable. To then better that result by another 5 places on their second visit there in May, is proof of just what an amazing combination this is – and certainly one worth keeping a close eye on at Burghley this year.

Theirs was the fastest round of the day at the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021, where they were called upon to take the place of Cathal Daniels and Rioghuan Rua at the 11th hour. They ended up in 13th place – the best of the Irish – due in no small part to that fast and clear spin across the country for which this striking grey gelding has become increasingly renowned. Arguably, their fantastic finish in Tokyo earned them their place on last year’s World Championship team, which they more than validated by once again bringing home the best Irish result, with yep, you guessed it, another fast and clear cross country round, adding just a few time to their first phases score of 32.2. Sadly, 2 rails on the final day cost them a few places and they ended up in 18th but need we remind ourselves of just how much that show jumping track messed with the leader board that day (a certain German springs to mind)? Surely two top 20 results in as many Championship starts is an indicator of just how much more there is to come from this pair.

Austin has produced Salty from the word go, and describes him as ‘quite a laid back character, with a great heart.’ He and the jauntily named ‘Salty Syndicate’ own him, having bought him from Kate Jarvey, his breeder, as a 5 year old. His dressage is not always his strongest suit – his is usually a low to mid 30s mark, and thus he is unlikely to feature within the top ten after the first phase. Still, having bettered their previous Badminton score of 35.9 by 4 whole marks this year, they could easily produce an even better score here which, combined with their much celebrated prowess in the jumping phases, will make them a seriously formidable combination. In fact, even without an outstanding first phase score, it would be worth putting money on a top ten finish for Austin and Salty. They were 34th after dressage at Badminton back in May, and still finished on the podium – the first Irish rider to have done so since Jessica Harrington back in 1983 I might add – so who’s to say they won’t finish even better here at Burghley?

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Photo by Shelby Allen.

Sam Watson and SAP Talisman (IRL)
Twelve-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Puissance – Ali Row, by All Royal). Bred by Rosemary Ponsonby. Owned by Hannah and Julia Watson. Groomed by Hannah ‘Sparkles’ Watson.

One-half of the brains behind statistics powerhouse EquiRatings, this September sees Sam Watson make his return to Burghley after quite the hiatus. The last time he rode here was back in 2012, when he finished in 30th place aboard Horseware Bushman. His mount this weekend will be SAP Talisman – formerly campaigned as Ballybolger Talisman – who will be making his 5* debut. ‘Podge’ – so called because he is, according to Sam ‘a very good eater(!)’ – was the pathfinder for the Irish Team at the European Championships in Avenches in 2021. He filled that spot again at the World Championships in Pratoni last year, where Ireland finished agonizingly close to the podium in 5th place.

Sam and Podge did a sterling job on both occasions, coming home fast and clear cross country, providing their fellow team members with vital information about the course, whilst also proving it to be a feasible challenge. Sadly, their performance on the final day let them down somewhat on both occasions – in Pratoni they dropped down the leaderboard after adding 24 jumping and 1.2 time faults to their score on the final day, doubling the 12 faults they incurred in this phase the year before, in Avenches.

Sam, who was part of the Silver medal winning Irish team at the World Championships in Tyron back in 2018 would be the first to admit that the first and last phase are something that Podge struggles with. ‘He’s a very blood horse and the dressage has been tricky and the show jumping also a challenge – so we’ve been patient and worked hard behind the scenes to help those phases.’

If their hard work does pay off – let’s keep all available limbs crossed that it does – and they do manage to lower their first phase score and keep a few more coloured poles in the cups on the final day, then there will be nothing to stop Sam and Podge finishing within the top 25, given their cross country prowess.

Sam thinks a great deal of SAP Talisman, confident that he is capable of a very good result this weekend, despite his relative inexperience at the level: ‘If we do what we’ve been doing training these past few months it will be a success. I couldn’t be happier with how things are going with him and I look forward to the opportunity to show the Burghley crowd what this little horse can do.’

With a dedicated and analytical approach to all aspects of his training in which he leaves no stone unturned to ensure his weaknesses become strengths, Sam is similarly deserving of a good result as his mount, further confirming his place as valuable weapon in the ever-strengthening Irish weaponry ahead of next year’s Olympics. Watch this space!

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Aistis Vitkauskas and Commander VG. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Aistis Vitkauskas and Commander VG (LTU)
Twelve-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding (Viegaard’s Come Back II – Nione Fortuna, by Abantos NRA STB 83 4). Bred and owned by Mogens and Birgitte Kloeve-Mogensen. Groomed by Helene Stenshoj Vitkauskas.

With six previous CCI5* starts under their belts, Aistis and Commander VG are certainly not new to the level. This will, however, be the first Burghley run for the pair, whose best finish thus far at five-star was just outside the top 10 at the 2021 edition of Luhmuhlen. To add even more depth to their resume, they’ve also competed at the 2022 World Championships and in 2021 finished 25th in the European Championships in Avanches.

This will be their third five-star start of 2023. In April, they finished 26th at Badminton, then retired on cross country after acquiring 20 penalties at Luhmuhlen. Their most recent international start was in the CCI4* at Maarsbergen in the Netherlands at the end of June, where they finished in 4th place.

While it’s unlikely that you’ll find this pair near the top of the leaderboard after dressage – their scores tend to hover in the high 30’s to mid 40’s – they have a whole lot of clear XC rounds on their record. They’ve had a couple pins here and there at the four-star and five-star level, but are certainly more than capable of a fast clear cross country round.

When he’s not running around some of the biggest tracks in the world, Aistis also competes in FEI showjumping, and his wife Helene (who is grooming for him here at Burghley) is a competitive dressage rider. Aistis’ operation is based out of Denmark, which is the home country of Commander VG, who is still owned by his breeders Mogens and Birgitte Kloeve Mogensen of the Volstrpgaard Stud.

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Andrew Heffernan and Harthill Phantom (NTL)
Thirteen-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Hollins Hall – Jaspers Phanton, by Jasper’s Egon). Bred by Nina Barbour. Owned by the rider and Top Eventers Syndicate. Groomed by Natalia White.

British-based Dutch rider Andrew Heffernan comes forward on great form with Harthill Phantom for the gelding’s first CCI5* (and Andrew’s first since 2017), having won the 4*-S at Aston Le Walls a few weeks ago, their last run before the big B. They went sub-30 for a career-best in the dressage with 28.3, adding just 2.8 cross country and 0.4 show jumping time penalties to complete on a score of 31.5. Their dressage scores have been on a downwards trajectory throughout the season, dropping from 35.2 in the 4*-S at Thoresby Park early in the year to a 30.4 in the 4*-L at Millstreet in June, before hitting the high-20s just in time for Burghley.

In their three cross country runs this season, they’ve jumped clear. Before that, their record is a bit patchy — in 10 FEI runs prior to 2023, they’ve had cross country jumping penalties on six occasions. Andrew’s not one to automatically put his hand up when his horse has a blip though; obviously it depends on how things are feeling, but he’s gone on to complete with Harthill Phantom after having jumping penalties more often than he’s walked home. It’s fair to say that all those educational runs appear to be paying off this year.

Show jumping is a similar story to cross country. They were clear last time out, but had 8 and 12 in their two runs prior to that. At their first run of the season at Thoresby Park, they picked up 20 penalties in the show jumping phase, triggering the compulsory retirement rule, so they didn’t get to go cross country that day. It’s worth noting, however, that it had been a particularly wet lead-up to the event and the ground was not easy in any of three phases. From 13 rounds they’ve jumped clear twice, so we can probably expect at least one pole on the final day at the horse’s first 5*.

Andrew’s just back from the European Championships, where he was pathfinder for the Dutch team instead of performing the role of team manager, his usual role, and so got to celebrate the Netherlands securing Olympic qualification wearing two hats, so to speak. But his hat collection doesn’t stop there — he’s also a BE accredited trainer and cross country designer. He represented the Netherlands at the London Olympics and the 2014 World Championships — where he won team bronze — as well as at three European Championships. When he’s not got one of his eventing hats on, Andrew enjoys a game of squash.

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Lauren Innes and Global Fision M. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Lauren Innes and Global Fision M (NZL)
Thirteen-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding (Flipper d’Elle – Kantussa, by Cantus). Bred by Veehandel Musterd Made BV. Owned by the Innes Family Syndicate.

Seeing Lauren Innes on the Kiwi entrant list for the first time at Badminton last year might have been a bit of an unexpected item in bagging area – the British-based rider only swapped nationalities a number of weeks prior, making use of her claim to Kiwi-hood through her father. It was a savvy move, particularly as the British side is so overpopulated with top-level talent at the moment, and a swap to the relatively compact Kiwi side allows her access to more support and a chance to fight for team selection. But this savviness won’t come as a surprise to anyone who knows Lauren, a true amateur rider who works full-time as an accountant and does some seriously impressive balancing to fit in producing “Flipper”: “[Working from home during] COVID has certainly helped, because I can get off him at like, one minute to nine and be at my desk by nine,” she laughs. “I go to Oakingham Stud to use their hill gallops to get him fit for the longs, and that’s about fifty minutes from home, so I’ll get up at quarter past five and leave home just before six. Then after the drive, I’ll be on him just before seven, gallop him, wash him down, and be back by nine. Then he goes out in the field, and I work all day.”

This is Lauren’s only upper-level horse, and they’ve climbed through the levels together ever since she bought him as a five-year-old from Ireland’s Brian Morrison, co-founder of Global Horses. Lauren’s friendship with Brian began when she was studying Biological Sciences at Oxford – and while she hadn’t been a part of Britain’s bustling Young Rider circuit and teams, she was able to pursue her passion for competing through student riding, helmed by the World University Equestrian Federation. The set-up of the federation means that no competitor is required to have their own horse; instead, students go head to head in heats, each riding the same horse to determine who has exhibited the best horsemanship. Success at student riding competitions can lead to opportunities such as the Student Riding Nations Cups, which give riders from universities around the world the chance to compete together. The system has produced an impressive array of riders on the cusp of the big leagues, and Lauren has since ridden for Britain at the CCI3*-S European Cup and enjoyed a fruitful run at 4*, with super results including a third-place finish at Blair and an eleventh place finish in the very tough CCI4*-L at Bicton in 2021. But Flipper certainly isn’t the easiest ride, and according to Lauren’s trainer, Mark Corbett, it’s because he’s not in a professional string that he’s able to thrive.

“He can get really hot, and when he gets hot, he kind of loses it. He’s by Flipper d’Elle and he’s very French, in his brain,” Lauren told EN during Blair Castle’s CCI4*-L in 2021, in which they finished third. “He’s the most confident horse to jump things; nothing is too big, and he has the utmost belief in his ability. I don’t think he’s ever lost his confidence. But that confidence gets him a bit hot in the dressage sometimes, so he’s had to work a lot on it by going out and doing British Dressage.”

Because of Flipper’s quirks, much will depend on how he takes to the atmosphere at Badminton. Lauren has a finely-honed routine for helping him settle at three-days, which suits him much better than coming out at short-formats, where there’s less time to get used to his new environment, but if he bubbles over, he can hit the mid-30s and beyond. On cross-country, though, all trickiness is cast aside, and he’s straight, focussed, incredibly genuine, and though not the fastest horse in the field, still fairly swift. He’s also at his best when showjumping on the final day, and should go clear. Lauren will be taking this one phase by phase – Flipper’s spring prep was interrupted by the tricky spring season in the UK, and he bubbled over badly in the ring at Thoresby, where he had to warm up totally on his own because of the number of withdrawals. His score in the 50s there should be considered an outlier, but he scored in the 40s at Badminton last year, so it’ll definitely be this phase that Lauren will be most pleased to see in the rearview mirror. A tricky final run at Arville CCI4*-S, with 40 cross-country jumping penalties, will mean that this is a reconsolidation week.

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Tim Price’s Vitali steps up to the plate and grows in confidence around his first Burghley, 2022. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

Tim Price and Vitali (NZL)
Thirteen-year-old Holsteiner gelding (Contender – Noble Lady I, by Heraldik xx). Bred by Guenther Fielmann. Owned by Joe and Alex Giannamore and the rider. Groomed by Kerryn “Kez” Edmunds.

Under the watchful eye of 2022 FEI Groom of the Year, Kerryn “Kez” Edmunds, Tim and Vitali will be hoping to better their 3rd place here last year. They posted a 5* personal best in the first phase, before dropping to a place after dropping a costly 3 rails in the show jumping.

The final phase proved to be the Contender gelding’s weakness once again at Badminton this year, where another 3 down on the final day dropped them back down the leader board to 7th, despite climbing from 9th to 4th after cross country.

Still, it must be noted that Vitali has yet to finish outside of the top 10 in all of his CCI5* starts thus far – he was tenth on his debut at the level in Luhmuhlen 2022, and he is capable of a clear on the final day. Indeed, his win in the CCI-L 4* in Stzregom back in 2021 was on the back of a double clear, so when he does pull it out of the back, he is certainly one to watch.

This is largely down to his fancy footwork in the dressage. Tim is full of praise for his dancing partner, crediting him and his natural ability in the first phase with their consistently good scores; ‘The horse is capable, it’s on me to bring it out of him – he could do a nine everywhere.’ However, as is so often the case with such talented horses, the atmosphere at these big events can also affect him. ‘When he’s nervy there’s nothing there,’ says his jockey, who took over the ride from James Avery in 2021. Given that Tim is still No.1 in the FEI world rankings, he’s undoubtedly the best man to hold the 13 year old gelding’s hand, and help to keep his nerves at bay – and to ensure him a safe trip cross country too. He certainly proved this to be the case in the more than adverse conditions at Badminton this year, bringing his horse home when so many had problems or made the tough decision to withdraw before the cross country.

Perhaps if conditions are drier at Burghley, Vitali will have a little extra energy left in the tank to lift his knees a little higher on the final day and bring home the result that this pair so deserve.

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Sweden’s Christoffer Forsberg and Con Classic 2. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Christoffer Forsberg and Con Classic 2 (SWE)
Ten-year-old Hanoverian gelding (Concours Complet – Conntess, by Crazy Classic). Bred by Riebock. Owned by Mike Kleene. Groomed by Vilma Essman.

Over the last number of years, lanky Swede Christoffer has been busy contributing to his country’s team efforts, riding at plenty of Nations Cup legs and the 2021 European Championships at Avenches, where Sweden were team bronze medallists. That was his second Senior Europeans – his first came in 2011 at Luhmühlen – but prior to that, he’d ridden at three Junior and three Young Rider Europeans. In short? He’s great at coping with pressure, a trait that’ll serve him well as he prepares to tackle his first five-star since his debut, which also came at Burghley but way back in 2010. Christoffer was just nineteen, but despite his relative inexperience, he and his Junior and Young Rider mount Grafman stormed ‘round for twentieth place.

This time, he brings Con Classic 2, who’s one of the youngest horses in the field at just ten. He’s also one of the least experienced, with just two CCI4*-L runs under his belt – and one of those, his debut at Boekelo CCIO4*-L, was back in 2021. In 2022 he focused on short formats and Nations Cups, including the Pratoni test event in May, where he was nineteenth. This year, he picked up seventh in the CCI4*-L at Kronenberg in the Netherlands, and had a smart clear in the CCI4*-S at Arville for a final prep, but has otherwise run in CCI3*-S classes, picking up a 20 in one. We’ll be expecting a mid-30s dressage, a healthy, educational bit of additional time on Saturday, and a couple of rails on Sunday – but this’ll be a great stepping stone for what’s to come for this exciting young horse.

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Tiana Coudray and Cancaras Girl. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Tiana Coudray and Cancaras Girl (USA)
Thirteen-year-old Holsteiner mare (Cancara – Rubina VI, by Narew). Owned by the rider. Groomed by Annabelle James.

It’s a long-awaited five-star debut for US Olympian Tiana Coudray’s striking black mare Cancaras Girl (no relation, British-based 90s kids, to the Lloyds Bank horse we all had hanging on our walls in poster form). Their best result so far came at Bramham last year, where they made the very best of an achingly tough cross-country to climb and climb and climb again, into a final ninth place – a result that took them so by surprise that they were already halfway out the gates when they got a call asking them to get to the prizegiving and they had to scramble to get the mare ready again.

They’ve had a couple of consistent, clear, and classy four-star runs this year, plus a dip into the 20s in the first phase at the level, and so they come to the mare’s five-star debut on very good form. This’ll be British-based Tiana’s first time competing in the five-star here too; in 2015, though, she won the Dubarry Young Event Horse Class here aboard Cavalier Crystal, who’ll return for the five-star this week with Harry Meade aboard.

That’s not the only bit of homecoming kismet this week: Tiana, who’s from California originally, spent her formative years training with Burghley course designer Derek di Grazia and his wife, Bea.

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Will Faudree and Mama’s Magic Way. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Will Faudree and Mama’s Magic Way (USA)
Twelve-year-old Hanoverian gelding (Mighty Magic – Straightaway, by Star Regent xx). Bred by Mareike Leers-Schreiber. Owned by Jennifer Mosing and Sterling Silver Stables. Groomed by Christina Curiale.

Will has been saying for a while now that he thinks Mama’s Magic Way (better known as Mason) is a Burghley horse, and now we get to find out if he’s right!

There’s no doubt that Will and Mason are one of the most formidable and consistent pairs in the field when it comes to the cross country phase. In their entire international career together, they’ve logged only a single XC jump penalty – an unfortunate pin at Maryland in 2021. You can also expect them to waste no time across the country, with Will’s efficiency and Mason’s big gallop. They’ve never logged more than 10 time penalties.

The first phase is perhaps a bit less consistent, with dressage scores ranging generally in the low to mid 30’s at the CCI5* level. Mason is certainly capable of putting in a very good test, but sometimes his excitement gets the best of him. We’ll see how he’s feeling about putting his dancing shoes on here at Burghley.

Bred and born for the sport, Mason is the son of two eventer parents – his sire Mighty Magic won the Seven-Year-Old Eventing World Championships in 2011 with Andreas Dibowski, and his dam Straightaway competed to the CCI4* star level herself.

Will and Mason’s best finish at the top level was this spring at Kentucky where they came 13th, adding only 4 time penalties and one rail to their dressage score. We know that Will is heading into Burghley not just looking to get a completion under his belt — he’s competitive, experienced, and sitting on a very good horse. These two are ones to watch!

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Boyd Martin and On Cue. Photo by Abby Powell.

Boyd Martin and On Cue (USA)
Seventeen-year-old Anglo European Sport Horse mare (Cabri D’Elle – On High, by Primitive Rising). Bred by Alyse Clancey. Owned by the rider and Christine, Thomas IV, and Tommie Turner.

Boyd Martin hardly needs an introduction. A long-time staple of the US eventing scene, Boyd is a household name among eventing fans. The American event rider is well-known for his bold personality, cult-like social media following, and skill on the cross country course. On Cue is his tried-and-true mare who has been with Boyd since 2017. As a matter of fact, the entirety of her FEI career has been with Boyd on board.

This pair may be best described as a power couple. In 2021, On Cue was awarded USEA Horse and Mare of the Year. That same year, Boyd received the title of World Equestrian Brands’ USEA Rider of the Year. According to US Eventing, “Out of the mare’s six official outings in 2021, On Cue brought home five top-five finishes with four of those being international placings.”

To be clear, On Cue’s performance in 2021 is very nearly the rule, not the exception. The mare is rarely outside of the top ten and has a total of 20 cross country penalties across the entirety of her six year FEI career. Let’s rephrase that so it can sink in: that’s one refusal or run out at the FEI level in six years. Together, Boyd and On Cue have an impressive 25 wins on their competition record.

While cross country is clearly her favorite phase, show jumping doesn’t seem to be. In 2023, she’s had at least a rail in nearly every competition, but she makes up for it with dressage scores that consistently come in sub-30. This will be On Cue’s first time gracing Burghley with her presence and it will be a true test of her talent to see how she compares to Britain’s powerhouse players.

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Boyd Martin and Tsetserleg TSF (USA)
Sixteen-year-old Trakehner gelding (Windfall 2 – Thabana, by Buddenbrock). Bred by Tim Holekamp. Owned by Christine, Thomas IV, and Tommie Turner.

While possibly winner of the award for the horse with the hardest name to pronounce (God forbid you have a lisp), Tsetserleg TSF has more than his fair share of meaningful accomplishments tied to his mouthful of a name. “Thomas” is a bit of a sleeper agent. At home, he puts in mediocre performances only to turn it on and become the James Bond of event horses in competition. According to his owner, Christine Turner, “He would do anything for his rider — if he likes them — and he loves Boyd.”

Boyd took over the ride on Thomas from Michael Pollard in 2015. Over the years, Boyd and Thomas have truly done it all. Thomas was Boyd’s mount for the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and they were an instrumental part of the US team who brought home a silver medal at the FEI World Eventing Championships in Pratoni.

Most recently, Thomas and Boyd won the MARS Equestrian Bromont CCI4*-S and came in second place in the CCI4*-S at Tryon. Despite these recent and impressive accomplishments, the 2023 season has come with some unexpected twists and turns for Thomas. While they competed at the Land Rover Kentucky Three Day Event, they had an uncharacteristic run out at the Mars Sustainability Bay and retired for the first time in their seven year FEI career together. It’s true, even an experienced event horse like Thomas can have a bad day every once in a blue moon!

This will be Thomas’s first time at Burghley, but with a little bit of elbow grease from Boyd, viewers can expect a mid-20s dressage score, and a machine of a cross country round with possibly a few time faults. The deciding factor for Thomas’s placings at Burghley will be on show jumping day. The little black horse has had a rail at three out of four shows so far this season, but his stellar performance at Bromont has us crossing our fingers for a very competitive finish.

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Jennie Saville and FE Lifestyle (USA)
Thirteen-year-old German Sport Horse gelding (Leo von Faelz – Berina A, by Brandenburger). Bred by Danny Arnold. Owned by Nina and Tim Gardner. Groomed by Hannah Black and Alexa Lapp.

Jennie Saville and FE Lifestyle have been trapped in a cycle of “always the bridesmaid, never the bride.” The chestnut gelding has hardly ever placed outside of the top ten since Jennie took over the ride from Lynn Symansky in 2019, except for a rocky 2021 season. This year Jennie and ‘Foxy’ have been in the top ten for three out of four shows, even coming in fourth place at Bromont. In June, Foxy was named to the Elite Eventing Program List, part of the US Eventing Pathway, which is “focused on developing combinations to deliver sustainable success in team competition at the championship level.”

Known to jump shadows and for his sensitive nature, Foxy definitely has his quirks. “He’s a little tricky. He’s everything you think a ginger would be! I was a little worried because he seems a little bit heavy, but he actually has a ton of blood and gallop,” Jennie told Chronicle of the Horse.

Still, accommodating his quirks has paid off throughout his competition career. A very genuine jumper, Foxy and Jennie have had just one refusal or run out on cross country throughout his entire six-year FEI career. At Burghley, we’re expecting to see a low-30s dressage score and possibly a rail in the show jumping. She’s got Foxy’s big, open step in her toolbox as well, and the horse is consistently quick. He may make it inside the time on Burghley’s 6400 meter course as he nearly pulled it off on the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event’s 6520 meter 5*-L course.

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Grace Taylor and Game Changer.

Grace Taylor and Game Changer (USA)
Eleven-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Cassidee – Stormchaser, by Titus Livius). Bred by Liam Webb. Owned by Ann Taylor.

After a top ten finish at Brahmam this June where Grace Taylor’s top mount, Game Changer, jumped around the cross country clear and just a few seconds over time, Grace determined that they were ready to tackle their first five-star together at Burghley.

Game Changer was originally produced by Annie Kirkham, who bought the gelding from the Monart sale as a three-year-old. Grace purchased him two years later after Annie brought the gelding over for a lesson with her father where the gelding caught her father’s eye and he recommended that Grace go and try the horse the next day. The rest, as they say, is history, with Grace and Game Changer continuing to advance through the levels together.

When it comes to pedigrees we most often talk about the horses of course, but 27-year-old Grace has a fine eventing pedigree of her own that warrants a mention. Grace – who holds dual citizenship for the US and Great Britain but rides under the American flag and represented the stars and stripes this spring at the Nations Cup leg at Chatsworth – is the daughter of two top level event riders. Her mother, Ann Taylor (neé Sutton), represented the US at the 1988 Seoul Olympics and later served as a team selector and chef d’equipe for USEF. Her father, Nigel Taylor, represented Great Britain at both the European Championships and World Equestrian Games in 1998 and currently serves as a member of the British team selection committee.

Grace has developed her own sales and livery business based out of her family’s Washbrook Farm at Aston le Walls, managing an average of 20 horses at any given time. In addition to Game Changer, she has a small string of young horses that she also competes. You can get to know Grace a little better thanks to this recent episode of The Jon and Rick Show!

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Julia Norman and Ardeo Berlin (ZIM)
Fourteen-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (breeding unknown). Owned by Keith Norman, Bruce Fraser, and the rider.

Sweet little Ardeo Berlin is a classic Irish horse in a couple of ways: first, that no one really knows a thing about where he came from or who put what to what to produce him, and second, that he’s really in this game for the running and the jumping stuff. Wiltshire-based Julia, who swapped nationalities from British to Zimbabwean at the start of this season in honour of her late mum, Gill, who was born in the country, took the ride when he was an eight-year-old, and has piloted him throughout his international career. That’s included a five-star debut for ‘Bert’ at Pau last year, where he finished 34th with 20 penalties on cross-country, a clear in the achingly tough and big CCI4*-L at Bramham last summer, and, most recently, a fourth-place finish in the CCI4*-L at Ballindenisk in Ireland.

Julia, who used to work as a Quantity Surveyor and latterly a Rural Planning Consultant before deciding to do horses (and breed Golden Retrievers!) full-time, will be returning to Burghley after a 31st place finish with Carryon Bobby Boy in 2019. This will be Zimbabwe’s first time being represented at Burghley.

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Stay tuned for much more to come right here on EN from our reporter-at-large, Tilly Berendt! Go Eventing.

EN’s coverage of Burghley is presented by Kentucky Performance Products. Click here to learn all about their full line of science-backed nutritional support products, including Neigh-Lox Advanced for digestive support.

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