“It’s a bit surreal,” says Pippa Funnell, who comes to the inaugural Bicton CCI5* as the reigning Burghley champion, having won with MGH Grafton Street back in 2019. She’s not wrong — there’s a lovely, welcoming atmosphere at the Devon fixture, which has been beautifully prepped and decorated to host this topmost level of the sport, but there’s also this rare sense of the unfamiliar. None of us — riders, journalists, photographers — know these hills like the Burghley hills, and everything feels like it’s shiny and new and unusual. But there’s something rather magical in that, and we’re excited to bring you wall-to-wall coverage of this history-making event. First, though, it’s time to familiarise yourself with the competitors.
Whether you want the full scoop on each competitor, or simply a brief run-down of the field as a whole, we’ve got exactly what you need — and today, we’re dissecting the need-to-knows about the 32 combinations entered for this one-off five-star. Which of the 28 riders is the eldest? Who’s the youngest? Which horse is tallest, and what breed dominates the entries? Keep on scrolling for all this and more in less than the time it takes to slurp down a cup of coffee.
THE RIDERS
THE HORSES
Chedington Bicton CCI5*: [Website] [Box Office] [Entries] [Course Preview] [Live Stream] [EN’s Coverage] [EN’s Instagram] [EN’s Twitter]
