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Olympians Shine on Thursday at Cornbury House Horse Trials

Tom McEwen and Brookfield Quality. Photo by Peter Nixon.

Stars of the Paris Olympics shone at Cornbury House Horse Trials in Oxfordshire today.

Tom McEwen, a member of Britain’s gold medal-winning team at both the Paris and Tokyo Olympics, won CCI3*-S section B riding Brookfield Quality, while Paris team reserve rider – and reigning world champion – Yasmin Ingham took section A on Rehy DJ. New Zealand’s Clarke Johnstone topped section C on his Paris Olympics mount Menlo Park. All three winning horses are aiming for the end-of-season CCI5* at Pau in France.

All three riders were delighted to win their own weight in Hawkestone beer or cider – a prize that every victorious competitor will be awarded during Cornbury House Horse Trials

Tom said: “Brookfield Quality was awesome. It was a great prep run for Pau, and it was brilliant to be able to do it in the atmosphere of Cornbury with a lot of things going on. The ground was absolutely perfect after last night’s rain.”

Both British riders completed on their dressage scores: Tom on 25.1 with Alison Swinburn and John and Chloe Perry’s Brookfield Quality, and Yasmin on 25.6 with Janette Chin and The Sue Davies Fund’s Rehy DJ.

Yasmin Ingham and Rehy DJ. Photo by Peter Nixon.

Yasmin said: “This was a great fitness test for Rehy DJ. It’s beautiful up-and-down parkland and he felt brilliant throughout, so we are pushing on for Pau now and it’s exciting.

“I always try to get Cornbury into my calendar for the season. It’s beautifully run, the courses are amazing and the ground is perfect. I find it really good preparation for both my older horses and the younger ones as well – it’s highly educational.”

Menlo Park, who added just 1.6 cross-country time-penalties to his dressage mark of 24.1, will be tackling his first CCI5* at Pau.

Clarke said: “This is a stepping-stone to that. He did a beautiful dressage and he jumped really well and the ground was fantastic, with an amazing prize, so I put my foot down today and scorched round. He is a really fun, cheeky horse and spooky sometimes, but he loves people and going places and is a horse that you just know really enjoys his job.”

There were some equine heroes in the ribbons in the British Eventing Open Intermediate sections, both of which were won by New Zealand Olympian and former world number one Tim Price.

Tim took section E on Sue Benson’s Falco IV, winner of the CCI5* at Pau in 2021, team and individual bronze medallist at the 2022 World Championships in Italy and sixth individually at the Paris Olympics – and second to him was Ballaghmor Class (Oliver Townend), twice a winner of Defender Burghley’s CCI5* and also winner of the Defender Kentucky CCI5*, as well as a team gold medallist at the Tokyo Olympics for Britain.

Tim’s section D success came aboard Jarillo, owned by Lucy Allison, Clifton Eventers and Rachel and James Good.

He said: “Today was about getting Falco back into a competition environment -I haven’t done much with him since Paris, and today was the first time I have jumped him since the Olympics. The showjumping here is good with a different dynamic with the hill. The ground on the cross-country felt great ,and the course was a fair track and nice to bowl around with a bit of terrain, which puts some fitness into these horses for next time.

“Jarillo is adorable. He’s incredibly quirky and sharp and horse-shy – we have to be very careful with warm-up areas. But when he’s in the ring, that’s when he’s at his happiest; he’s on his own, he is relaxed and can perform.”

Cornbury House Horse Trials continues until Sunday with the British Eventing Young Horse Championships, The Howden Way and Project Pony Youth classes and CCI2*-S and national Intermediate sections.

As well as a feast of equestrian sport, featuring many of the world’s most famous riders, Cornbury Horse Horse Trials is an innovative and exciting blend of local, sustainable food and drink from our neighbouring farms, premium hospitality, and interactive children’s activities in the stunning setting of Cornbury Park.

To buy tickets and for more information, visit cornburyhousehorsetrials.co.uk. Full scoring and entry lists can be found here.

Superb Entry List Features on Defender Burghley Roster; Tim Price First in Drawn Order

Tim Price and Vitali. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

An exceptional field of horses and riders will contest Defender Burghley Horse Trials (5-8 September), with 76 pairs representing 10 nations entered for the prestigious CCI5* event.

Among them are:

  • Four past Defender Burghley winners
  • Eight CCI5*-winning combinations
  • 11 CCI5*-winning riders
  • Two former world champions
  • 11 Paris Olympians
  • 25 Burghley first-timers

The star-studded entries are headed by two members of Britain’s gold medal-winning team at the Paris Olympics, Ros Canter and Tom McEwen. Lincolnshire-based Ros will bring her Paris ride – and 2023 Badminton winner and European champion – Lordships Graffalo, as well as Pau CCI5* hero Izilot DHI. Tom, the current world number one in the FEI rankings, will ride CHF Cooliser. Ros is one of two former world champions in the field – the other is Zara Tindall, entered with Class Affair.

Oliver Townend and Cooley Rosalent. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Among the immensely strong British squad heading to Burghley is last year’s winner Oliver Townend, who is bringing his Defender Kentucky champion Cooley Rosalent in a bid to earn a fourth Burghley trophy. He is joined by Pippa Funnell (MCS Maverick), who took Burghley in 2003 and 2019. There are also two past winners representing New Zealand in the field: Tim Price, victorious at Defender Burghley in 2018, will be pathfinder in the competition – and will also be the final rider. Tim, like Britain’s Harry Meade, is planning to ride three horses at Burghley. Harry, third last year, has actually entered five horses but will run only three of them. And Caroline Powell, a Burghley winner in 2010, will ride her 2024 Badminton champion Greenacres Special Cavalier.

Other entries with a chance of taking the Defender Burghley title include recent British National Champion Emily King (Valmy Biats), and Britain’s Tom Jackson with his 2022 runner-up Capels Hollow Drift.

There are seven entries from the USA, nine from New Zealand, one from Australia and nine from Ireland – including all three members of the Irish Olympic team in Paris, and Lucy Latta, who finished second at Badminton this year with RCA Patron Saint. Six riders will represent France, including Nicolas Touzaint, a member of his country’s silver medal-winning team in Paris and a former double European champion and Badminton winner, competing with Absolut Gold HDC.

Nicolas Touzaint and Absolut Gold HDC. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Excitingly, recent Olympic bronze medallists Japan (Ryuzo Kitajima and Toshiyuki Tanaka) and Switzerland (CCI5* winner Felix Vogg and Nadja Minder) will be represented at Burghley for the first time in more than 15 years.

Burghley’s Event Director Martyn Johnson said: “We have a hugely exciting set of entries this year, with great strength in depth from the most international field seen at a CCI5* for some time. To have such a global entry with highly competitive riders from nations such as Japan and Switzerland shows how the sport of eventing has grown in recent years. With many new developments to the event this year, the stage is set for a truly brilliant week, and we are very much looking forward to welcoming all our visitors to Defender Burghley 2024.”

Gemma Stevens and Chilli Knight. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Equestrian sports analysis company EquiRatings points out that this is the first time that Burghley will attract eight previous CCI5*-winning horses to its line-up. These are Cooley Rosalent (Oliver Townend), Chilli Knight (Gemma Stevens), Colorado Blue (Austin O’Connor), Lordships Graffalo (Ros Canter), Izilot DHI (Ros Canter), Coup De Coeur Dudevin (Tim Price), Grappa Nera (Jonelle Price) and Greenacres Special Cavalier (Caroline Powell).

EquiRatings’ co-founder Sam Watson, himself a CCI5* rider and world silver medallist, said: “Burghley winners have only ever come from six nations: GBR (38), NZL (14), AUS (4), USA (2), GER (1) and IRL (1), so we may see a seventh flag enter the roll of honour in 2024.”

As ever, there are plenty of first-timers (25) all keen to test their skills in riding and training their horses against Burghley’s thrilling and challenging cross-country course, designed by the USA’s Derek Di Grazia. A full preview of this year’s cross-country track will feature shortly on Burghley TV, which will broadcast every moment of the action from Defender Burghley 2024.

Meghan O’Donoghue and Palm Crescent. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

For a full list of entries in drawn order, please visit https://burghley-horse.co.uk/competition/2024-cci5-entries. Looking to the drawn order, Tim Price and Maryland 5 Star winner Coup de Couer Dudevin will be the first to see in the dressage as well as on cross country. Meghan O’Donoghue and Palm Crescent will be the first to see for the USA, drawing 25th in the running order.

Defender Burghley is the established highlight of the summer social season. As well as top-class sport featuring both the most famous horses and riders in the world and up-and-coming stars, in the beautiful and historic setting of Burghley Park, the event offers superb shopping opportunities, delicious food and drink, elegant hospitality options and lots to entertain children and less-horsey members of the family.

To find out more about Defender Burghley (September 5-8 2024) and to purchase tickets and hospitality, visit www.burghley-horse.co.uk.

Defender Burghley: [Website] [Entries] [Burghley TV] [EN’s Coverage]

Super Seven for Oliver Townend at Burgham

Oliver Townend and Cooley Rosalent. Photo by 1st Class Images.

Oliver Townend and Cooley Rosalent strolled to victory in the Holme Dodsworth Metals CCI4*-S at Burgham International Horse Trials, supported by Project Pony – Oliver’s seventh win in Burgham’s feature class in the past decade.

Oliver added four faults for one showjump down to his leading dressage score of 19.8 on Paul and Diana Ridgeon’s 10-year-old grey mare, but still topped the 104-strong class going into cross-country. The pair, who won the Kentucky CCI5* in May, made light work of David Evans’s cross-country course and galloped home clear and inside the time allowed to hold off second-placed Wills Oakden (Keep It Cooley) by 3.1 penalties.

Shropshire-based Oliver, 41, was part of Britain’s Olympic gold medal-winning team at Tokyo 2021. He plans to take the Valent-sired Cooley Rosalent to Defender Burghley Horse Trials next, and will hope to notch up his third victory at the Lincolnshire CCI5*.

He said: “‘Rosie’ is probably one of the best horses I’ve had in all three phases and she makes it all feel very easy. The mistake in the showjumping was my mistake, not hers, but she jumped very well and it is all well within her comfort zone.

“You don’t ever feel like you’re going really quick on her across country; she covers the ground very nicely, and if you need to shorten, her stride still remains very quick, which is what makes her fast. And she’s not strong at all – she’s as easy a horse as I’ve had to ride across country.

“It’s lovely up here at Burgham; the team do a great job and they make everything as comfortable as possible for the riders, the horses and the owners. The ground is always safe here and we love using it for a preparation run for Burghley.”

Wills, who is based in Perthshire, was delighted with Geoff and Elspeth Adam’s nine-year-old Ramiro B gelding, who added nothing to his dressage mark of 26.9.

He said: “I’m so pleased for Geoff and Elspeth Adam. They bought ‘Michael’ coming into this season and they have been fantastic people to work for. They’ve been very patient and understanding It’s his first season at CCI4* and we think a lot of him, and haven’t wanted to rush him. They’ve given me space, they’ve given me time and they’ve given me support. It’s been brilliant, and it’s fantastic to reward them with days like this, and hopefully there are many more to come.

“He’s just a super horse to work with. He always wants to give you his best, he always wants to learn, and he’s a horse you can be seriously competitive on. We have a real emotional connection with him, so I hope he keeps improving and takes us to where we want to get to.”

In third place for the second year running were Emily King and Valmy Biats. Emily finished on her dressage score of 27.6 on her own, Phillipe Brivois and the Valmy Biats Syndicate’s French-bred 15-year-old.

Action at Burgham continues on Sunday with the jumping phases of the NIS Group Services Ltd CCI2*-S, plus British Eventing classes, a Thoroughbred and Ex-Racehorse Show – and great fun for families, friends and children. In the afternoon in the Burgham Park Arena, there will be dog agility, hobby horsing and the dog show.

Burgham also features great tradestands and lots of delicious, locally-produced food and drink and public bars. It is situated in beautiful, tranquil Northumbrian countryside not far from the A1 between Morpeth and Alnwick.

Visit www.burghaminternationalhorsetrials.co.uk to find out more and to buy tickets.

All four days of cross-country from Burgham – Thursday, 25 July to Sunday, 28 July – are being livestreamed on ClipMyHorse.tv – visit www.clipmyhorse.tv/en_GB/ to watch.

Burgham International (Northumberland) [Website] [Entries] [Volunteer] [Scoring]

Oliver Townend and Cooley Rosalent Earn 19.8 to Soar to Top of Burgham CCI4*-S

Oliver Townend and Cooley Rosalent. Photo by 1st Class Images.

Oliver Townend shot to the top of the leaderboard in the Holme Dodsworth Metals CCI4*-S during the second of day of dressage with a brilliant score of 19.8 aboard his Kentucky CCI5* winner, Paul and Diana Ridgeon’s 10-year-old mare Cooley Rosalent.

Shropshire-based Oliver said: “I’m very happy with Cooley Rosalent’s performance today; she’s just getting better and better and is on an upwards trajectory. This is her first event in an atmosphere since winning Kentucky, and she coped brilliantly with the breeze and the flags.

“She’s ready now to deliver a test like this and, six weeks away from Burghley, it’s very encouraging.

“It was great to have such a good build-up yesterday at Burgham, winning the Open Intermediate on Caunton Manor Stud and Charlotte Cole’s Crazy Du Loir and an intermediate class on a new ride, Rachael Slinger and Suzanne Harley-Davies’s Hermes Image. I’ve brought 12 horses up to Burgham this week because we know we will get good courses, good ground and a really well-run and friendly event.”

Oliver has three marks in hand going into showjumping over second-placed Tom Jackson on his 2023 European Championships ride, Patricia Davenport’s Capels Hollow Drift (22.9), with Scottish rider Wills Oakden in third with a score of 26.9 aboard Geoff and Elspeth Adam’s Keep It Cooley.

Izzy Taylor – a former winner of the Burgham CCI4*-S – claimed section B of the Hambro Sport Horses CCI3*-S on Caroline Wilson’s eight-year-old mare Hathaway Royale. The pair led from start to finish, completing on their dressage score of 241.

“She’s relatively young still, I’ve had her since she was a four-year-old, which makes it quite special. She’s very cute and very careful, a good jumper and a nice mover. She’s a very nice little horse who had her ears pricked all the way round and loves the job.

“The ground was very good and the track was great. It always rides very positively here, which is nice, and the horses are rewarded for it and come off the tracks with their ears pricked and feeling happy.

Izzy was also fifth on Johnny Hornby’s seven-year-old mare Barrington Alice, and ninth on Alex Phillips’ Retouchable.

Holly Clarke, 20, scored her best international result to date in second on her mother Alex’s 10-year-old gelding Nico. Their finishing score of 25.6 was 1.2 penalties in front of German rider Felix Etzel, third with TSF Polartanz.

American rider Jenny Caras won section A of the Hambro Sport Horses CCI3*-S with Jerry Hollis’s Sommersby on her dressage score of 28.2.

Jenny is based in the UK for the 2024 season. She explained: “Originally I got sent over on the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) European Development Tour to do Chatsworth and Millstreet. Chatsworth was cancelled, but Millstreet went well. Now, thanks to the Wilton Fair Grant, I am able to stay for the season.

“I’ve produced Sommersby to the top level myself – he’s got a super owner behind him, Jerry Hollis, so we’ve been partners in him all the way. This was his first run back after the Nations Cup CCI4*-S at Millstreet and he was super, so he will head to Hartpury and we’ll make plans for an autumn four-star from there. He’s the sweetest horse in the world, he’s easy to ride and a pleasure to work with every day. We’re good friends.”

She added: “The ground here felt amazing – being from America, at this time of year we are used to really hard ground, so it is a privilege to be here and compete on going and ground like this.”

Rosie Ringer is in the lead after the first day of dressage in the NIS Group Services Ltd CCI2*-S on Daisy Proctor’s Quarryman with a score of 24.2

Saturday and Sunday at Burgham not only offer top-class sport with the jumping phases of the CCI4*-S topping the bill, but also great fun for families, friends and children. From 10.30am on Saturday in the Burgham Park Arena, visitors can take part in “have a go” dog agility and the newly popular pastime of “hobby horsing”, and there’s also a fun charity dog show. On Sunday, the dog show, dog agility and “hobby horsing” will take place in the afternoon following the conclusion of the Thoroughbred and Ex-Racehorse Show in the Burgham Park Arena.

Burgham also features great tradestands and lots of delicious, locally-produced food and drink and public bars. It is situated in beautiful, tranquil Northumbrian countryside not far from the A1 between Morpeth and Alnwick.

If you’re looking for a family day out that’s really affordable this summer, you can’t do better than Burgham International Horse Trials (24-28 July) – visit www.burghaminternationalhorsetrials.co.uk to find out more and to buy tickets.

All four days of cross-country from Burgham – Thursday, 25 July to Sunday, 28 July – are being livestreamed on ClipMyHorse.tv – visit www.clipmyhorse.tv/en_GB/ to watch.

Tom Jackson Smashes a Personal Best at Burgham

Tom Jackson and Capels Hollow Drift. Photo by 1st Class Images.

Britain’s Tom Jackson has taken a convincing lead in the Holme Dodsworth Metals CCI4*-S class at Burgham International Horse Trials (24-28 July), presented by Project Pony, with a personal-best score of 22.9 on Patricia Davenport’s Capels Hollow Drift.

Tom and the 13-year-old grey were part of the British squad at the 2023 European Championships in France, and finished second in the CCI5* at Defender Burghley in 2022.

“I was so pleased with him,” said Surrey-based Tom. “We’ve just taken the pressure off him a little bit since Badminton [where he finished fifth], and he felt really happy in the arena. I think that was the best test I’ve had with him. He’s been flirting around the mid-20s mark before at this level, but he’s gone and smashed that today.”

Tom plans to take Capels Hollow Drift back to Burghley in September.

“We’ll try to go one better than last time!” he said.

The 31-year-old added: “We’ve been coming to Burgham since nearly the very beginning of the event, when there were about four stables up in the top corner of the field – it has grown so much. We come back every year because the courses are fantastic, the going is fantastic and it’s a lovely event to be at.”

Tom has an impressive margin of nearly six points in hand over second-placed Harry Meade with Jane Dear and Charlotte Opperman’s Away Cruising (28.7). Third is Irish rider Lucy Latta on her 2024 Badminton runner-up, Lesley Crampton’s RCA Patron Saint.

Izzy Taylor, a former winner of the feature CCI4*-S class at Burgham, is first and second in section B of the Hambro Sport Horses CCI3*-S on Caroline Wilson’s eight-year-old Hathaway Royale (24.1) and Johnny Hornby’s seven-year-old Barrington Alice (24.4).

“I’m delighted with my two grey girls,” said Izzy. “They are very different to each other – Hathaway Royale is a little horse who is really learning to shine, and Barrington Alice is a taller, younger mare who is still learning at this level. It’s great to be at Burgham with such exciting horses excelling in a big class.”

Ibble Watson, 21, is on top in CCI3*-S section A with a mark of 24.4 on her own Aristotoles S Z, ahead of the USA’s Jenny Caras (Sommersby, 28.2).

Of the four British Eventing Open Intermediate and Intermediate sections at Burgham today, two were won by Tokyo Olympics team gold medallist Oliver Townend, who will be hoping to challenge the CCI4*-S leaders on Friday when he does his dressage test on his 2024 Defender Kentucky CCI5* champion Cooley Rosalent.

Burgham’s Friday programme features the showjumping and cross-country phases of the Hambro Sport Horses CCI3*-S, while dressage continues for the Holme Dodsworth Metals CCI4*-S and starts for the NIS Group Services Ltd CCI2*-S.

Saturday and Sunday at Burgham not only offer top-class sport with the jumping phases of the CCI4*-S topping the bill, but also great fun for families, friends and children. From 10.30am on Saturday in the Burgham Park Arena, visitors can take part in “have a go” dog agility and the newly popular pastime of “hobby horsing”, and there’s also a fun charity dog show. On Sunday, the dog show, dog agility and “hobby horsing” will take place in the afternoon following the conclusion of the Thoroughbred and Ex-Racehorse Show in the Burgham Park Arena.

Burgham also features great tradestands and lots of delicious, locally-produced food and drink and public bars. It is situated in beautiful, tranquil Northumbrian countryside not far from the A1 between Morpeth and Alnwick.

If you’re looking for a family day out that’s really affordable this summer, you can’t do better than Burgham International Horse Trials (24-28 July) – visit www.burghaminternationalhorsetrials.co.uk to find out more and to buy tickets.

All four days of cross-country from Burgham – Thursday, 25 July to Sunday, 28 July – will be livestreamed on ClipMyHorse.tv – visit www.clipmyhorse.tv/ to watch.

Book Season: Vanir Kamira’s Incredible Journey

Some horses stand out as potential superstars from the start.

This is the story of one that didn’t: Vanir Kamira (“Tilly”), an “ordinary” little mare who, through sheer determination and the building of an exceptional partnership with her rider Piggy March, won the two most important CCI5* horse trials in the world — Badminton and Burghley.

Bought from Ireland as a three-year-old by Trevor Dickens, who still owns her, Tilly started her eventing career in 2012 with Piggy, who is one of the world’s most celebrated event riders.

Piggy and Vanira Kamira. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

But the mare showed little to persuade Piggy that she had a bright future in the sport, and Piggy gave up the ride after one season. Circumstances brought the pair back together in the winter of 2016, and at Piggy’s Northamptonshire yard they started to form a bond.

Written with great honesty, Vanir Kamira: An incredible journey details the long and often-frustrating and difficult path Piggy and Tilly took to mutual trust, respect — and love. It is one that brought both to the absolute heights of their sport.

This book will fascinate anyone with an interest in horses, and especially anyone who likes to discover what makes these bewitching animals tick and how to help them feel and perform as well as they possibly can.

Vanir Kamira: An Incredible Journey is on sale at Your Horse Live (Stoneleigh, Warwickshire, 10-12 November), and during Piggy’s masterclass tour, Piggy TV on Tour, in November and December 2023 at the following locations:

November 17: Hartpury College, Glos

November 12: Arena UK, Notts

November 25: Bishop Burton, Yorks

November 29: Scottish National Equestrian Centre, West Lothian

December 2: Wellington Riding, Hants

Beginning December 1, the book will be available from Piggy’s website, www.piggymarch.com.

Can Ros Canter Capture Eventing’s Triple Crown at Defender Burghley?

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

British superstar rider Ros Canter has won Badminton and the European Championships this year – can she top off an exceptional 2023 with victory at the Defender Burghley Horse Trials as well?

Ros, fresh from winning individual and team gold on her Badminton champion Lordships Graffalo at the Europeans in Normandy earlier this month, will ride Annie Makin and Kate James’s Pencos Crown Jewel at Defender Burghley (31 August-3 September).

The Lincolnshire-based 37-year-old will face serious opposition from all four of Defender Burghley’s most recent winners, however. Oliver Townend and Ballaghmor Class, who reigned supreme in 2017 and added Olympic team gold for Britain to their accolades at Tokyo in 2021, return to Burghley once more.

World number one Tim Price, who won in 2018, brings Vitali, third here last year, and will attempt to give New Zealand a 14th victory at the world’s greatest three-day event since 1990. The 2019 Burghley heroine Pippa Funnell – who won the Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing here 20 years ago, in 2003 – will ride Majas Hope. And the 2022 Burghley champion Piggy March is back to defend her title, this time riding Brookfield Inocent.

Burghley had a royal winner when HRH the Princess Royal stormed to victory in the 1971 European Championships here. Her daughter Zara Tindall finished a very close second on her CCI5* at Burghley in 2003 – could this be the year of a second royal triumph? Zara will ride Class Affair, on whom she finished 15th at the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event in the spring.

Two riders are planning to ride three horses apiece in the CCI5*. First to go in the competition will be Harry Meade – his three mounts will be chosen nearer the time from the quartet of Away Cruising, Red Kite, Cavalier Crystal and Tenareze. Oliver Townend will also compete three from the impressive foursome of Ballaghmor Class, Swallow Springs, Tregilder and Cooley Rosalent.

An American rider hasn’t won Burghley since 1993, when Stephen Bradley was successful aboard Sassy Reason. But there could be a champion in this year’s U.S. contingent, which includes Boyd Martin with both his Maryland CCI5* winner, the British-bred On Cue, and Tsetserleg TSF, on whom he won team silver at the 2022 World Championships.

It’s 60 years since an Irish rider won Burghley (Capt Harry Freeman-Jackson), but Austin O’Connor is bringing Colorado Blue, third at Badminton this year and acknowledged as one of the best cross-country horses in the world. They would be among the favourites in the 65-strong field to take home the Defender Burghley trophy.

And there are plenty of newer British faces vying for Burghley glory. David Doel (Galileo Nieuwmoed and Ferro Point) is edging closer and closer to a CCI5* podium place, while Emily King (Valmy Biats) has a chance of emulating her mother Mary, who took Defender Burghley in 1996.

Martyn Johnson, Burghley’s Event Director, said: “We are delighted to see such a strong British and international entry to Defender Burghley – this has all the hallmarks of a vintage year. The park and course are looking immaculate and we very much look forward to the very best riders in the world vying to come out on top, in front of our legendary Burghley crowd.”

Tickets for Defender Burghley can be purchased online at burghley-horse.co.uk and downloaded or printed out prior to your visit, or on the gate.

To watch every minute of the action, from the first horse inspection to the final prize-giving, plus in-depth interviews and behind-the-scenes features, plus the daily Today @ Burghley round-up show hosted by Nick Luck and Rosie Tapner, an annual subscription to Burghley TV costs just £20. Visit burghley-horse.co.uk/burghley-tv to subscribe.

Defender Burghley Horse Trials Links: Website | Live Stream | Entries | EN’s Coverage

First Prize at Defender Burghley Horse Trials to be the Richest in Eventing

The first prize at the Defender Burghley Horse Trials (31 August-3 September 2023) will be the richest in eventing at £110,000.

Defender Burghley is the autumn highlight of the British equestrian calendar. It is one of only seven horse trials around the globe to be classified as CCI5* – the highest level in international equestrian sport.

“I can’t quite believe it”: Piggy March adds Burghley champion to her resume with Vanir Kamira. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

Event Director Martyn Johnson said: “We always aspire to raise the bar at Defender Burghley. As a top-class sporting occasion and to reward our athletes and owners for winning the most prestigious and challenging three-day event in the world, we feel it appropriate to offer the most valuable prize in the sport.”

This is internationally acclaimed course-designer Derek di Grazia’s second year at the helm of creating Defender Burghley’s unique and thrilling cross-country track. US-based Derek visited the site twice over the winter and is currently finalising his designs for Defender Burghley 2023, which will give a subtle twist to the course.

Tickets for 2023 will go on sale to members on Thursday, 27 April, and on general release the following day, Friday, 28 April.

Ros Canter Jumps Into Lead in Blenheim Palace International CCI4*-S

Photo via Blenheim Palace International.

Ros Canter will go into the final cross-country phase in the lead in the CCI4*-S for eight- and nine-year-old horses at Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials after showjumping clear on Izilot DHI.

Ros (pictured below), the current world champion, was in first after dressage in this prestigious young horse class with a mark of 26.6 on her own and Alex Moody’s eight-year-old, and just added 1.6 time-faults round the demanding showjumping track.

“I couldn’t be more delighted with him – he’s never even done an advanced class before, let alone a four-star, and then I was away in Tokyo [where she was Britain’s reserve rider], so even coming here was a big ask,” said Ros. “I was confident he would have the scope to do it and he’s very brave, but he’s a spooky horse, and this was a clever track.

“I’m very open-minded about tomorrow’s cross-country – if he sets out and he’s green, I’ll slow down. Of course it would be great to win, but I am more excited about him winning an Olympic medal in the future, so I am realistic about what we will do tomorrow.”

Izilot DHI may be making his debut at CCI4* level, but he won the CCI3*-Ls at both Houghton Hall and Blair Castle this season.

There were only seven clears within the time in this morning’s showjumping – for which the spectacular main arena was shrouded in fog – from the 49 starters. Tom Jackson, second on Jonathan and Lexi Hambro and May-Britt Wedd’s HH Moonwalk, left all the poles up but collected two time-faults. He will therefore set out across country on a score of 29.6.

Tom said: “It’s obviously frustrating to get time-faults, but he’s an amazingly talented horse and I couldn’t really have asked more of him. He went a little bit tight in his body in the slightly eerie atmosphere, but he still jumped clear and he’s one for which we have big hopes for the future.”

Nicola Wilson has risen four places to third on Jo and James Lambert’s Coolparks Sarco after posting a clear round inside the time, remaining on her dressage mark of 29.8.

Caroline Harris is in fourth on Becky Stones’ Miss Pepperpot after adding just 0.4 of a time-fault to her dressage score of 30.4.

“She’s amazing!” said Caroline. “She’s only been eventing for two years, really, so she’s come a long way. This was a proper jumper’s track – not really in terms of height, but the distances really kept you thinking.

“She’s quite feisty and she likes to go – she’s been double clear [at CCI4*-S level] at Burgham and Hartpury, but anything can happen tomorrow.”

Willa Newton also jumped clear inside the time on Cock A Doodle Doo to take fifth place, while Piggy March is in sixth on Cooley Lancer.

The CCI4*-S cross-country starts at 11.30am tomorrow (Sunday, 19 September) and can be watched via Horse & Country TV’s streaming platform, H&C+.

Blenheim Palace International CCI4*-L/CCI4*-S: [Website] [Entries] [Live Scores] [Live Stream] [EN’s Coverage]

Yasmin Ingham Maintains Lead, Pippa Funnell in Contention on Day 2 of Blenheim Dressage

Photo courtesy of Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials.

Pippa Funnell, one of Britain’s most enduring and successful event riders, has given herself an excellent chance of a fifth victory at Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials.

Riding 11-year-old Maybach, who is owned by Sweden’s SHE Eventing AB, Pippa scored a dressage mark of 27.2 to slip into fourth place on Friday afternoon in the CCI4*-L class, just two penalties behind leaders Yasmin Ingham and Banzai Du Loir.

“I’m really thrilled with him,” she said. “He’s a lovely horse, but not the most elastic in his movement, so I didn’t expect him to overtake Yasmin and (second-placed) Piggy (March).”

Pippa first won this prestigious class in 1993 aboard Metronome, and followed up in 1995 aboard Bits And Pieces, in 2003 (Jurassic Rising) and 2004 (Viceroy II). A veteran of British teams, with 12 senior medals to her name at Olympic, World and European Championships, she also won the Rolex Grand Slam in 2003.

Pippa added: “It is fantastic to have The Jockey Club (who are organising Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials for the first time) involved in eventing and bringing two forms of horse sport closer together.

“And it’s great to have lots of spectators once again — it feels like they are as glad to be out as we are, and the atmosphere they create is something we have really missed. Cross-country day tomorrow will be fun — if it goes well!”

Just after Pippa’s test on Maybach, the reigning world champion Ros Canter scored 26.7 with Michele Saul’s nine-year-old Lordships Graffalo to take third place in the CCI4*-L.

Ros, who has held on to her first-day lead in the CCI4*-S class, said: “It is much busier here today than it was yesterday, and I think Lordships Graffalo felt the atmosphere more than ever before. It’s great experience for young horses and stands them in good stead for the future.

“I think the cross-country course is lovely, and the more times I walk it, the cleverer I think (course-designer) David Evans has been.”

Cross-country for the CCI4*-L class starts at 11 a.m. tomorrow local time (Saturday 18th September), and can be watched live via Horse & Country TV’s streaming platform, H&C+.

Oxfordshire’s leading rider, Izzy Taylor, piloted the exciting future prospect Hartacker into sixth place after dressage in the CCI4*-S for eight and nine-year-old horses at Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials.

Izzy, whose Bicester yard is just minutes from Blenheim Palace, scored 28.9 on Camilla Behrens’ nine-year-old. She is only 2.3 penalties behind first-placed Ros Canter (Izilot DHI), whose mark of 26.6 remained unbeatable on the second day of dressage.

Speaking afterwards she said: “He was a little bit nervous and held his breath in his trotwork, but he’s got a fantastic walk, which the judges rewarded, and a very good canter, so he pulled it back again.

“He just needs to be a bit proud of himself, which will come with experience. He only started eventing two years ago so he hasn’t done a massive amount for his age, but he’s very exciting, and generally a very good jumper, so hopefully he has it all.”

Izzy won at Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials in 2017 with Be Touchable, and first rode here as a child in the Pony Club team show jumping competition.

She is due to represent Britain at the European Championships in Switzerland next week with Monkeying Around, who led the dressage in the CCI4*-L at Blenheim Palace the last time the event ran in 2019.

One of the great unique selling points of the sport of eventing is the fascinating breadth of experience that may be encompassed in a single competition. Blenheim Palace is no exception and, as well as Izzy, the field contains a host of experienced past winners including Andrew Nicholson, Pippa Funnell, Polly Stockton and Piggy French, plus Olympic gold medallists Oliver Townend and Tom McEwen, as well as those for whom Blenheim represents the fulfilment of an ambition.

Georgia Bartlett, 20, a CCI3*-S winner at Cornbury Park last year and former member of the British Junior squad, is realising a long-held goal in competing her first horse after graduating from pony classes, Spano De Nazca, in the CCI4*-L.

And she explained: “I only live locally, near Newbury, and have been coming to Blenheim as a spectator for years, so it has always been a dream to ride here.”

This is only the pair’s third competition this year after setbacks for horse and rider. Georgia broke her arm in a fall and her Spano de Nazca suffered a stone bruise and has been regaining fitness by swimming at racehorse trainer Warren Greatrex’s Lambourn yard.

Georgia added: “We have such a strong partnership and I am hoping that the cross-country course will suit him and that our fitness regime will have paid off.”

Emma Thomas, 22, is another relatively local rider, a member of the Warwickshire Hunt and Pony Club branch. She is competing in the CCI4*-S on Icarus, a Dutch-bred gelding bought from showjumper Jamie Wingrave, and in the CCI4*-L on The Buzz Factor.

Emma, who will be walking the cross-country course with Pippa Funnell and Caroline Moore, is studying for a Masters in bio-informatics at the Royal Veterinary College.

Referring to her compact 15.2hh Icarus, she said: “He’s a cross-country machine. I think this is just his course with the open distances.”

For the USA in the CCI4*-L, Katherine Coleman sits 23rd with Monbeg Senna and 51st with RLE Limbo Kaiser. Tiana Coudray is 40th with Cancaras Girl. In the CCI4*-S 8/9-y/o Grace Taylor is 9th with Game Changer and 17th with Hiarado.

Blenheim Palace International CCI4*-L/CCI4*-S: [Website] [Entries] [Live Scores] [Live Stream] [EN’s Coverage]

CCI4*-L Top 10 After Dressage 

CCI4*-S Top 10 after Dressage