Classic Eventing Nation

The Defender Burghley Cross Country Report: An Actually Really Cool Day of Sport

By on Sep 5, 2026 5:46 pm -

Gemma Stevens and Chilli Knight in sight of the Defender Burghely finish. Photo by Hannah Cole Photography.

There are days when Burghley reminds everyone that this is, at its heart, an enormous and unforgiving task, and the world’s best event horses really get their time to shine, and today at the 2026 Defender Burghley Horse Trials was very much one of those days.

Derek di Grazia’s 6,155m cross-country track did exactly what a Burghley course is supposed to do, asking questions throughout, even when riders thought they were finally heading for home. As they say, “it isn’t over until the fat lady sings”, and it wasn’t over even when riders were galloping towards the last fence, past fence two, Lambert’s Sofa, complete with famous fat man Daniel Lambert sat upon it (he really was famous for his size – a record-breaking 739lbs upon his death in Stamford age 39 in 1809).

By the end of the afternoon, the leaderboard had been almost completely rewritten, with dressage leaders Nadja Minder and Toblerone falling to sixth, several major contenders eliminated or retired, and combinations who had started well down the standings suddenly finding themselves in contention for the biggest prizes in eventing.

At the top, however, one combination managed to do exactly what everyone else had come to Burghley hoping to achieve.

Gemma Stevens and Chili Knight. Photo by Hannah Cole Photography.

Gemma Stevens (GBR) and Chilli Knight jumped clear inside the time, finishing in 11 minutes and 17 seconds, three seconds inside the optimum, to move from second after dressage into the overnight lead on 29.6. Only one other combination, Holly Richardson (GBR) and Ballyneety Silver Service, also finished inside the optimum time, which meant that every second became increasingly valuable as the afternoon unfolded.

Gemma had said that it could have all easily come undone at the Holland Cooper Leaf Pit at fence 24 though, where Chilli Knight dug her out of a really tricky spot at a skinny brush. Speaking of the moment, she said Chilli Knight’s rection was ‘hold my beer, I got this!’ She then apologised to the crowd for “all the swearing” before adding, simply, “I love my pony.”

That is Burghley in a nutshell.

The best-laid plan can disappear somewhere between take-off and landing, leaving horse and rider to work it out together. And that partnership between horse and rider was really the story of the entire afternoon.

The Trout Hatchery at fence 19 (the A element is shown here) proved to be among the most influential fences on course. Photo by Hannah Cole Photography.

Twenty-eight combinations completed from 46 starters, while nine were eliminated and nine others retired, with penalties scattered across 15 different fences. The the Defender Dairy Mound at 9, Trout Hatchery at 19, and the Holland Cooper Leaf Pit at 24 were among the most influential questions, while the terrain itself ensured that even horses jumping well had to work harder and harder as the course progressed.

Nadja Minder (SUI), who had started the day leading on the remarkable 19-year-old Toblerone, described the latter part of the course as “very intense,” explaining that there was “one question after the other” around the Trout Hatchery and Leaf Pit, with “not really a breather in between.”

Irishman Sam Watson offered another useful perspective, pointing out that the course’s curving lines and undulating terrain created challenges that were not necessarily obvious when viewed from the ground. He described the course as “very, very big” and “very, very technical,” but ultimately fair, explaining that “if we do our jobs right, then the horses will understand the question.”

That turned out to be a pretty good description of Saturday.

And that is why Gemma could win the day on her dressage score, while Holly could climb 25 places and Katie Magee (GBR) could move 15.

Stevens Takes Control

Gemma Stevens and Chilli Knight. Photo by Hannah Cole Photography.

Gemma and Chilli Knight came into cross-country second after dressage, just 0.1 behind Nadja and Toblerone. Tim Price (NZL) sat third with Falco, and the top of the leaderboard was so tightly packed that one mistake, one run-out or even a handful of time penalties could have completely changed the order.

Gemma was the first of the leading combinations to show just how valuable a genuinely competitive cross-country round could be.

Chilli Knight may not have been bred for a life of collecting extraordinary dressage scores, but Gemma has developed an extraordinary partnership with the 16-year-old. His great strength has always been his attitude, and Saturday gave him the opportunity to demonstrate exactly why his rider has remained so committed to him.

The pair attacked the course with confidence, however the Leaf Pit almost became the undoing of them.

There was “no stride,” leaving Gemma with one of those moments when the rider has little option but to trust the horse. Chilli Knight did exactly what Gemma needed him to do, jumping between the flags despite the mistake.

Gemma’s reaction was one the crowd really felt – especially after her heartbreak at being eliminated at the FEI Eventing World Championships at Aachen aboard Flash Cooley just three weeks ago – a punch of the air, plenty of pats for Chilli Knight and an admission that there had been “all the swearing” at the bottom of the Leaf Pit in admiration for her plucky little chestnut horse.

Gemma now has a genuine chance of adding another extraordinary chapter to a career that has already included some of eventing’s biggest stages.

Price’s extraordinary Saturday

Tim Price and Global Quest. Photo by Hannah Cole Photography.

Tim Price experienced almost the entire emotional range of five-star eventing within a few hours.

He began with two horses inside the top six. Falco was third after dressage on 30.5, while Global Quest was sixth on 32.1.
By the end of the afternoon, Tim had one horse in second and the other had retired.

Global Quest produced the round Tim needed, jumping clear and adding just 4.8 time penalties to finish on 36.9. That moved the pair from sixth into second.

It was not entirely straightforward, with Tim admitting afterwards that the horse required “plan Bs and Cs” at various points, but Global Quest kept galloping and finished strongly. But there is also a much deeper story behind this particular result.
Global Quest was produced to four-star level by the late Georgie Campbell, and Tim has taken on the 13-year-old, owned by Lance and Diana Morrish, with an understanding that he is continuing a journey Georgie had hoped to make herself. Before Burghley, Tim explained that this horse “meant a lot to her” and that he had the “privilege of riding him after her.”

He added: “She always wanted to get to five-star with him, so I’m doing that on her behalf.”

Tim has also been open about the horse’s particular character, describing him as a big horse who nonetheless has “quite a level of anxiety.” Today, the partnership looked increasingly confident as the minute markers passed. Unfortunately, Falco’s story was very different, just three weeks after finishing 21st individually at the eventing World Championships.

Tim and the 17-year-old looked excellent through the early part of the course, but at the Trout Hatchery Falco stopped attempting to jump into the water. He then opted to retire.

Tim will nevertheless return Sunday with a very real chance of winning, and perhaps one of the most meaningful horses in the field beneath him.

Richardson’s 25-place leap

Holly Richardson and Ballyneety Silver Service. Photo by Hannah Cole Photography.

Behind the leading combinations, the leaderboard began producing some remarkable changes, none more dramatic than Holly Richardson and the cool little grey Ballyneety Silver Service.

They started the day in 28th on 38.3 and ended it in third on the same score having finished two seconds inside the optimum time. That is a 25-place climb and their round looked so incredibly easy.

There were moments when Holly was behind the clock, but rather than allowing that to change the rhythm, she trusted her horse and gradually began eating up the ground. By the time they came down Winners’ Avenue, the 11-year-old owned by Fi and Issy Saxby was galloping strongly, and Holly continued to find the pace she needed. The result was one of the day’s great surprises.

Going into Sunday, Holly and ‘Butler’ are suddenly sitting third at Burghley, ahead of a number of riders who had started the day with far more obvious claims to the podium.

Katie Magee produced another major climb, moving from 19th to fourth with Treworra. They jumped clear and added only 2.4 time penalties, finishing on 38.6. She described the experience as “magical,” which seems entirely appropriate for a rider who started Saturday looking at the middle of the leaderboard and ended it within touching distance of the podium.

Harry Meade made an equally eye-catching move, going from 31st after dressage into seventh with Cavalier Crystal. His clear round came with six time penalties, leaving him on 44.4 – a 24-place jump. Harry must be woeing his slightly disappointing first phase score on this 16-year-old mare who has finished third here three times.

When Burghley bites back

Photo by Hannah Cole Photography.

The leaderboard gains were dramatic, but so were the losses. Tim Price’s Falco was not the only major contender to disappear from the competition.

Tom Jackson (GBR) and United 36 began the day eighth after dressage on 33.1, having already finished fourth at Badminton earlier this year. The seriously smart 10-year-old was capable of being a major contender, but the Trout Hatchery caught them, with United 36 ending up in the water and the pair eliminated.

Tom did have another horse to ride in the form of Hawk Eye, who produced a great clear round earlier in the day, meaning they go into the final phase in ninth. Afterwards, he said he was “over the moon to show everyone what the horse is capable of.”

Sarah Bullimore suffered one of the day’s most painful endings. She began 10th with her homebred Corimiro – and was the favourite to win coming into this year’s event – and made it almost all the way around before falling at the final fence having looked to slightly overshoot it on approach.

The horse galloped through the finish without her, turning what had been an impressive round into an elimination only moments before the pair could have celebrated completing the course – and very close to the optimum time too. It was a brutal reminder that Burghley can still take everything away at the very last moment.

The American story

Caroline Pamukcu and HSH Blake. Photo by Hannah Cole Photography.

For the United States, Saturday was a mixture of disappointment and joy, with Caroline Pamukcu and HSH Blake emerging as the clear stars of the American effort.

The pair were fifth after dressage on 32 and remained fifth after cross-country on 40 after a superb cross-country round.
The performance also came only weeks after the World Championships at Aachen, where Caroline and Blake had suffered a parting of ways partway around cross-country.

Blake has already established himself as a serious five-star horse, with top-level results at Maryland and Kentucky, and today reinforced the fact he belongs among the leading horses in the sport.

“He’s a one-in-a-million horse, but I wouldn’t be here without my crew at home, my vets and farriers, our support staff, and our federation,” said Caorline. “I love this sport and this lifestyle – waking up with my animals, traveling the world with horse Blake and baby Blake and my husband. I want to do well, but more than anything, I’m just incredibly grateful for my life.”

Her first ride of the day, HSH Tolan King, had a much tougher day. Starting 14th after dressage, the pair encountered problems at the Maltings before taking the long route at the Trout Hatchery and then retiring after encountering some control issues.
Tiana Coudray also suffered disappointment with D’Artagnan. The pair began 11th but encountered trouble at the Dairy Mound and later at the Stable Gates, resulting in elimination.

Jennie Brannigan and FE Lifestyle. Photo by Hannah Cole Photography.

Jennie Brannigan, meanwhile, produced one of the most solid American rounds of the day with FE Lifestyle. Starting 17th on 36, Jennie now sits in 12th on 47.2 after a clear jumping round with 11.2 time penalties.

She has described ‘Foxy’ as having “no bottom” when it comes to difficult cross-country tracks. The pair were not immune to the track’s questions and took a longer route at the Trout Hatchery, but Jennie continued to ride positively and the pair finished with a polished round.

“It was actually fun out there – I felt like I was working for it the whole way around, but he jumped beautifully and I’m thrilled with it,” said Jennie. “FE Lifestyle is truly a six-star horse – I’ve never had a horse like him in my career.”
Jennie then explained she has been battling with injury for almost a year.

“I even rode him at Maryland with a shattered ankle and a blown knee after a fall in the start box. They [the doctors] told me I might limp for the rest of my life. I was nine weeks non–weight-bearing – it was a horrible winter, and I was extremely depressed. I’ve broken a lot of bones, but this was the first time I couldn’t come back as fast as I wanted. To feel like myself again today, after walking this Burghley course four times on my own, means everything.”

Will Coleman and Very Dignified. Photo by Hannah Cole Photography.

Will Coleman, another U.S. team member from the World Championships, and Very Dignified provided another performance worth watching closely, particularly because the mare was making her five-star debut. They began ninth after dressage on 33.2 and finished 13th on 47.2 after adding 14 time penalties to a clear jumping round.

Will had been candid beforehand about the challenge, describing Very Dignified as “a greener horse at this sort of event and at this level,” while also saying, “I’m thrilled with her.”

He’d even joked that he had “thought about submitting myself for a psychiatric evaluation” after arriving at Burghley this week. More importantly, Will said his job was to “look after her out there and make sure she leaves a better horse than she arrived.”

That is exactly what he appeared to achieve.

The mare finished her first Burghley with a clear jumping round and, perhaps more importantly, valuable experience of what Will called “the toughest terrain in the world.”

U.S.-based Australian rider Ema Klugman and Chiraz earned a clear, steady round. Photo by Hannah Cole Photography.

A 19-year-old still has something to say

Nadja Minder and Toblerone. Photo by Hannah Cole Photography.

It would be easy to describe Nadja Minder’s move from first to sixth as one of Saturday’s disappointments, but that would overlook one of the most extraordinary achievements of the day.

Nadja and Toblerone, the oldest horse in the field at 19, jumped clear and added 13.2 time penalties to finish on 42.7.
The Swiss pair had made history by becoming the first Swiss combination to lead Burghley after dressage, and they did not surrender that position because of a jumping mistake. Instead, they simply paid a price in time on one of the toughest courses in the sport.

Nadja admitted that she wished she had given Toblerone a better ride and acknowledged that she had taken “a couple of chances,” while also praising her horse for being “so generous and honest.”

Nadja has produced Toblerone through the levels, and to see a 19-year-old horse gallop around modern five-star cross-country, jump clear and sit inside the top six is testament to this wonderful horse and Nadja and her wonderful team.

“He’s such a five-star warrior now. He pricks his ears, looks for the flags – front feet up, back feet up, and on we go,” said 26-year-old Nadja. “I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to ride another horse round a track like this; he’s the horse that shaped my career.”

Sunday awaits

Harry Meade and Cavalier Crysta are seventh following cross-country. Photo by Hannah Cole Photography.

Tomorrow’s final showjumping phase will be tantalising. Although Gemma and Chilli Knight are 7.3 penalties head of Tim and Global Quest in second, the field is then fairly tightly packed, and one fence down separates second and fifth. And if you take Tim and Gemma out of the equation, the other eight riders occupying the top 10 could all be on the precipice of taking their first five-star win.

Fasten your seatbelts, and Go Eventing.

Did you miss any of the action? Catch up on Burghley TV here and with our cross-country live blog here.

Defender Burghley: [Website] [Tickets] [Entries] [Timetable] [Timing & Scoring] [EN’s Burghley Field Wiki] [EN’s Ultimate Guide] [Burghley TV] [EN’s Coverage]

Horse-by-Horse Updates from Cross Country Day at Defender Burghley: Live Blog

By on Sep 5, 2026 6:15 am -

Is it a gate? Is it an oxer? Why, it’s both of course. Welcome to Burghley. Photo via CrossCountry App.

The start of September marks the beginning of fall here in the UK; the weather’s turned, the trees are shedding their load and the mud has already begun to make its comeback after the long, dusty summer. But before we get bogged down in the audacity of surviving the British winter with horses, let’s embroil ourselves in a big weekend of CCI5* eventing as I bring you live updates all day long from the cross country at Defender Burghley.

The title’s up for grabs for a new contender, with the reigning champ Lordships Graffalo enjoying a holiday after his World Championships work, and there’s everything to play for as this year’s hopefuls line up to duke it out over Derek di Grazia’s course.

Experience was the name of the game in the dressage phase, with the top three horses having a combined age of 52. Here’s a look at the leaderboard as we head into today’s test:

1️⃣ 🇨🇭 Starting off their Burghley in super fine style is Nadja Minder and her Young Riders to 5* veteran partner, 19-year-old Toblerone, who delivered a superb PB on Thursday and held onto the lead over both days. They’re on 29.5.

2️⃣ 🇬🇧 Very much in the mix, just 0.1 of a penalty behind is Gemma Stevens and the 5* winning stallion Chilli Morning’s son, 5* winner in his own right, 16-year-old Chilli Knight, who put his best hoof forward for a score of 29.6.

3️⃣ 🇳🇿 Rounding out the podium placings after the first phase is World No. 1 Tim Price with his exceptional jumper, 5* champ and 2026 Badminton runner-up, 17-year-old Falco, who made their mark on the competition with a score of 30.5.

You’ll find the full scoreboard right here.

The live blog will begin when the action down at the start box gets underway, so while we await the first countdown of the day, here’s some links for your perusal:

▶️ For absolutely everything about the competition this week, including schedules, reports, how to keep up with what’s going on and allsorts more, be sure to bookmark our ‘Ultimate Guide’ which is positively brimming with all the deets.

▶️ Follow along with the form via EN’s signature Form Guide, including a round-up of relevant results as well as fun facts about the horses and riders you’ll see today – find it all here.

▶️ Take a look at today’s track from the perspective of our boots on the ground in our Course Preview and check out every fence in detail on CrossCountry App.

▶️ We’ve wrangled the riders for their reactions to Derek di Grazia’s shenanigans – read all about their thoughts, plans and what’s messing with their head in Riders React.

▶️ Missed out on the dressage and want to know what went down? We’ve got the ticket. Check out EN’s classic daily reports: [Thursday AM] [Thursday PM] [Friday].

And that’s not all – there’s also frolics galore happening over on our Instagram channel @goeventing – follow along with the fun here.

With all that said, a little ‘refresher’ on the no. 1 rule of following EN’s classic live blog: refresh, refresh, refresh – and all will be revealed.

via GIPHY

If you’re catching up with this later and are the type to like things in order, scroll ⬇️ and read ⬆️. If going backwards is more your jam, have at it.

We’re counting down to kick off… The first horse and rider pair – the USA’s Caroline Pamukcu and HSH Tolan King – are due to go at 12:30pm CEST / 6:30am EST.

Let’s do this thang – and go eventing!

Defender Burghley: [Website] [Tickets] [Entries] [Timetable] [Timing & Scoring] [CrossCountry App XC Preview] [EN’s Burghley Field Wiki] [EN’s Ultimate Guide] [Burghley TV] [EN’s Coverage]

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11:35am

SUMMARY OF THE DAY’S SPORT

Keep it locked onto EN for our classic full report – coming as soon as our boots on the ground have wrangled the riders and tracked down our legendary chinchilla mascot who’s likely schmoozing somewhere amongst the hospitality offering.

Until then, here’s a rapid update of the action on today’s cross country:

1️⃣ 🇬🇧 Leading the pack is Gemma Stevens and Chilli Knight who delivered a superb clear inside the time to land on their dressage score of 29.6, 7.3 penalties ahead of the field – in show jumping terms that’s a fence plus a fair whack of time.

2️⃣ 🇳🇿 Sitting in second as things stand is World No. 1 Tim Price and Global Quest showed what they’re made of with just 4.8 time penalties added to go into the finale on a score of 36.9.

3️⃣ 🇬🇧 Rounding out the podium after cross country is Holly Richardson and Ballyneety Silver Service who jumped a fantastic clear inside the time and sit on their dressage score of 38.3.

4️⃣ 🇬🇧 Heading into the final phase just off the podium is Katie Magee and Treworra who added only 2.4 time penalties today and are on 38.6, just 0.3 points off the podium placings.

5️⃣ 🇺🇸 Caroline Pamukcu and HSH Blake are best of the US in 5th place after a lovely clear jumping round with 8 time penalties to add, ending up on a score of 40.

You’ll find the full scoreboard right here.

But we all know that eventing’s about so much more than the scores. Here’s some points of note from today’s competition:

✅ 28 combinations completed cross country from 46 starters.

⛔ 9 combinations were eliminated on course. 1 combination was pulled up by the Ground Jury.

🖐️ 9 opted to retire from the competition.

❗ Jumping penalties came at 15 different fences.

🚩 3 flag penalties appear to be upheld at this stage – Robin Godel and Dealer de la Bride, Michael Owen and Monbeg Darwin and Tara Dixon and Master Smart (who were later eliminated).

⛓️‍💥 There were no broken frangible device penalties.

📈 The Leaf Pit at 24 was the most influential in terms of jumping penalties.

🍂 There were 3 falls in total.

⏰ 2 combinations made the time:

Gemma Stevens and Chilli Knight were 3 seconds inside.

Holly Richardson and Ballyneety Silver Service were 2 seconds inside.

👌 26 combinations jumped clear.

🪜 Leaderboard climbers are a particularly cool feature of our sport, and we had a fair few in the ascendency today:

Holly Richardson and Ballyneety Silver Service put the cat among the pigeons when they clawed their way up 25 places into 3rd.

Katie Magee and Treworra galloped their way up 15 places into 4th.

Harry Meade and Cavalier Crystal rocket 24 places up the board into 7th.

Tom Bird and Cowling Hot Gossip jumped themselves 27 places from last up into 19th.

⭐ Winning at Burghley isn’t always about well, winning. Here’s some rounds of note, although honestly, there were so many:

🪩 Simon Grieve and Autograf had an absolute ball out there and propelled themselves 25 places into 22nd.

🍑 Ben Massie and Filao de Perle had a real peach of a ride with a beautiful clear jumping round.

🎞️ Yas Ingham and Goliath du Loir had a round worthy of the highlight reel in an impressive first Burghley for Yas and first 5* for this exciting prospect.

🐻 Arthur Marx and Church’ile had their eyes on the flags like a bear for a salmon with a great clear jumping round from the French pair.

🍕 Will Coleman and Very Dignified’s performance was clean enough to eat your dinner off and a super exciting start to this young mare’s 5* career.

🃏 Gemma Smith and Chilli Knight win the wild card for a butt clenching – but brilliant – time out there.

💔 Not everyone can have the best day, that’s sport. There were some tricky moments out there, and some disappointments:

🦆 Alex Bragg and Jaeger Master had an oh duck moment at the Trout Hatchery and a wet walk home.

🛀 Kate Rocher-Smith was a good sport when she and Dassett Select took an an early bath, also at the Trout Hatchery.

🐟 Tom Jackson and United 36 also stopped for a spot of fishing at the Trout Hatchery.

🎢 Sarah Bullimore and Corimiro showed just what a rollercoaster this sport can be with a heartbreaking rider fall coming at the final fence after what had been a bold and brave round from the talented young homebred.

All this, and much, much more, in vivid detail below in the live blog. If you want to relive the day according to the order of go, scroll ⬇️ and read ⬆️. If going backwards is more your jam, have at it.

What. A. Day.

The show jumping phase is due to start at 11:30am CEST / 5:30am EST with the second group going at 3:35pm CEST / 9:35am EST.

Thanks for following along. I’m off to ice my fingers.

Eyes on EN for a full report – coming soon.

Go eventing!

Defender Burghley: [Website] [Tickets] [Entries] [Timetable] [Timing & Scoring] [CrossCountry App XC Preview] [EN’s Burghley Field Wiki] [EN’s Ultimate Guide</a] [EN's Form Guide] [Burghley TV] [EN’s Coverage]

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11:05am

STAY TUNED FOR A RAPID UPDATE OF THE DAY’S SPORT HEADED YOUR WAY SHORTLY.

Keep hitting that refresh button – more horsing around coming up very soon…

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10:55

Harry’s got the course to himself now to round out the day.

He’s on a tight line coming round the corner into the skinny brush at 15A at the Maltings and then they’re hoof perfect through the two related combinations through there. Total class from Mr Meade and his mare.

They don’t look like they’re going quick but she’s so deceptive. She barely wastes a second at fences and then accelerates away.

They’re positive into the Trout Hatchery at 19 and then there’s a huge gasp from Tina Cook in commentary as they take a stride out to the middle element, but make it. Yikes. A calculated risk taken there by Harry.

He’s pushing over the galloping fences, really riding forward, but the mare’s coming back when she needs to, like at Defender Valley at 22. They take the ditch rails at 23 on a massive stride.

OK, they’ve taken the longer route at the Leaf Pit at 24. There’s a little slip round the corner into the extra jumping effort of the alternate route, but Harry kicks on.

He gallops into the Main Arena for the combination at 26 and the crowd hanging on there cheers him home. No time wasted there.

Lamberts Sofa at the penultimate fence comes up in their massive gallop stride and then he makes the turn into the finale.

Clear jumping, big cheers, 15 seconds over the time.

And with that, Burghley cross country is over.

Hang tight, more to come from the live blog… Keep refreshing…

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10:50

FINAL COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: 🇬🇧 Harry Meade and Cavalier Crystal

Dressage Score: 38.4
Place: 31

“Nell” flies out of the start box with Harry looking to have a bit of a point to prove. She jumps superbly over the barge in the water at 4, as if the water wasn’t there at all. She’s totally focused as she drops over the swan at 6 and then gets the perfect striding through the Raindance at 7, Harry really made sure everything went right there.

Tim’s a little wobbly into the skinny triple brush at the Maltings at 15 but then very deliberate over the big rails and corner at 16AB.

But then, oh. Falco comes to the hanging log at the Trout Hatchery at 19 and just stops. No. Tim very nearly dives into the water himself but that core unfathomably lifts him back up and into the saddle. He trots Falco through the water, hand in the air. Goodness me. This sport really does throw up surprises.

Caroline says Blake’s shown just what a 5* horse he is. Blake’s an “absolute Ferrari”. She’ disappointed with herself for the time penalties.

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10:45

PENULTIMATE COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: 🇳🇿 Tim Price and Falco

Dressage Score: 30.5
Place: 3

Falco looks fabulous at the start of his round, jumping bolding over the swan at 6 and then really determined through the Raindance at 7, Tim giving the horse no option but to go straight through there. He jumps big over the log at the Dairy Mound at 9 but Tim makes it happen there. All of his experience on show there. Falco’s very keen today. Tim manages to get him back to jump the double of gates at 12 really well, but he’s got his hands a little full, for sure.

Caroline gallops into the Main Arena and wastes no time through the combination at 26 in there. They cross the line 20 seconds over the time. They’ve gone into 5th with two combinations to go.

Susie is showing on the live scores as having had a 20 at 15B, the skinny at the Maltings. She appears to have retired after that.

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10:40

NEW COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: 🇮🇪 Susie Berry and John the Bull

Dressage Score: 37.2
Place: 23

We’re into the final three to go now.

Caroline continues to have a solid round with Blake. She brings him right back at the Trout Hatchery, practically coming back to trot and sliding over the A element which affects the B element, but then she gets things back on track for the C element. Not so smooth through there. She has a bit of setting up to do at Defender Valley at 22 too, that’s eating into the time.

Ooof, we see Susie slither over the corner coming out of the Dairy Mound at 9, but they make it through. He jumps real big over the two Stable Gates at 12.

Update: Holly was 1 minute 55 over the time, carrying a 20 and with two flag questions.

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10:35

NEW COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: 🇺🇸 Caroline Pamukcu and HSH Blake

Dressage Score: 32
Place: 5

Blake’s clever with his footwork through the Raindance at 7, looking very confident at the start of his round. They have a really tight line through the two gates at 12, wasting not a smidge of a second there.

Tom picks up a perfect line through the Pedigree Ditches at 14, taking his time to get it just right. But it’s not at all right at the Trout Hatchery at 19. They have a big miss and both horse and rider get wet. Both are straight up on their feet and we see Tom leading “Ted” away, looking to be fine.

Meanwhile, Holly has crossed the line. We haven’t got a time for her yet but I’ll update you when we do.

Will says it felt like the mare’s first 5* but she was “just amazing”. He said he was careful with her in the beginning to ensure she felt good at the end.

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10:30

NEW COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: 🇬🇧 Tom Jackson and United 36

Dressage Score: 33.1
Place: 8

They get close to the final element at the Dairy Mound at 9 but squeak over neatly enough. They cover the ground true and proper on the way down Winners’ Avenue and then jump the two gates at 12 brilliantly.

We can see on the live scores that Holly’s had a refusal at 14C, the Pedigree Ditches but didn’t see it on screen. They’re very good through Defender Valley at 22, neat and confident, obviously having put that problem behind them.

Textbook for Will through the Main Arena at 26, looking a tiny bit weary now but very close to home. They take Lamberts Sofa at the penultimate fence in their stride and then get a neat shot to the finale. Clear jumping, 35 seconds over. What a great performance from this young mare, and brilliantly ridden, of course. A Burghley horse she is.

Katie says it was “magical” to ride round the course.

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10:25

NEW COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: 🇬🇧 Holly Richardson and Bally Louis

Dressage Score: 40.7
Place: 43

Only five more to go after Holly.

Holly makes a neat job of the Raindance at 7. They get close to the log in the middle of the Dairy Mound at 9 and they add all the way through there. But Holly sits quiet, lets the horse get on with his job and they’re clear. What a lovely honest horse.

Will has a beautiful ride through the Trout Hatchery at 19, the mare’s jumping superbly and looks so confident. Chef’s kiss through Defender Valley at 22. Foot perfect. She’s galloping easily and seems to be finding the fences well within herself. What a feeling that must be and what an exciting young horse. They go the longer option at the Leaf Pit. “She’s cool isn’t she?” says Simon in commentary. Very cool. And just a 10-year-old. Wow.

Katie adds at the combination in the Main Arena at 26, being totally safe so close to home. She’s only a couple of seconds out as she jumps the penultimate fence. Just 6 seconds over the time. Big cheers at the finish line. What a round that was, from both horse and rider.

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10:20

NEW COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: 🇺🇸 Will Coleman and Very Dignified

Dressage Score: 33.2
Place: 9

Will gets a really good line through the Dairy Mound at 9, “seriously class riding” Simon Grieve in the commentary box says. Very confident and accurate and impressive from this mare who’s at her first 5*. She’s foot perfect through Keepers at 10. And then the Cottesmore Leap at 11 is superb.

Woo, Katie stands off the second skinny brush at 15 at the Maltings and then they add to the triple bar at 16A, the horse really shows he knows his job there. They’re very clean through the Trout Hatchery at 19, with Katie really making it clear to her horse where he needed to turn. They’re within 10 seconds of the time at the Leaf pit at 24.

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10:15

NEW COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: 🇬🇧 Katie Magee and Treworra

Dressage Score: 36.2
Place: 19

Katie sets off meaning business and gets straight into a fast rhythm. They fly down Winners’ Avenue and then make a neat job of the double of gates at 12, putting in an extra stride to make sure everything stays balanced. They get a great jump over the corner coming out of the Pedigree Ditches at 14 and the crowd goes ooo.

Robin’s horse is tired as he nears the end of the course. He’s carrying a flag penalty from fence 14B but the question’s been taken away from the Trout Hatchery. They canter over the line, 51 seconds over the time and a Burghley completion on the horse’s card at his first 5*.

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10:10

NEW COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: 🇺🇸 Tiana Coudray and D’Artagnan

Dressage Score: 33.8
Place: 11

Wow, they’re so good through the Raindance at 7, drool inducing in fact. Perfect striding, the horse patting off the ground and making the best shape over his fences. Very impressive.

But then there’s disappointment at the Dairy Mound when they have a drive-by at the brush coming out. 20 penalties for them, a real shame.

And then there’s an issue at the Stable Gates at 12. The horse ends up on top of the gate between the rails. We see him being led off course.

OK, we see Robin having troubles at the Trout Hatchery at 19. The horse picks up for the cabin in the water after not being on a good stride but doesn’t make it over. There’s a moment but then he slithers across. It comes up as a question mark on the live scores but he seems to have continued on.

Meanwhile, Ema’s crossed the line, 2 minutes 34 over the time but clear jumping and a Burghley completion. Good stuff.

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10:05

NEW COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: 🇨🇭 Robin Godel and Dealer de la Bride

Dressage Score: 39.7
Place: 37

We’re into the final 10 combinations of the day now.

The crowds are massive at the Lion Bridge but Robin’s horse is totally focused as he jumps the barge in the water at 4. They add strides at the Dairy Mound at 9 which makes things a little tricky but they go through clear and then do a neat job at Keepers at 10 and then make the Cottesmore Leap at 11 look kinda small.

Foxy’s looking a little tired as he nears home and Jennie’s really supporting him. They get a cracker at the finale and cross the line 28 seconds over the time. A really nice jumping round from them.

Ema’s taking things steady as the goes through the straight route at the Maltings at 15 and 16, they’re quite far down on the clock but jumping well. They take the alternate at the Trout Hatchery at 19 and Chiraz looks keen and happy for the job.

We hear from Jennie Brannigan, who’s into the top 10 as things stand. She feels like she could have been a little quicker but she rode exactly to her plan in terms of jumping. She’s excited for tomorrow and quotes the late, great Dolly to finish up a fun interview. What a way to work a 9-5 she says.

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10am

NEW COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: 🇦🇺 Ema Klugman and Chiraz

Dressage Score: 38.5
Place: 33

Chiraz is really covering the ground as he gallops along the early part of the track, looking every part a horse who’s happy to be at Burghley.

Sadly we see Anthony put his hand up after griding to a halt taking the long route at Defender Valley at 22. A valiant effort from this pair who, taking into account the extra jumping efforts of the long routes they took, basically jumped enough fences to have completed.

Jennie gives Foxy a really confident ride through Defender Valley at 22. The horse is really jumping well. They take the quick route through the Leaf Pit at 24, taking a great line and making that combination look very smooth.

Austin says he’s delighted with his horse, who’s learning his trade. He feels like he’s really stepped up since Badminton in the spring.

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9:55

NEW COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: 🇺🇸 Jennie Brannigan and FE Lifestyle

Dressage Score: 36
Place: 17

“Foxy” looks keen at the start of his round, he’s got his ears pricked and is looking for the flags. He makes a great turn into the final element of the Dairy Mound at 9, very efficient and clever with his hooves. Nice. They fly the Cottesmore Leap at 11, total highlight reel shot there for them. He’s so neat over the two gates at 12.

Anthony drifts a little in the Pedigree Ditches and takes the flag on the corner after having to reach for it. He doesn’t think he’s jumped it and he comes back round, thus picking up a 20. He could perhaps have pushed on and taken a flag penalty instead. They take the long route at the Trout Hatchery at 19, winding his way round but jumping nicely along the way.

Austin has crossed the line, clear jumping, 58 seconds over. A really brave round from this relatively inexperienced horse.

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9:50

NEW COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: 🇬🇧 Anthony Clark and Ballinaguilkey Fortunus

Dressage Score: 38.4
Place: 31=

They opt for the longer route at the Raindance at 7, looping round and taking time but making sure to stay safe at the start of their round. He gets a huge jump at the Dairy Mound at 9, prompting a “Woah!”. What a feeling it must be to be doing your first 5* at Burghley.

Meanwhile Austin wastes not a scrap of a second at the Trout Hatchery at 19. Classic Austin riding, awesome cross country style and a lesson to all us wannabe eventers. But then things are scrappy at the Leaf Pit at 24, where he picks up the alternate route and it’s all a little messy. They push on.

Update: Lucy jumped the C element of the Trout Hatchery twice while she tried to navigate round that combination after the mistake at the B element, hence being eliminated.

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9:45

NEW COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: 🇮🇪 Austin O’Connor and Sixmilewater

Dressage Score: 38
Place: 26

Austin’s hunting his way round at the start of the course, looking confident through the first water at the Lion Bridge and over the barge at 4. The confidence continues and Austin’s giving the horse a fantastic ride. They’re fabulous through the Pedigree Ditches at 14, really bold and smooth.

Lucy’s up on the clock at the mid-point of her round but then, oh my. They’re really sticky over the log at the Trout Hatchery at 19 and get stuck on the top for a moment. Momentum takes them over it though and they actually manage to make their way through the final elements there. Goodness, what a good horse and what a balanced rider. Oh yikes, there’s another gasp moment over the ditch at Defender Valley at 22 when then horse doesn’t jump the ditch but runs straight over it, catching his hinds on the lip but continuing on. But then we see Lucy walking round. The live scores shows her as being eliminated at the Trout Hatchery at the log. So it seems she’s been pulled up.

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9:40

NEW COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: 🇮🇪 Lucy Latta and RCA Patron Saint

Dressage Score: 36
Place: 18

We heard from Matt Heath in the break who says his horse was bought as a hack for his owner but kept going and going and now he’s completed at Burghley. He had a couple of 20s on course but he’s looking forward to bringing him back next year and is grateful to be going into the show jumping tomorrow, albeit early on.

We get back going with Lucy and they set off in a good rhythm, seeing a huge stride over the Lakeside Brush at 5 and getting a real flier. They’re very quick through the Raindance at 7, wasting not a smidge of a second. Yikes, save of the day from Lucy. They’re way off the table at the top of the Dairy Mound at 9 and have to really stretch to make it over. The horse’s belly rubs over the top of the jump and it looks uncomfortable for Lucy but she’s in perfect balance and sits tight for the two further elements. They tap the second gate at 12 but all’s good and they gallop on. They get a perfect shot through the Pedigree Ditches at 14.

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9:21

NEW COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: 🇬🇧 Kate Rocher-Smith and Dassett Select

Dressage Score: 43.5
Place: 46

Kate’s horse is very strong at the start of the course, pulling hard and keen to get on with the job. The Dairy Mound at 9 is hard work for Kate but then she can let him gallop down Winners’ Avenue. He makes a nice job through the Stable Gates at 12, perhaps looking a little more settled. Oh, yes, it really is which they show at the Maltings with a beautiful line. Excellent.

But then, oh duck. We see them trip in the water at the Trout Hatchery. That’s a shame when it seemed they’d got things together.

Another very strong horse is Tara’s Master Smart. They have a huge moment when she’s jumped right out of the saddle and loses her stirrups, but she gets herself sat up. Then there’s more control problems at the Trout Hatchery at 19. He jumps huge in and there’s no way to make it straight through. Tara tries to pick out the long route and there’s some confusion. It’s a question mark on the live scores over whether there were tracks crossed. It’s heart in the mouth stuff through Defender Valley at 22. They take the longer route, no option for the straight route really, given how strong the horse is being.

The red flag comes out before the Leaf Pit and they’re stopped by the Ground Jury.

Tom and Public Address have crossed the line, clear jumping, 54 seconds over. A brave round from them.

There’s a short break now before the next starter.

Update: We see Kate’s good humor as she plays up to the crowd, absolutely fine after that tumble. Dassett Select is being led round.

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9:15

NEW COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: 🇬🇧 Tara Dixon and Master Smart

Dressage Score: 39.4
Place: 36

Tara loses her reins over the swan at 6 and she’s grabbing at them to get them back for the Raindance combination at 7, goodness she does well to get things back together to make it through there.

Tom is hunting his way round with his TB, who’s brave and gutsy and really trying for his rider. He’s neat down the drop at the Leaf Pit at 24 and then pick up the longer route.

Arthur crosses the line with his fist in the air. 37 seconds over the time, three flag questions, but a superb showing from this pair of pals.

We hear from Sarah who’s “absolutely fine” but “cross”. She says her horse had seen the finish and was going for it, never mind what she was trying to say to him. He was so keen and so strong and definitely a Burghley horse, but there’s no missing how disappointed she is despite being proud of her homebred.

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9:10

NEW COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: 🇬🇧 Tom Strawson and Public Address

Dressage Score: 40.1
Place: 38

We see Tom trying to sort something out as he gallops down Winners’ Avenue, not sure what was going on there but he sits up for the double of gates at 12. Hopefully it’s nothing that’ll affect them going forwards.

Arthur and Church’ile are brave off the drop at the Leaf Pit at 24 and then really quickly pick their way through the brush and then the corner. A delighted shout from Arthur.

OH! OH! OH! Sarah and Corimiro are flying towards the finish, they don’t make the turn into the last, the horse twists over the fence, Sarah’s thrown out of the tack, she hangs on for a second but gravity’s against her and she ends up on the grass, just shy of the finish flags. The horse gallops through. So disappointing for her. Gosh, this sport is something.

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9:05

NEW COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: 🇫🇷 Arthur Marx and Church’ile

Dressage Score: 37.8
Place: 24

Arthur and “Pumba” have a sweet start to their round. The horse’s ears are pricked and he seems keen to take on the challenge of Burghley cross country.

Sarah is very efficient through the Maltings at 15 and 16. Corimiro seems to be getting stronger as he makes his way along the track, which we see at the Trout Hatchery which is a little hairy. Well jumped though. Sarah’s absolutely going for it and is riding incredibly bravely. He’s such an honest horse and she’s able to go quick and not set up too much.

Oh, we see Matt having a drive-by at the left-handed corner coming out of the Leaf Pit at 24. That’s a further 20 penalties for them. A real shame as they’d jumped the middle element really nicely. They continue on though for an educational round for this 5* debutant. They cross the line, 2 minutes 22 over, 40 jumping penalties, but a 5* completion on the horse’s step-up to the level.

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9am

NEW COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: 🇬🇧 Sarah Bullimore and Corimiro

Dressage Score: 33.6
Place: 10

Sarah’s horse absolutely flies down Winners’ Avenue and then she trusts him not to set up too much for the double of gates at 12. She’s going for the time, for sure. They’re quick through the Pedigree Ditches at 14, on a beautiful bending line, super smooth.

We see Matt getting to the corner out of the combination at 14 on a half stride and the horse very sensibly opting to go out the side door. 20 penalties for them. They come back round and continue on.

Michael has crossed the line, with 30 time penalties. Three flag questions as things stand. A really well-ridden round from this stalwart 5* rider, great to watch.

Jonelle says her horse proved he’s a Burghley horse, “as honest as they come”. She says she knows he’s got some big results to come.

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8:55

NEW COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: 🇬🇧 Matthew Heath and Benedict Radau

Dressage Score: 40.6
Place: 42

They come into the Raindance at 7 really quick and the horse has to work to chip in a small stride. Clever pony there. Matt makes it happen at the Dairy Mound at 9, supporting this young horse who’s doing his first 5*.

We catch up with Jonelle in the Main Arena at the combination there at 26. Classic Jonelle through there, making things happen and really attacking. She crosses the line 27 seconds over, although she went quick there was a fair bit of setting up going on. Two flag questions on the live scores for them also.

Meanwhile Michael’s horse is really trying and Michael’s really giving him a great ride. He gives him time to read the questions through the Trout Hatchery at 19. There’s a bit of a muddle at Defender Valley at 22, sticky over the ditch and some very quick thinking from Michael to switch up to the longer route. The horse has a real look down the drop at the Leaf Pit at 24 but goes and then they take the longer route out. Nice riding from Michael there to support his horse.

Update: All Jesse’s flags have been removed.

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8:50

NEW COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: 🇬🇧 Michael Owen and Monbeg Darwin

Dressage Score: 38.3
Place: 30

This is a big horse who really covers the ground. Michael balances him beautifully through the Raindance at 7 to make the stride there. The horse brings his back legs down on the log table at the A element of the Dairy Mound at 9, a few have done that there. It means he has to push for the middle element and then the corner coming out. He takes the flag which comes up as a question.

Jonelle’s really working hard as she makes her way round the track. She’s clear through Defender Valley at 22. They take the left handed route into the Leaf Pit at 24 and then opt for the slightly longer route through there. Bold riding and a bold horse.

We’re hearing from Jesse who says his horse tried hard and dug deep and “any time you get through the finish flags at Defender Burghley it’s pretty cool”.

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8:45

NEW COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: 🇳🇿 Jonelle Price and Chilli’s Midnight Star

Dressage Score: 36.2
Place: 21

Jonelle gets off to a bold start and is really pushing on as she makes her way through the water to the Raindance fence at 7. The striding through there comes up perfectly for them.

We see Sam through the Maltings at 15 and 16, putting a bit of a bending line between the final two elements and looking much neater through there than earlier. But then Rocket’s just too keen at the Trout Hatchery. He jumps in really big but then doesn’t come back to Sam and they pick up 20 at the final element. He puts his hand up.

Meanwhile Jesse’s cross the line. There are five flag questions showing on his scores, which will be reviewed, and 33 seconds over the time.

Yas is saying she had to be “brave” going round her first Burghley cross country.

Update: Emma Thomas’ flag questions have been removed.

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8:40

NEW COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: 🇮🇪 Sam Watson and Ballyneety Rocketman

Dressage Score: 40.5
Place: 39

“Rocket” lives up to his name as he storms down the track at the start of the course. He’s close to the house after the step at the Raindance fence at 7 but cat-like and quick through there. Yikes, a real moment for them at the Dairy Mound at 9. There’s a little trip over the A element but Sam sits up and the horse rights himself. They squeak through the corner on the way out and take the flag. Not too much more of that please, Sam. Heart in mouth moment for them there.

We see Yas through the Main Arena at 26. The horse is looking to have worked hard, it’s a young horse and has really risen to the biggest challenge of his career to date. Yas is delighted as she crosses the line, clear jumping, 35 seconds over.

The crowd’s behind Jesse as he comes to the Trout Hatchery at 19. They’re a little sticky over the log going into the second pool but the flow through there is really nice. There’s a few flag questions on the live scores. They’re brave off the step at the Leaf Pit at 24 and then take the slightly longer route with an extra jumping effort. The horse is jumping really well, very bold and keen.

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8:35

NEW COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: 🇳🇿 Jesse Campbell and Cooley Lafitte

Dressage Score: 38.3
Place: 28

Cooley Lafitte is nimble through the Dairy Mound at 9 and then makes a neat job of the double of gates at 12, getting a bit close to the first but navigating the combination nicely.

Big claps from the crowd for Yas through the Pedigree Ditches at 14. The horse is really focused through the Trout Hatchery at 19, trying so hard for Yas. He backs off a little going over the log in the middle but Yas is there to hold his hand. He has a look into the ditch at Defender Valley at 22 but Yas sits tight and encourages him through.

Oh no, there’s more trouble for Harry at the Leaf Pit at 24. The horse jumped out of his hand over the brush after the drop and then they slide off the side of the corner coming out. A further 20 penalties for them. Once again, it looks like Harry’s put his hand up but no, he continues on the long route.

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8:30

NEW COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: 🇬🇧 Yasmin Ingham and Goliath du Loir

Dressage Score: 32.7
Place: 7

Let’s enjoy the best tail at Burghley float round the track. The horse has a little look into the water at 6 and Yas has to ride him forward at the Raindance at 7. He’s a young horse at his first 5* and looking a little like that early on. He’s low over the log in the middle of the Dairy Mound at 9 but Yas really takes her time to let the horse see the question there. They have a great gallop down Winners’ Avenue, with that tail flying. They make the Stable Gates at 12 look straightforward. Neat work from them there.

We catch up with Harry looking altogether more like himself at the Pedigree Ditches at 14. He’s taken his foot off the gas as he comes through the Maltings at 15 and 16. They make a neat job through the Trout Hatchery at 19.

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8:25

NEW COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: 🇬🇧 Harry Meade and Et Hop du Matz

Dressage Score: 39
Place: 35

Oh dear. We catch up with Harry having a stop at 9B, the Dairy Mound. Harry goes to add but it doesn’t come up. The horse just couldn’t jump from there. He seems to put his hand up, but then comes back round and continues on. He’s crazy fast through Keepers at 10 and goes on two and a half through there. This isn’t something we see often from Harry.

Icarus lives up to his name and flies Lamberts Sofa at the penultimate fence. They gallop on and look like he’d go again as he crossed the line. An exciting round from them. 36 seconds over and a couple of flag questions still on their card for now.

Sam has been red flagged due to that error on course.

Emma says Icarus is “an incredible cross country horse who never runs out of enthusiasm”. She says she’s spoilt to have a horse she doesn’t have to encourage at all. Indeed.

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8:20

NEW COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: 🇦🇺 Samuel Jeffrees and Santoro

Dressage Score: 38.7
Place: 34

Sam rides strongly into the water over the swan going into the water at 6 and then, wow, they bounce out of the Raindance after the step at 7. What scope. Brave. Yikes, there’s a moment at the Dairy Mound at 9 going over the log table at the A element when the horse slides over it on his belly. But they continue on clear. But then things come unstuck at Keepers as they run past the skinny brush coming out of the combination at 10 there. He comes round again and then bravely takes on the Cottesmore Leap at 11. They’re showing on the live scores as having missed a jump at 10 whilst navigating the long route after that drive-by. I’ll keep you updated on that.

Icarus still looks enthusiastic as he comes to the Pedigree Ditches at 14, galloping along and jumping big. They take the flag at the corner coming out and there’s an oo from the crowd for the huge jump he puts in there. The horse is incredibly strong coming into Defender Valley at 22 but this pair know each other really well and they’re a true partnership and they jump through clear. She opts for the long route at the Leaf Pit at 24.

We hear from Simon who’s beaming. “I had the best time ever!”

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8:15

NEW COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: 🇬🇧 Emma Thomas and Icarus

Dressage Score: 40.5
Place: 40=

Emma opts for the long route at the Raindance at 7. I’m pretty sure she had troubles there last year, so playing it safe early on course this time, which is perhaps smart. They go straight through the Dairy Mound at 9 but Emma has to really keep his outside shoulder in to make it over the corner coming out. But he listens and they continue on. He’s very keen through Keepers at 10 but jumps brilliantly. They pick up a flag question though.

Simon clears the combination in the Main Arena at 26. Good boys going on all round the course. He’s thrilled with “Buster” as they cross the finish line. A really gutsy, determined cross country round. Fun. Clear jumping, 47 seconds over. Two flag questions that are provisional at this point.

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8:10

NEW COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: 🇳🇿 Caroline Powell and High Time

Dressage Score: 33.9
Place: 12

Caroline gets off to a neat start but then has to push through the Raindance combination at 7, coming up a little short so she has to drive to make the stride there. High Time jumps out of Caroline’s hand coming into the Dairy Mound at 9 and then things go awry and then drive past the final element and pick up 20. She continues on but then pulls up before the Cottesmore Leap at 11.

Meanwhile Simon and Autograf continue to hunt their way round. the horse is loving it out there. Simon slips his reins through the Trout Hatchery at 19, sitting up and steering through his seat. Brilliantly ridden through there. Awesome balance on show from both horse and rider. Yikes, he taps a front leg at Defender Valley at 22. What a save from Simon. Brave stuff. He’s sure determined. They get a superb shot through the Leaf Pit. We hear Simon shout his strides out. Perfect.

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8:05

NEW COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: 🇬🇧 Simon Grieve and Autograf

Dressage Score: 44.1
Place: 47

In the break we heard from Nadja who said she wishes she gave Toblerone a better ride, humble from this young rider as it looked pretty good to us. She feels like she took a couple of chances but that her horse looked after her and is so generous and honest. She said it was gritty out there, but it’s Burghley. She “quite” enjoyed it!

We also got the chance to see the crowds and of course the doggos enjoying a day out at Burghley in the sunshine. It’s absolutely packed with picnickers and kids playing and eventing fans.

Back to the action and Simon’s set off like he means business. The horse has his ears pricked and he looks keen for the test today. He’s cat-like up the step at 7, not a great shot but Autograf makes it happen. What a game horse he is. He adds in the middle of the Dairy Mound at 9 and then squirrels over the corner coming out. Clever pony. A gutsy showing thus far. There’s a couple of flag questions showing up on the live scores. They’re really taking this track on, that’s for sure.

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7:45

NEW COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: 🇫🇷 Benjamin Massie and Filao de Perle

Dressage Score: 36.9
Place: 22

They jump really well through the Raindance at 7, making nothing of the tricky combination there. The horse is so deliberate and careful and a fabulous jumper. They take a really tight line between the Stable Gates at 12, so neat, so efficient, so far so good for this pair. He makes a beautiful shape over the corner coming out of the Pedigree Ditches at 14, forward and brave through there and taking a stride out came up perfectly for them. They’re classy through the Leaf Pit at 24, such a careful horse.

Toblerone’s having the round of his life. He’s jumping big and bold and galloping on and Nadja’s giving him a peach of a ride. Yikes, the horse sees the corner in the water at the Trout Hatchery at 19 at the last second, but he’s honest as the day’s long and picks up for Nadja, who’s in perfect balance and barely moves. They slide on through and gallop on. They’re down on the time at the 9 minute marker. Toblerone looks a little tired as he comes through the Main Arena combination at 26 and Nadja’s riding accordingly. They cross the line with Nadja looking thrilled with her pal. Clear jumping, 33 seconds over – 13.2 time penalties.

Gemma Stevens has gone into the lead.

Meanwhile Max has also crossed the line, clear jumping, 37 seconds over. A lot of this round was pure perfection, some little moments where things weren’t quite on plan. We’re hearing from Max that his horse dug deep round a bloody big course. He felt him tire though, so homework for the winter.

We’re going to see Benjamin finish and then there’s a brief pause in starters.

He has to work hard through the combination in the Main Arena at 26 but they’re close to home now. He’s a little strung out as he comes to the penultimate fence and the horse backs himself off and Ben sits quiet and allows the jump to happen. They cross the line clear jumping, 10.4 time penalties. Ben looks pleased with his really exciting young horse. A lovely round overall.

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7:40

NEW COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: 🇨🇭 Nadja Minder and Toblerone

Dressage Score: 29.5
Place: 1

Nadja looks focused as she starts her round. This really is a true partnership between horse and rider. She was so excited for today, and confident to be taking on the challenge with her good friend. They skip up the step at the Raindance at 7 and then we catch up with them taking a stride out at the Dairy Mound at 9. Wow. They jump far down the slope over the B element and Nadja pushes for a long one to the brush coming out. Brave but brilliant from both horse and rider.

Max and Deerpairc Revelry are beautiful through the Maltings at 15 and 16, so balanced and together. This was shaping up to be such a confident and accomplished round but then there’s a little miscommunication at the Trout Hatchery at 19 coming to the final element and Max then opts for the longer route at Defender Valley at 22.

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7:35

NEW COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: 🇬🇧 Max Warburton and Deerpairc Revelry

Dressage Score: 31.2
Place: 4

They’re super neat over the barge at the Lion Bridge at 4, giving the huge crowds there a nice view. The horse is really focused and really makes a beautiful job through the Raindance at 7. Perfectly together.

Alex makes things happen through the Maltings at 16 and 17 but then sadly things come to a wet end for the pair at the Trout Hatchery. It just doesn’t happen and horse and rider slither over the hanging log and land with a splash. Both are straight on their feet and surrounded by the professional teams, but all does seem to be OK.

Meanwhile, Jack has cross the line to screams from his support team. A few sticky moments but a completion on his first time at the level. Clear jumping, 16 time penalties.

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7:30

NEW COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: 🇬🇧 Alexander Bragg and Jaeger Master

Dressage Score: 35.6
Place: 16

Jaegar Master looks confident at the start of his round, paying no heed to the crowds as he makes his way through the water and under the Lion Bridge at 4.

Oh my, Jack’s living dangerously through the Maltings. He had a real moment at the first element of 15, gets thrown out of the tack but sits up, muddles his way over the second element and then bravely pushes on for the related combination at 16, somehow making it through over those huge rails and open corner clear. He’s going direct at the Leaf Pit at 24 too but has a much smoother rider through there.

Meanwhile, Tom and Cowling Hot Gossip have crossed the line. Another 5* completion for this game gelding. Clear jumping, 38 seconds over the time.

We’re hearing from Gemma about that mistake at the Leaf Pit. She says her horse said, “Hold my beer, I got this!” Gemma apologizes to the crowd for all the swearing. “I love my pony,” she says.

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7:25

NEW COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: 🇬🇧 Jack Pinkney and Clara Olala

Dressage Score: 38
Place: 25

They add strides coming out of the Raindance combination at 7, a bit of an unusual approach but it works for them. They clip the flag at the first of the stable gates at 12 and Jack looks back but all seems well.

Tom gets close to the final element at the Trout Hatchery at 19 as they swing round the bend to line up the corner there, but they make it through and the horse had no doubt what the job was. He gives the horse time to read the question at Defender Valley at 22 and they make a sweet job of that.

Gemma’s punching the air, huge pats for “Alfie”, she’s delighted. CLEAR INSIDE THE TIME!!! The horse had a total ball out there. The flag question was taken away.

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7:20

NEW COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: 🇬🇧 Tom Bird and Cowling Hot Gossip

Dressage Score: 45.8
Place: 48

Tom’s horse guessed a little coming up the step out of the water at 7 but Tom sits up and supports him and they make their way through the combination there.

Gemma is flying. You can see the concentration on the horse’s face, he’s totally on Gemma’s side. They’re fast over the fences and then pushing on in between. She’s giving this horse a peach of a ride. They skip through Defender Valley at 22 and Gemma’s thrown forward over the triple brush on the way out. She’s straight back in the plate. But then there’s total heart in the mouth moments at the Leaf Pit at 24. There’s no stride, but Chilli Knight is fabulous. What a good horse. They make it through, together. Yikes. It comes up as a flag question on the live scoreboard.

Joseph trots into the drop at the Leaf Pit at 24 and then goes straight through the brush and corner. They cross the line to a cheer just over a minute over the time. Joseph punches the air. That looked like it would have been a fun ride and the horse really jumped brilliantly.

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7:15

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NEW COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: 🇬🇧 Gemma Stevens and Chilli Knight

Dressage Score: 29.6
Place: 2

Gemma’s game face on as she looks to capitalize on her great dressage test and placing coming into today. They’re very quick through the Anniversary Splash at 6 and then the Raindance at 7, taking no pulls there. Chilli Knight has something to say about being asked to come back after galloping down Winners’ Avenue and they’re super fast through the double of gates at 12.

Joseph and Calmaro are economical through the Trout Hatchery at 19 and seem to be having a really fun round. They’re neat through Defender Valley at 22.

Meanwhile, sadly we see Clarke pulling up. The horse is looking a little tired and he just knuckles a bit in between the A and B elements of the combination in the Main Arena at 26. Clarke gently turns away from the fence and puts his hand up. A really good choice and nice horsemanship on show. There’s another day for this 5* debutant.

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7:10

NEW COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: 🇮🇪 Joseph Murphy and Calmaro

Dressage Score: 41.4
Place: 4

Joseph gets off to a very strong start with things looking easy for this experienced pair. They’re economical and totally on the same page and the horse is jumping well and looks keen for his job.

Clarke continues to look quick as he opts for an alternative approach to the Leaf Pit at 24, it’s fine though. Tom McEwen took that route a couple years ago. But then he decides to go a slightly longer route on the way out. The horse is quite low over the corner but they make it through.

Cassie has more troubles at the Leaf Pit. They miss at the corner coming out and the flag’s between the horse’s legs. She takes a moment and then goes round the long route but there’s a question over whether tracks were crossed and it comes up as two penalties on the live scoreboard. Then the red flag comes out for them before the penultimate fence and she’s pulled up by the ground jury.

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7:05

NEW COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: 🇳🇿 Clarke Johnstone and Domasco

Dressage Score: 34.5
Place: 15

This is such a leggy, elegant horse, it’s exciting to see him at his first 5*. He’s absolutely motoring at the start of the course. Clarke’s got his eyes on the prize. The horse really covers the ground and looks super impressive as he gallops along the Burghley track.

Cassie comes past the big crowds at the Maltings and has a quiet ride through there, almost running out of oomph for the final open corner on the way out but the horse is really honest and tries hard for Cassie. There’s a moment at the Trout Hatchery as they have a big jump over the log into the second pond and then drift across the angled cabin and take the flag. That’s one for the judges to determine. They’re a big squirrelly over the cord in the third pool but make it happen and continue on. They’re showing as having been given flag penalties but it’ll be reviewed. There’s another awkward moment at the Timber Trailer at 21. Cassie sits up and they continue on. Things are looking a little tricky as they near the end of the course.

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7am

NEW COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: 🇺🇸 Cassie Sanger and Redfield Fyre

Dressage Score: 38.2
Place: 27

Redfield Fyre looks keen as they go through the first water at the Lion Bridge at 4 and Cassie’s really got off to a confident and positive start. The horse is really looking for the fences and they get the perfect shot through the Raindance at 7. There’s a little wiggle before the brush corner on the way out of the Dairy Mound at 9 but Cassie holds him in and they go clear through there. They don’t look super quick but the horse is really jumping nicely and understanding the questions. They gallop down Winners’ Avenue and then come back for the double of gate oxers at 12 but actually are quite fast through there.

Ooo, Hawk Eye has a little spook as he gallops along the track after clearing the big corner on the way out of the Leaf Pit at 24. Eyes on buddy, you’re nearly home. They clear the last to a cheer. 30 seconds over the time but a clear jumping round and lots to look forward to from this pair, for sure. Tom will be back on track later with his second ride.

We hear from Tom who’s delighted with the horse’s first clear round at 5*, saying he’s over the moon to show everyone what the horse is capable of.

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6:50

NEW COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: 🇬🇧 Tom Jackson and Hawk Eye

Dressage Score: 34.1
Place: 13

We see Tom set off on the course as Holly passes him going the other way towards home.

They get really close at the angled house at 7 after the step out of the water but Tom sits up and they get things back together. That was a heart in mouth moment. They seem more together and in a good rhythm as they gallop down Winners’ Avenue and come back for the double of gates at 12. They get a good shot over the Pol Roger table at 13. They go the straight route through the two combinations at the Maltings, with Tom balancing between the two and creating a smooth ride. He’s a bit down on the clock. Hawk Eye’s really listening to Tom at the Trout Hatchery at 19 and they have a sweet ride through the tricky lines there. They look to have really settled into their round.

There’s cheers at the end of the course as they fly Lamberts Sofa at 27 from their stride, the penultimate fence, and then clear the last. CLEAR INSIDE THE TIME!!! Superb, what a fun ride that looked.

Tim is saying how Global Price looked after him when he needed to and that he was still really galloping at the end. He had to use up some plan Bs and Cs but overall, he’s chuffed with the horse who tried hard the whole way.

We hear from Holly who says she was down on the time at the start of the course that she started to ignore her clock, until he flew down Winners’ Avenue and continued picking up all the way home to score that clear inside the time.

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6:45

NEW COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: 🇮🇪 Susie Berry and Clever Trick

Dressage Score: 40.5
Place: 39

We pick up Susie at the Dairy Mound and things don’t go to plan for them there unfortunately. The mare puts a big one in over the log at the middle element and they end up running on down the slope and going past the brush. 20 penalties so early on and Susie puts her hand up. She’s got another ride later.

Holly makes a really clear turn through the Trout Hatchery at 19 after the hanging log into the second pond and over the angled cabin. They’re looking good. They go straight through the Leaf Pit at 25, picking up the big corner coming out perfectly. Holly kicks straight on afterwards. They’re a little down on the clock but she’s pushing on.

There’s a cheer as Tim jumps through the combination in the Main Arena at 26 and they’re galloping for home now. They finish 12 seconds over. And they took a long route. An interesting round.

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6:40

THIRD COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: 🇬🇧 Holly Richardson and Ballyneety Silver Service

Dressage Score: 38.3
Place: 28

“Butler” has his ears pricked as he comes to the Lion Bridge at 4 and looks very much up for the job today. It’s not so smooth through the Raindance at 7 but the horse puts in some catty footwork and Holly really reacts and helps to make things happen. The pardubice at 8 gets them back on track. They make the Cottesmore Leap at 11 look small. And it’s definitely not.

We catch up with Tim going the straight route at the Maltings. They’re quick through there. The horse jumps beautifully through the Trout Hatchery combination at 19. Tim makes all those tricky turns absolutely clear to the horse and they really look confident together. They spend a bit of time through Defender Valley through the rail – ditch – brush combination there at 22, making sure that they get a smooth ride. He takes the long route at the Leaf Pit, things look a bit hairy, Tim’s using all of his experience, they get close to the corner and he has to slip his reins, but he gets his knitting back together and they continue on. That’s 5* cross country riding from the World No. 1 for you.

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6:35

SECOND COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: 🇳🇿 Tim Price and Global Quest

Dressage Score: 32.1
Place: 6

Global Quest doesn’t quite get the step out of the water at the Raindance fence at 7A and Tim has to work hard to make the bounce to the angled house for B. But this pair are soon back on exactly the same page. They’re super neat over the gate oxers at 12 on a really economical line, shaving off every second.

Caroline has to push to stay on the bend through the Pedigree Ditches combination at 14 but they get the striding right and gallop on their way. She opts for the longer route at the second part of the Maltings combination – straight through the two skinny triple brushes at 15A and B but too bold to make it through the related 16ABC. Not plan A but they work it out. They opt long at the Trout Hatchery at 19 too and then, oh my, the control’s not there and they jump the string and leave the track. Her hand goes up. Tolan King wasn’t really listening today.

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6:30

FIRST COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: 🇺🇸 Caroline Pamukcu and HSH Tolan King

Dressage Score: 34.4
Place: 14

Caroline leaves the box and Burghley cross country day is underway!

The crowds are already packed around the start of the course and it looks to be a beautiful day at Burghley.

They’re smooth over the first three and then drop into the water to go under the Lion Bridge and over the barge at 4. All good so far. They return to the water for the 65th Anniversary Splash over a carefully carved swan. They are very neat over the Raindance at 7. That fence caused a lot of bother last year but absolutely no question for Caroline.

Tolan King is is a nice rhythm as they gallop up the hill and clear the World Horse Welfare pardubice at 8 and then add a stride through the combination at the Dairy Mound but the jumping is very clean. They get an iconic shot over the Cottesmore Leap at 11 and then get to gallop down Winners’ Avenue, what a feeling that must be.

The horse has a little to say about coming back for the Stable Gates at 12 and shakes his head but they clear the two oxers there. Caroline’s got a bit on her hands but they’re getting the job done.

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Defender Burghley: [Website] [Tickets] [Entries] [Timetable] [Timing & Scoring] [CrossCountry App XC Preview] [EN’s Burghley Field Wiki] [EN’s Ultimate Guide</a] [EN's Form Guide] [Burghley TV] [EN’s Coverage]

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6:28

Just a couple of minutes to go… Eyes on eventing fans!

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An Early Hill and Corners for Days: What to Expect from the Burghley Course

By on Sep 5, 2026 4:43 am -

The final fence — everyone’s favourite.

We’re just a couple of hours away from the start of cross-country here at the 2026 Defender Burghley Horse Trials, where designer Derek di Grazia will once again be our shepherd over the inimitable hills and valleys of the Lincolnshire venue. We’ve already caught up with several of this year’s riders to get their take on the challenge to come —  now, let’s dive into the course as a whole.

The essentials are:

Length: 6455m

Optimum time: 11:20

Fences: 28

Jumping efforts: 46, if you go all the direct routes

And here’s a guided virtual course walk, thanks to the CrossCountry App:

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This year’s course goes in the same direction as 2025’s, which makes it effectively counterclockwise. Last year’s direction change was the first time the course had been run in this direction since 2017, and what it does in real-world terms is front-loads the heftiest of the terrain into roughly the first three-and-a-half minutes of the course.

That doesn’t mean, of course, that the back eight minutes are an easy cruise downhill. It’s just a different kind of ebb and flow: riders will need to support their horses straight out of the start box, establish rideability, and then let their horses travel up the long pull towards the Cottesmore Leap (fence 11) without too much fiddling, which will allow them to conserve energy for the long challenge ahead of them.

Along the way, they’ll meet significant questions such as the Defender Dairy Mound at 9ABCD, with its three fences on a snaking bend over a knoll, and will need to make sure they have enough adjustability despite that long, head-down, uphill trajectory.

This direction also means that the back half of the course is heavy on questions, and between minutes seven and ten, roughly, there’s a huge amount of mental work to do.

Is it, perhaps, a touch less technical than last year’s track, and a smidgeon more flowing? Yes, probably. Does it still feature question after question that could create a significant influence on the competition? Absolutely.

Spot the line: the tough corner question at the Trout Hatchery.

One of the recurring motifs on this year’s course is the curved line approach to a corner. It appears no fewer than five times: at the Defender Dairy Mound at 9ABCD, where the straight route comes down a slope to finish up over a right-handed corner on a steep angle; at the Pedigree Ditches at 14ABC, where there’s a bending right-handed line to a left-handed open corner; at the always-influential Joules at the Maltings at 16ABC, which features a left-handed bend to a wide, open, right-handed corner; at the Trout Hatchery water complex at 19ABCDEF (!! Yes! Really!) where the F element is a left-handed corner in the water on a right-handed bend, small-ish but significant; AND, fill your lungs with air if you can, as the final element of the Holland Cooper Leaf Pit at 24ABCDEF, where there’s a very light bend to the line to a left-handed closed timber corner.

“What the curve does,” says Ireland’s Sam Watson, “is it allows you to make mistakes. It allows you to fall in [on the line]. It allows you to move the shoulder to the outside.”

Some of those bending-line-to-corner questions, he says, “walk lovely – if you built it in your arena, it would walk and ride lovely. But when you’re five minutes around Burghley and getting going, you can forget how blind you can come into them. It’s a very fair question, but Derek is just allowing riders to make mistakes there.”

The great thing about rider errors at corner questions? They tend to be runouts – expensive, yes; frustrating, absolutely; dangerous, rarely.

As always, the time here looks set to be tough: 11.20 might seem like a very long time to be on course, but most riders reckon only one or two horses will catch the clock. But playing in everybody’s favour this year is a superb set of ground conditions – arguably the best we’ve seen in the UK all season long. Despite the country’s yawningly long heatwave summer, which has turned England into some kind of desert utopia, except utopias probably have air conditioning and, like, hay, the Burghley grounds team have managed to conjure up not just cushiony grass cover across the whole track, but also a buoyant, supportive ground beneath it. It will be reasonably top-of-the-ground conditions today, but with a bit of spring and a touch of a cut in the ground from Friday morning’s rainfall, and that will help horses to sustain a higher cruising speed and conserve more energy as they travel.

Looking down off the colossal Leaf Pit drop.

Today’s cross-country challenge begins at 11.30 a.m. (6.30 a.m. EST), and our pathfinders on course today will be Caroline Pamukcu and her first ride, the eleven-year-old HSH Tolan King (14th after dressage on 34.4). Following the withdrawal of New Zealand’s Tayla Mason and Centennial from 20th place, we now have 47 competitors left in the hunt in a day of sport that’ll wrap up, all being well, around 16.00 BST/11.00 a.m. EST.

In true Burghley fashion, expect major shakeups and huge leaderboard climbs: in this compact field, there’s just 16.3 penalties spanning the entire class which is, of course, less than the penalty for a run-out from one of those innumerable corners.r

Our first-phase leader, Switzerland’s Nadja Minder and the nineteen-year-old Toblerone, will head out of the startbox at 12.40 BST/7.40 a.m. EST on a score of 29.5; they’ll already know by that point how much pressure runner-up Gemma Stevens and her five-star winner Chilli Knight, who are on 29.6, will have put on them, as that pair heads out at 12.15 BST/7.15 a.m. EST.

Joules at the Maltings once again features plenty of airy timber and tough lines.

If you’re following along bright and early from the US and need to plan party naps around your favourite riders’ rounds, here are their start times barring any holds or delays:

  • Caroline Pamukcu and HSH Tolan King (14th on 34.4) – 11.30 a.m. BST/6.30 a.m. EST
  • Cassie Sanger and Redfield Fyre (26th on 38.2) – 12.00 p.m. BST/7.00 a.m. EST
  • Jennie Brannigan and FE Lifestyle (17th on 36) – 14.55 BST/9.55 a.m. EST
  • Ema Klugman and Chiraz (32nd on 38.5) – 15.00 BST/10.00 a.m. EST
  • Tiana Coudray and D’Artagnan (11th on 33.8) – 15.10 BST/10.10 a.m. EST
  • Will Coleman and Very Dignified (9th on 33.2) – 15.20 BST/10.20 a.m. EST
  • Caroline Pamukcu and HSH Blake (5th on 32) – 15.35 BST/10.35 a.m. EST

We’ll be bringing you wall-to-wall coverage all day long thanks to Cheg’s bumper live updates blog – plus, stick around later for a full report from Gemma Redrup on all the day’s biggest stories. Go Eventing!

Defender Burghley: [Website] [Tickets] [Entries] [Timetable] [Timing & Scoring] [CrossCountry App XC Preview] [EN’s Burghley Field Wiki] [EN’s Ultimate GuideBurghley TV] [EN’s Coverage]

Saturday Links from Morven Park Fall International

By on Sep 5, 2026 12:01 am -

Before we commence the cross country action at Defender Burghley, let’s get a quick update on the other feature of the weekend: the Dubarry Young Event Horse Finals, held earlier in the week at the Burghley venue!

The following is taken from a press release sent out by the Burghley press office.

Caroline Powell, who won the CCI5* competition at Defender Burghley Horse Trials in 2010, took the 2026 Dubarry Burghley Young Event Horse Final for five-year-olds at the Lincolnshire event on Cath Tomson’s Irish Sports Horse WSL Cula Bula.

This prestigious competition, which will celebrate its 40th anniversary next year, is designed to highlight the CCI5* horses of the future.

New Zealander Caroline promised that her winning mount, will “be back here in four years’ time.” The bay mare, by KMS Rooney Van de Veeldbaile out of Ebony AS, was bred by Caroline’s partner Greg Kinsella’s mother, Gwen.

Caroline Powell and WSL Cula Bula. Photo by DBHT / Peter Nixon.

“We’ve had her from birth and she’s gorgeous,” said Caroline, who is riding High Time in the CCI5* at Burghley. “When I had a knee operation, she was the one I rode first as she is so well balanced. She’s a horse I’m excited about.”

WLS Cula Bula was 10th in the dressage, judged by Christina Klingspor and Angela Tucker, second in the jumping, judged by Andrew Heffernan and Nicky Roncoroni, fourth in “suitability and type”, assessed by John Killingbeck, and fifth in the gallop, overseen by Australian Olympian Clayton Fredericks.

Kitty King took second place with the Hugo Syndicate’s Parc All The Hype, an Irish sport horse by Kilferagh High Society. Dual Burghley winner Ros Canter, who really set Vanessa Fleming and Nick and Alex Moody’s Dutch-bred Reuben alight to lead the gallop section, was third overall.

Both Caroline Powell and three-times Burghley winner Oliver Townend had two horses in the top 10. Caroline’s Rockefeller Scais was fourth with Emma Carmichael in the saddle for the gallop; Oliver, contesting this competition for the first time, was sixth on Very Cooley (ridden by Lucy Owen in the gallop) and eighth with Mystique Noir.

Ros Canter and Kilcorig Gotcha Talkin. Photo by DBHT / Peter Nixon.

Ros Canter – Burghley CCI5* champion for the past two years – won the four-year-old Dubarry Burghley Young Event Horse Final with Patrick Murray and Lauren Palmer’s Kilcorig Gotcha Talkin, by Tyson out of Gotcha Nema, bred by Catherine Jackson. The pair topped the dressage section and were either second or third in the other phases.

Ros said: “He was only dropped off to me just over a week ago. He was produced in Ireland and won a young horse class there. They were bringing him over for this, and asked if he might be a horse I might ride in the future anyway, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to have a go here and see how we got on together. “We were definitely getting to know each other today, but he was just super-easy with an amazing temperament.”

The top four were all Irish sport horses. Ireland Susie Berry, who rides John The Bull in the CCI5* this weekend, was second on Longfordpass El Quality. Carole Powell completed an excellent afternoon with third place on WLS Kingston and Oliver Townend was fourth on Stormbird.

As one of only six CCI5* competitions around the globe, Defender Burghley always attracts the very top athletes, and ranks alongside Wimbledon and The Masters as a sporting “major”. 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. HRH The Princess Royal is visiting Burghley – where she won the European Eventing Championships in 1971 – on Sunday, 6 September to present the prizes after the final showjumping, and in her role as President of Burghley’s supported charity for 2026, World Horse Welfare, and as President of the British Eventing Support Trust.

Major International Events This Weekend

Defender Burghley: [Website] [Tickets] [Entries] [Timetable] [Timing & Scoring] [CrossCountry App XC Preview] [EN’s Burghley Field Wiki] [EN’s Ultimate GuideBurghley TV] [EN’s Coverage]

U.S. Weekend Preview

The Event at Skyline (UT): [Website] [Entries/Times/Scoring] [Volunteer]

Flora Lea Fall H.T. & YEH Qualifier (NJ): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times]

CDCTA Fall H.T. (VA): [Website] [Scoring] [Volunteer]

Links and Reading

Sponsor Corner: Gearing Up for the Morven Park Fall International CCI & H.T.

We’re already seeing some stellar entries coming in for next month’s Morven Park Fall International CCI & H.T., so it’s time to start making those plans to come on out to Leesburg! In the $200,000 US Equestrian Open of Eventing Final, we’ll see some big names like 2025 runner-up Will Coleman with Off the Record, Maryland International 4*-S winners Laine Ashker and Lovedance, AEC Advanced runners-up Mary Bess Davis and Imperio Magic, U.S. Olympian Lauren Nicholson with three rides, including 2025 Bromont 4*-L winner Landmark Jungle’s Gold, and many more planning to enter eventually. The bright side of not having a fall five-star in the U.S. is that we should see a better-than-ever entry list into this near season-end CCI4*-L (and of course, $200,000 in prize money is the largest non-5* prize in eventing, so that’s worth noting).

The best way to experience Morven Park as a supporter or spectator is through their awesome hospitality and tailgating options. You can find out more and begin planning your trip here. If you’re thinking of entering and want to see the Omnibus listing, click here.

Training Tip of the Day

Biomechanics matter for both horse and rider. In this video, you can learn how your body may be influencing your horse’s perceived tendencies or weaknesses:

Go Eventing

Take a virtual walk around the Defender Burghley cross country course with us!

‘If We Do Our Jobs Right, Then the Horses Will Understand’: Riders React to Derek di Grazia’s Defender Burghley Cross Country Course

By on Sep 4, 2026 8:21 pm -

It’s nearing go time for cross country day at Defender Burghley and before we get “stuck in” as many a rider would say, let’s dive into some of the reactions to what Derek di Grazia has rolled out this year.

If you want more in-depth looks at the course, we’ve got you covered! Here’s a fence-by-fence map from CrossCountry App:

The course can also be viewed here. There is also a preview on Burghley TV, which can be accessed here with your subscription.

Here’s some analysis on the course’s intensity this year:

The course has an optimum time of 11:20. Below you’ll find some quotes from riders at Burghley on what they think of the course, and we’ll also mix in a few posts from social media with more analysis and how-to.

Cross country begins at 11:30 a.m. BEST, which is 6:30 a.m. EST. If you need more help with time zone conversions, we recommend using World Time Buddy here, but we’ve added a widget below that should show the start time in your device’s local time zone:

Time converter at worldtimebuddy.com

The cross country order of go can be found here.

Defender Burghley: [Website] [Tickets] [Entries] [Timetable] [Timing & Scoring] [CrossCountry App XC Preview] [EN’s Burghley Field Wiki] [EN’s Ultimate Guide] [Burghley TV] [EN’s Coverage]

Nadja Minder – Toblerone

Nadja Minder and Toblerone. Photo by Hannah Cole Photography.

On the track and how she feels Toblerone will take to it:

“Well, I think the the cross country looks good. I like it. It looks very intense after the second road crossing, like there is one question after the other, two combinations, the Trout Hatchery and the Leaf Pit — all that is just very intense and not really a breather in between. What is a bit different, the first half of the course. But for me, when I point him in the right direction and we manage the feel the right way, and he’ll be fine.”

Sam Watson – Ballyneety Rocket Man

When asked for some nerdy analysis on some of the fences (he’s the co-founder of EquiRatings, if you didn’t know, so this is an on-brand question to ask Sam at any point in time):

“In the middle of the course, firstly we’ve got five curving lines to a corner, so we’ve got one at the Dairy Mound. You pop down a log, curvy stride there to a corner. We’ve got one of the Pedigree Corners, which I think is really interesting because that’s so blind. We come in over a big box brush with a ditch underneath it, and there’s a corner to our right, and it’s probably going to be quite an open five strides around to it. Some will do six, but that’s so blind when you jump in. I think that’s one of the traps: that it walks lovely, you know. If you’re like, ‘oh, if I build this in my arena, that that walks lovely.’ But you forget how blind you are when you come into it, and that you’re five minutes around Burghley as well, so you’re getting going. Then again, at the Maltings, you come out of there with a curve to a corner, come out of the Trout Hatchery, curve to a corner, and you come off the Leaf Pit and you go curve to a corner. What the curve does is it allows you to make mistakes. It allows you to fall in. It allows you to move the shoulder to the outside. And Derek has just built a very fair track. Probably not as big as last year. Probably not quite as technical, either. But it’s still trappy — and where where I say trappy is not trying to trick horses. He’s allowing riders to make mistakes, and he gives us enough time. There’s not much on two strides. There’s not much on one stride out there. Very little even, I think on three strides, it’s it’s sort of 4, 5, 6, and that gives you time to make an error.”

Matthew Heath – Benedict Radau

On the ground preparation and conditions:

“It’s going to be fantastic. Real good cut in the ground. Best ground I would have ridden on all year by a country mile. They’ve done a fantastic job prior to this rain, and this rain has just really helped boost all the work and hard work that they’ve done. I think the course is presented beautifully. The ground is second to none. You won’t find it anywhere else. I’m 15, 20 minutes up the road, and I can promise you, my place is like the outback. It is completely desert land, and I mean, we’ve had a bit of rain recently — it’s just starting to green up. So for them to get this place, looking how it does, I think, is just a phenomenal effort from them, and hugely appreciated by not just me, by everyone.”

On the track itself:

“I think it’s a really cool track to ride. I can’t wait to go out and have a go. Last year, I felt like there was the one or two things that were maybe a little bit kind of hidden and tricky for Burghley terrain. This year, I think he’s put it there. It’s in front of us. It’s very, very big. It’s very, very technical, and he’s put us on committed lines. I think if we do our jobs right, then the horses will understand the question. It’s just down to us.”

Michael Owen – Monbeg Darwin

On the track itself:

“So comparing to last year, I think it’s a lot smoother where the fences are positioned. There might be a couple more horses nearer the time, not necessarily inside the time, but a lot closer to the time. So I think it’s a lot less — it won’t interfere with your rhythm as much, so it should suit Darwin fine, although he is very adjustable for a big horse, so he’s quite adaptable. So I wasn’t really hoping what kind of course he’d build, but it’s Burghley. The terrain is the things that catch them out, and the cumulative effect of the terrain and the fences. Put them on a flat ground like Aston le Walls, and it’d be easy. But put it here, and it’s a totally different ball game.”

Harry Meade – Cavalier Crystal and Et Hop du Matz

On the track itself:

“Similar routes to last year, very different questions. I think notably, the questions come from beginning to end, not just in the first half, which always used to be the case at Burghley. And things like the Trout Hatchery will come up very quickly, and what happens at element A will affect your ride the rest of the way through. There’s very little time to recover or change your plan. And again, I think that the Leaf Pit is a comparatively straightforward Leaf Pit, but it’s right at the end, so you can’t compare it to a few years ago, when it was very, very difficult, those big brushes that were about fence seven or eight. So I think there’s questions throughout, and it’d be be fun to get stuck into it.”

On the “flavor” or “theme” of this year’s track:

“Probably compared to some of his courses, less forward, attacking. There’s quite a lot of accuracy questions out of not that open a stride. But like all good courses, he’s very much mixed it up — Derek does test everything.”

Gemma Stevens – Chilli Knight

Gemma Stevens and Chilli Knight. Photo by Hannah Cole Photography.

On the track itself and what makes a course a five-star:

“There’s loads of combinations. To be honest, I don’t think there’s one that really stands out as being ‘hello, I’m impossible,’but there are lots and lots of difficult combinations, and I think the cumulative effect of those over the whole course — and there are a few real tricky ones towards the end — I think that’s what makes it a true five-star.”

Tim Price – Falco and Global Quest

Tim Price and Falco. Photo by Hannah Cole Photography.

On his many years coming to Burghley, and whether it ever becomes easier to ride here:

“Look, the thing about Burghley is walking the course yesterday, I get nervous and I wonder how to do my job, and it’s not many places it’s like that. You know, at other places you’d just be like — I’m not saying it always goes to plan — but the feeling you get walking the courses at Burghley, I’m like, ‘is that actually–? Is it–? Will my horse actually understand?’ You know, you’re questioning everything. So in a funny way there’s a closer relationship with the designer because you trust him and you try to see it through his eyes and the question he’s asking. You refer to that quite — well I refer to that quite a lot, but no, it never it never gets normal.”

On the track itself:

“I think it’s a bit tougher than last year. The ground is fantastic. We’re very lucky with what’s gone into that to give us a good platform to do the job, but I think in terms of the course, I think it’s a little bit more modern. You know, like there’s questions where we’ve got question followed by question and it’s quite intense in that way. It’s a long way round as usual. And the Trout Hatchery, I think, is particularly a big ask at that stage of the track.”

Jesse Campbell – Cooley Lafitte

On the track itself::

“It’s pretty big, but I think it’s quite fair. He lets you in probably a little bit nicer this year. Like I think the Dairy Mound’s a really good fence, and I think it’ll be be cool to ride. There’s some, I think, a couple of fences where, if you get it right, it’s going to be like, just unreal. I think like the Maltings, if you get a good ride there, that’s going to feel like a amazing roller coaster. Same with the Trout Hatchery — I think that could ride really cool. But yeah, it’s beefy all the way up to Leaf Pit, and the Leaf Pit’s a huge question as well. So you have to be on the game.”

More insights from Derek di Grazia himself can also be found on the Eventing Podcast here.

A Reward for Work Well Done: The Defender Burghley Friday Debrief

By on Sep 4, 2026 4:13 pm -

Tim Price and Falco are the best of day two at Defender Burghley, sitting third on a 30.5. Photo by Hannah Cole Photography.

Defender Burghley has always felt like the event at which a horse who might not excel on the flat can triumph – so fiercely influential is the cross-country test, and so complete the stamina challenge, that sea changes are inevitable. That’s not to diminish, of course, the very good dressage that frequently happens here: the records set and broken (18.7 from Tim Price and Vitali back in 2023, in case you need a refresher); the season-long marginal and sometimes maximal gains made in training.

But this week’s field doesn’t necessarily have any of those dressage outlier types; there is no Lordships Graffalo; Ballaghmor Class is only here this week to retire in the main arena; Vitali is sitting this week out and letting his stablemates have a go in the spotlight instead. There are plenty of very capable, very competitive first-phase pairs, but nothing that would have leapt off the page as an out-and-out, barring-acts-of-god sort of leader type.

Which is why it’s actually really quite lovely, and ineffably heartening, to see two horses in the top spots who aren’t flashy; horses who haven’t, necessarily, historically found this phase the easiest; horses who, yesterday, cantered up the centre line and committed to giving the test everything they had. Riders, too, who put their faith in training, and in correct, accurate, sympathetic riding. The things that should win out, really.

After the second day of competition, our dressage leader is still Switzerland’s Nadja Minder and her former Young Rider mount, the nineteen-year-old Toblerone, who posted a 29.5 that proved impassable today. Just behind them on a score of 29.6 is Gemma Stevens, the only other rider to go sub-30, aboard the 2021 Bicton CCI5* winner Chilli Knight, himself a spritely sixteen years old.

“I’m genuinely in shock – like, really in shock,” laughs Gemma. “I feel really happy that the horse has been rewarded for being such a good boy, because he always tries really hard and it’s always been so hard to get any marks out of the judges. We’ve always been just outside the top ten, never really there or thereabouts, and this week I feel like his good training and his good brain has been rewarded.”

For Nadja, the feeling is much the same.

“He’s very special, but explaining dressage to him wasn’t always very easy. I saw his nostrils a couple of times when I started riding him, and he was cheeky, but he showed me the right way to train him and the right way to go. There were no shortcuts with him because he wouldn’t allow it and he could be quite naughty. I owe a lot to this horse, really.”

Tim Price and Falco. Photo by Hannah Cole Photography.

For our best-placed pair today, it’s also been something of a long game to get the best work, even if today’s score is a touch above their usual mid-to-high-20s results. Tim Price and his 2021 Pau winner Falco last did a test just over three weeks ago, at the FEI World Championships in Aachen, and on that occasion it slightly fell apart at the seams – today, though, despite the bluster, the sometimes mercurial seventeen-year-old was back on form.

“We had a couple of mistakes, which was frustrating, but I was very happy because in Germany he was basically unrideable,” says Tim, who sits third overnight on a score of 30.5. “He was so fresh and on his ear in the dressage, and I pledged not to make that mistake again.”

To burn through some of the excess energy, Tim gave the gelding a cross-country schooling session yesterday, rather than drilling the flatwork.

“It was just to alleviate a bit of energy, and so he was very rideable, and therefore it was just down to me to do as good a job as possible, which I didn’t do to the right degree, really. A couple of flying changes could have been better and cleaner, but other than that, he was really good.”

Though Falco has a wealth of five-star and championship experience, he’s never yet tackled a Burghley.

“I do believe in him a lot, but he’s been a long time in developing at the top level,” says Tim, who rides him for London Olympics course designer Sue Benson. “This year was his first Badminton [he was second]; prior to that, he’d done a Pau and a Maryland, and prior to that we made a lot of mistakes as we came up to Advanced. But he was always a good learner, and we’d go home and do our homework and we’d never make the same mistake again.”

It has been, he says, “a funny old journey, but he’s a super intelligent, overgrown-pony-type-mentality horse, and he’s impressed me at Maryland and Badminton. This is uncharted territory, really, but I want to go out of the start box and have him having fun, and then see if we can take the course on in its entirety.”

It’s not, perhaps, the most conventional approach to complete a World Championships and then come to a five-star just three weeks later, but Tim made the call to do so for several reasons.

“It’s not what we tend to do, but when you look at the plan with these horses over a five-year period, there’s often seasons when they don’t do anything in the spring and then just aim for a team commitment in the autumn,” he says. “So if you look at that bigger picture, he’s actually got very low mileage on his legs, and he’s very easy on his body – he does everything for enjoyment. He’s also seventeen now, and while it would be great if he was back next year, he does need to have some more teeth out, and that might be a reason for us to pull back on his top-level career, so we do just want to have some fun with him. All the stars need to align; he’s only 27% Thoroughbred, so if the ground was soft, I wouldn’t ask an exponent of jumping like him to do it out of that sort of ground for twelve minutes. But he’s in good form, the going is good for him, and often, the preparation for an event is where you put the most wear and tear on their bodies – in this situation, we’re using one preparation twice, especially as I didn’t go fast at Aachen.”

Falco’s good result today now gives Tim two strong competitive shouts tomorrow: he also sits sixth after dressage with the former Georgie Campbell ride Global Quest, who posted a 32.1 yesterday morning.

Caroline Pamukcu and HSH Blake. Photo by Hannah Cole Photography.

Great Britain’s Max Warburton and Deerpairc Revelry, third yesterday on their score of 31.2, now sit fourth at the end of the first phase, while Caroline Pamukcu slots into fourth on the eleven-year-old HSH Blake with a 32.

This gives her, too, two horses well in contention in her Burghley debut; her first ride, HSH Tolan King, who will be tomorrow’s pathfinder, sits 14th on 34.4.

“He’s a lovely creature – he’s so professional,” says Caroline of Blake. “It doesn’t matter where in the world you go, he gives me 200%. I’m so proud to ride him and so lucky to ride him. Anything I wanted to do in the arena today, he was giving to me; if I wanted to go a little more forward here or a little more shoulders-in there, he was like, ‘okay, yes mom, no problem!’ I love that sort of feeling, and I couldn’t really have asked for more.”

This is a reroute for Blake, who Caroline rode at the Paris Olympics, after a shock early rider fall on cross-country at last month’s World Championships – and already, Caroline is working on blazing the pathway to redemption.

“It was heartbreaking for me,” she says. “I hate to let me country down, especially my teammates, and I put a lot of pressure on Boyd [Martin] and [Will] Coleman. I felt absolutely gutted. My job at the end of the day as second out was to do a good, consistent round and give them feedback, and so silly me to fall in minute five. Hopefully I’ll put that behind myself and make my country proud, and redeem myself in a way.”

Tom Jackson and United 36. Photo by Hannah Cole Photography.

Tom Jackson and his second ride, the exciting ten-year-old United 36, take eighth place overnight on a score of 33.1, behind Tim Price and Global Quest in sixth and Burghley debutant Yasmin Ingham and Goliath du Loir in seventh (32.7).

United 36 comes into the competition as one of the most hotly-tipped horses in the field after an excellent five-star debut at Badminton this spring saw him finish fourth in a strong line-up, and though Tom may have hoped to shave a mark or two off the score they received on that occasion, they’re not far off the pace of that competition’s 32.2.

“I thought the trot and canter work was some of the best he’s ever done,” says Tom, who also sits 13th on 34.1 with Hawk Eye. “He can be quite a hot-headed horse, and he’s been quite feral this whole week, but he actually really stayed with me and focused on what I was asking.”

He is, continues Tom, “into everything – he notices if a leaf has fallen off a tree four miles away, so he’s been sort of swinging his head around all over the place for the past two days, but he’s knuckled down this morning. Luckily, when I got on to ride I thought, ‘oh, good, we’ve got there.’ He just takes a while; he loves doing his job and loves being at these places, and he just takes a little while to settle. But he’s no different at home, to be fair – he’s quite spooky, and I trot him every day in the arena and he’s spooking across the side and shying away from everything. It’s just who he is.”

With one five-star run – and its associated success – under his belt, United 36 has come into Burghley week very aware of the sort of occasion he’s entering into.

“He definitely turned up here on Tuesday and thought, ‘right, I know what we’re doing,’” laughs Tom. “It’s amazing how they know; they go to short formats and one-days all the time, but once they’ve done a bit more and a few of these big ones, they really do know when they turn up.”

Will Coleman and Very Dignified. Photo by Hannah Cole Photography.

A touch of inexperience in the flying changes was the only blot on the copybook of Will Coleman’s exciting mare Very Dignified, who earned a 33.2 for ninth place in her first five-star test today.

“She’s a greener horse at this sort of event and at this level, and I’m thrilled with her,” says Will, who took the ride on the now-eleven-year-old from Ireland’s Robbie Kearns last year. “I thought she tried her heart out for me in there, and I couldn’t be happier.”

Burghley isn’t every horse’s ideal first five-star, and Will admits that he “thought about submitting myself for a psychiatric evaluation upon arriving here,” but he also believes she’s a horse well-suited to this kind of track.

“She’s a horse that has five-star qualities and we felt like she’s ready to contest one,” he says. “This season it was either Burghley or Pau, and I think in some ways Burghley will suit her better. It’s a big ask and a big challenge, but we do feel like she at least is worthy of giving her a shot, and it’s my job to look after her out there tomorrow and make sure she leaves a better horse than she arrived. That’s maybe not so result-driven, but I want to give her the best ride I can and see how she copes, and we’ll learn a lot about each other in the process.”

Those five-star qualities? She is, he says, “an aggressive fighter mentality; sort of an alpha female with a lot of spirit and a lot of blood. I’m hoping she brings that to the course tomorrow. She’s going to have to – it’s a big track and 11:20 over the toughest terrain in the world.”

Will Coleman and Very Dignified. Photo by Hannah Cole Photography.

Will was part of the bronze medal-winning US team at last month’s FEI World Championships, which has meant his preparation with Very Dignified hasn’t been as straightforward as he’d have otherwise hoped.

“It’s been less than ideal. I have a good team at home, led by my wife and a good couple riders at home that have helped me keep her going. Morgan Booth, Meg Pellegrini, to name a couple, and they’ve helped us kind of keep the whole yard going while I’ve been gone. But it’s been difficult. It’s hard to be away from your horses. I do everything with them, really. But in her case, we trained really hard all summer. She was on the long list for WEG, so she was kind of going through all the same sort of galloping and training that my other two horses were going through. I was basically gone from her for about ten days, and in some ways, I think that was maybe a good thing, just for her to kind of get a chance to take a breath and relax, and sort of settle her brain a little bit before she made the trip over here. I don’t know how the preparation is going to turn out – we’re going to find out at the end of the weekend. But I think she’s in good condition, and she’s as ready as I could make her, given everything that’s been going on, and sometimes that just has to be good enough.”

Sarah Bullimore and Corimiro. Photo by Hannah Cole Photography.

Great Britain’s Sarah Bullimore and her homebred Corimiro – another stable star out of her former championship ride, Lilly Corinne – came into this week’s competition as EquiRatings’ favourites in the wide open field, and for the first half of their dressage test, it looked as though they might be about to put themselves a country mile ahead of the rest of the class. Certainly, the ten-year-old gelding looked a cut above the rest in his warm-up work, and in that trot section, which saw him trending in the mid-20s.

But a touch of tension – a whisper, really – crept into the walk work, and he broke into a jog for a step or two in its final seconds, and that little bit of hindend tension never quite dissipated through the subsequent canter tour, slipping them down occasionally to mid-table marks.

Still, their final score of 33.6, while not quite what Sarah might have been aiming for today, is competitive enough to keep them in a close tenth place – and, to broaden the context, is just a mark and a half higher than the 32.1 they scored at Badminton this season en route to tenth place. (They did, on that occasion and on the gelding’s debut at the level at Pau last year, romp home inside the time on Saturday, which is an enviable run of form to bring into the weekend.)

“I’m chuffed with him – he stayed with me and rideable and he did everything in the right places, but things can always be a little bit better,” says Sarah. “His changes were good, but the first one wasn’t quite as good as the others, but it wasn’t a bad change or anything. For a young horse, though, he doesn’t give a monkey’s about the atmosphere, and the way he walks out of the arena on a loose rein and just chills… he’s just a fabulous horse, even if the judging was a little bit mean.”

He is, she says with a smile, “my baby, basically, and so sometimes I’m maybe a bit soft on him and don’t ask for as much – I have to remember to actually keep going. And the trouble is, on him it feels so beautiful regardless, so you have to still say, ‘there’s more, there’s more!’ But it’s so special having bred him, even if it does make you a little bit soft.”

Tiana Coudray and D’Artagnan. Photo by Hannah Cole Photography.

British-based US rider Tiana Coudray and D’Artagnan earned the only 10 of the week, an honour bestowed upon them by Ground Jury President Xavier le Sauce for their mid-test halt. That was one of many good marks that offset a few lower ones in the final changes and helped them to earn a smart 33.8 and overnight eleventh place.

“I’m thrilled,” beams Tiana. “He’s been really tricky. He’s such a good boy, but he has an incredible vigour for life, and to get up here, you have to ride through the middle of the Leaf Pit and the middle of Discovery Valley, and that’s game over because he is just like a spaniel on speed at that point. And so trying to get a dressage test out of him was not looking promising. I didn’t have high hopes; we just sort of thought we’re going to have to get through this. But he was such a good boy in there. If anything, he was maybe a little bit too quiet, which meant he missed some changes, which on another day he wouldn’t have. But look, we will take it! He was obedient. He was listening. He’s just perfect.”

Tiana had a unique coterie of supporters on her way up to the warm-up: she was flanked on either side by helpers, who each had a lead rope on D’Artagnan and a fistful of Polo mints to keep his attention off those en-route obstacles.

“We had a bit of a disaster getting up here yesterday,” she laughs. “And I thought ‘this is it, our weekend’s over.’ After he walked past those jumps I was three strides up the hill and into the warm-up at about 700 metres a minute. I was like, ‘Oh my god!’ So we thought, ‘right, we should put a fly mask on,’ and we thought that might slightly block out the noise, and we led him each side, and we’re just like, force-feeding him Polos, like, ‘look here, look here, look here!’ and every time he’d start to look — Polos! I will try anything. And actually, to be fair, it did work!”

Jennie Brannigan and FE Lifestyle. Photo by Hannah Cole Photography.

Jennie Brannigan sits 17th on a score of 36 with the sixteen-year-old FE Lifestyle, with whom she’s twice jumped clear around Burghley and has nine five-star completions, including two fifth place finishes at Maryland and one at Kentucky.

As for many partnerships, today’s potent combination of tricky conditions and tight-lipped scoring meant that they hovered around the higher end of their five-star average in this first phase.

“It’s kind of a windy, blustery day, and I’ve been working on keeping the lid on in the canter, so I think maybe the trot work lacked some brilliance – but he was the best behaved he’s ever been in the canter,” says Jennie.

FE Lifestyle, though, is a consummate cross-country horse, and it’s tomorrow’s fierce battle that Jennie has come here for, rerouting from her role as travelling reserve for the US team at last month’s World Championships.

“Derek [di Grazia] was my Young Rider coach, and he’s such a great designer. I’ve ridden a lot of his courses; he does a great job,” she says. “I’ve never run Burghley in this direction, though, so that’s new for me, and we’ll see how it goes. It’s my third trip here, so it’s pretty awesome, and I couldn’t be on a better cross-country horse. So I’m looking forward to it.”

Ema Klugman and Chiraz. Photo by Hannah Cole Photography.

US-based Australian representative Ema Klugman made the long trip over for 13-year-old Chiraz’s sophomore five-star, after an educational trip around Kentucky this spring saw them finish in 23rd.

It’s not the first trip abroad for the pair, who go into tomorrow’s cross-country in 33rd place on a 38.5, and who came to this side of the Atlantic a year ago to tackle the CCIO4*-L at Boekelo.

“We’d done the travel overseas once already, which actually made this trip seem a lot less daunting just because we’ve gone through the motions of the flight before,” says Ema. “But it’s a little more complex getting to Europe and then having to ship over to the UK. My wife and I actually rented a lorry ourselves and drove him, and went on the ferry and the whole nine yards. So we felt pretty crazy that day in particular, just because it was a very long trip!”

Being at Burghley, she says, is “better, in some ways, than I expected. I’ve watched it on TV for a long time, but [when you’re here] it’s an event that feels very friendly, which is nice. The stables are laid-back and peaceful, which is great because they’re a ways away from the arena, and everyone’s been really friendly, from the stewards to the staff to the other riders. It’s been a great experience, and I haven’t even done that much at the event yet, but I already know I’d love to come back.”

The substantial US contingent here this year has also been a normaliser in an event that’s anything but normal.

“We have a great almost team atmosphere here,” she says. “I was warming up and starting to freak out a bit, and then I looked over and Jennie Brannigan was there and I was like, ‘well, I ride next to her all the time at events at home, so it’s just normal.’ I’ve known them all for many years, and I know their grooms, and we’re all helping each other out and giving each other braiding bands and advice on studs and all that kind of stuff. It’s been great – hopefully they don’t worry too much that I’m not actually running for their country!”

There are 47 left in the hunt as we look ahead to tomorrow’s cross-country, which starts at 11.30 BST (6.30 a.m. EST), following the post-dressage withdrawal of New Zealand’s Tayla Mason and Centennial, who had sat in 20th at the end of the first phase. It’s hard to imagine a more tightly-packed field, either: with just two in the 20s and 11 in the 40s, the room for movement is colossal, and just 16.3 penalties cover the entire field.

The incredibly influential bluster and gustiness of today – certainly a factor, thanks to the malleable roof and tarpaulin-ed cameras, in the higher-than-expected scores across the board – is set to give way to a sensible amount of sunshine on arguably the best going we’ve seen on this side of the pond this season. That, plus a suitably tough Derek di Grazia course and a typically tight time, mean much could change – climbs, no doubt, for Harry Meade from 31st and 35th into the business end; an open door for the field’s selection of Thoroughbreds; and all the surprises and plot twists we look forward to over a Burghley weekend.

We’ll be bringing you wall-to-wall coverage all day, thanks to Cheg Darlington and her excellent live updates blog, as well as a full report at the end of the day from Gemma Redrup, who will be taking over the mantel as lead reporter for the day while I escape to a really badly-timed but undoubtedly lovely wedding. From me, it’s goodbye until Sunday morning; from EN, we’ll see you bright and early tomorrow for one of the very best days of the year. Go Eventing!

Defender Burghley: [Website] [Tickets] [Entries] [Timetable] [Timing & Scoring] [CrossCountry App XC Preview] [EN’s Burghley Field Wiki] [EN’s Ultimate GuideBurghley TV] [EN’s Coverage]

Friday News & Notes from Stable View

By on Sep 4, 2026 12:01 am -

It’s nearly time for cross country day at Defender Burghley!

In advance of Saturday’s action, we’ll be providing you with some additional perspectives on Derek di Grazia’s cross country course for 2026. Here is an interactive overview from CrossCountry App (you can also view the course in the app itself or here).

Inside the course, you’ll have access to guidance from Derek di Grazia, the ability to navigate the course on foot with some assistance, and so much more.

[Course Preview on Burghley TV]

[Interactive Guided Map]

Major International Events This Weekend

Defender Burghley: [Website] [Tickets] [Entries] [Timetable] [Timing & Scoring] [CrossCountry App XC Preview] [EN’s Burghley Field Wiki] [EN’s Ultimate GuideBurghley TV] [EN’s Coverage]

U.S. Weekend Preview

The Event at Skyline (UT): [Website] [Entries/Times/Scoring] [Volunteer]

Flora Lea Fall H.T. & YEH Qualifier (NJ): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times]

CDCTA Fall H.T. (VA): [Website] [Scoring] [Volunteer]

Links & Reading

Sponsor Corner: Get Ready for Oktoberfest at Stable View

Entries are closing on Tuesday for Stable View Oktoberfest $60,000 FEI CCI1*-4*-S & Horse Trials taking place in Aiken September 25-27! This event is a great set-up for your fall goals, or even a great way to get out into a competition environment and expose your horse to some atmosphere if you’re near to the area.

There’s also plenty on tap for both riders and their supporters alike, including Stable View’s famous Graze & Gaze get-togethers, VIP and hospitality offerings, and so much more.

[Click here to learn more about Stable View Oktoberfest]

Training Tip of the Day

Learn how to use your warm-up to maximize the positive effects on your horse:

Go Eventing

Boyd Martin may be a big cat guy, but we hear he frequented the Bluegrass Classic dog show last week at American Eventing Championships:

“Today He Believed He Could do Dressage”: Nadja Minder Takes Thursday Burghley Lead with 19-Year-Old Wonderhorse

By on Sep 3, 2026 1:39 pm -

Nadja Minder and Toblerone. Photo by Hannah Cole Photography.

What does it take to get a nineteen-year-old horse to a five-star in peak condition and at the top of his game?

Turns out it’s pretty simple, actually.

“He’s turned out in a group of ten horses,” says 26-year-old Nadja Minder, who holds the overnight lead at the end of day one of Defender Burghley with the evergreen Toblerone.

All her horses are “very natural”, something that she believes is the keystone to keeping her partner not just thriving but constantly improving season after season.

“We take a lot of care that the horses move most of the day, because if they were living in the wild on the steppe, that’s what they’d do. It’s natural for them and has worked well for us in terms of avoiding injuries, too, because they’re not locked in and then going crazy in small paddocks.”

Also a likely factor?

“He’s a horse who doesn’t use himself up very much – he’s not a flashy mover, so I think that definitely helps. And he started late; he did his first two-star when he was eleven, so that’s also there. He truly only started his eventing career with me, and even though it feels like forever, I’ve only had him since 2020. But also, he’s just a special character.”

That ‘special character’ has been Nadja’s partner for some of her biggest career milestones: an eleventh place finish at the Young Rider European Championships in 2021, a Nations Cup debut the same year; a senior World Championships debut the next. There was the European Eventing Championships in 2023, Nadja’s first, where they jumped clear in merciless conditions; a five-star debut at Pau the same year; a first Burghley the next year and a top-twenty finish. At last year’s European Championships, they finished nineteenth, and are about as emblematic of the Swiss team as Toblerone’s namesake chocolate bar is of the country they hail from.

He seems like the sort of horse who’ll stick around at the big ones forever, but ‘Schöggeli’ – that’s Choccy, basically, if you’re Swiss or know how to do an umlaut on your laptop keyboard – might be on his last hurrah, even if he doesn’t feel a day over ten.

Nadja Minder and Toblerone. Photo by Hannah Cole Photography.

It was, as such, about as poignant as it gets when Nadja and her ‘chocolate legend’ – her words, not ours – sailed straight to the top of the leaderboard in Thursday afternoon’s dressage at Defender Burghley, earning a score of 29.5 and a position they will hold overnight. Someone get the girl a beer.

“I don’t know how many tests we have left – probably none,” says Nadja. “But he’s so cool – he never lets me down. He’s always just there, and he delivers on the day.”

Sharing such a formative partnership means that she can trust in him entirely – a lightning-in-a-bottle feeling at this topmost level.

“I’m 100% relaxed in every phase – well, maybe not showjumping,” she laughs. “But on cross-country, when I’m walking a course with him in mind, I really have no worries. I just need to ride him well and present it well to him, and it’s the same in the dressage. I don’t really practice before the test now because he knows the movements, and I know how to ride him because we know each other inside out.”

So the difference comes down not to rote repetition, but to mindset.

“I just need to get him moving before a test and make him believe in his abilities, because that was what he struggled with most when I started with him,” she says. “He was just maybe tightening a bit because he didn’t believe. But Piggy March really helped me with that – and today he believed he can actually do good dressage, and he believed me, and he believed in himself, and we were able to deliver.”

Nadja Minder and Toblerone. Photo by Hannah Cole Photography.

Though Nadja trains primarily with her mother, Therese, who also acts as her travelling groom, she also teams up with Piggy at the British five-stars – a tuning-up sort of relationship that works marvellously after Nadja spent six weeks based with the British rider ahead of her Burghley debut in 2024. Also by her side at events is Swiss team cross-country coach Andrew Nicholson, who helped warm her up today.

“It doesn’t get much better than these two,” she grins.

While many five-star riders might enjoy the spoils of a serious set of facilities at home, Nadja has humbler training grounds: “I ride more on grass at home than I do on a surface, because I just don’t have the setup. I have a little 20×40 arena, but really, I work my horses more on the grass, and actually, I think it’s very healthy for them and for their balance.”

There’s no doubt that that played to their benefit in Burghley’s uniquely terrain-y main arena today; for the busy weekend to come, it will be an asset they rely on, too.

Second place overnight is held by morning leaders Gemma Stevens and Chilli Knight, who ‘shuffled’ their way to a 29.6 – just a tenth of a penalty off the lead as we close out the day. You can read the full report on their test here.

Max Warburton and Deerpairc Revelry. Photo by Hannah Cole Photography.

Great Britain’s Max Warburton was a firm fixture at the collecting ring today: this morning, he was ringside in support of girlfriend Susie Berry, who rode first horse Clever Trick to a 40.5 – “she’d win a speed dressage, anyway,” quipped Susie, wryly – and this afternoon, he was neatly steering the rangy Deerpairc Revelry to a 31.2 and overnight third place.

“He was super – it was a real clear round test,” says Max. “He tried very hard; his brain was great, and I was absolutely thrilled with him.”

Max, who recorded a top twenty finish here with the twelve-year-old in 2024, was also helped in the warm-up by Piggy March: “My normal trainer, David Trott, has been moving house this week, so it’s been a little bit of a stressful thing not having him here,” he says. “So actually, Piggy helped me as well. I went to see her on Tuesday for the first time, and she was a big help, just having an extra pair of eyes on the ground and a bit of a kick up the arse. She was very good.”

Yasmin Ingham and Goliath du Loir. Photo by Hannah Cole Photography.

Tim Price and Global Quest, second at the lunchbreak, now occupy fourth place on their score of 32.1, while Burghley debutant and former World Champion Yasmin Ingham rounds out the top five on 32.7 with the ten-year-old Goliath du Loir.

“I honestly couldn’t have asked for any more from him,” says Yas. “It’s a massive atmosphere here at Burghley and we’re so excited to be here to start with, but for him to go out there and be so relaxed in the arena and work with me was all I could ask for.”

It’s not just a Burghley debut – somehow; inexplicably – for Yas, but also a level debut for the exciting Goliath.

“Burghley’s renowned for its tough cross-country course, and he’s an out-and-out cross-country horse – he’s brave and he’s got a huge stride, so I decided to bring him here for my first Burghley and his first five-star and give it a go. He’s had a great preparation so far this year; he went really well at Bramham and we’re ready to tackle this week.”

Caroline Powell and High Time. Photo by Hannah Cole Photography.

New Zealand’s Caroline Powell and the 14-year-old High Time go into sixth place on their score of 33.9 – a score that doesn’t quite rival their 31.1 here twelve months ago, en route to eighth place, but considerably betters their marks across the 2026 season.

“I’m absolutely thrilled with him,” says Caroline, a winner here in 2010 with Lenamore. “I kind of forgot about the Thursday atmosphere here and he’s a pretty hot horse anyway, but he’s just getting nicer and nicer. If it’s not his year this year, it’ll be coming up soon.”

High Time’s Burghley campaign comes after an uncharacteristic fall at Badminton – his only mistake at the level.

“We’ve changed a few things but it’s such minute details – we’re at the level where if one thing goes wrong, it ends up being quite a huge mistake. We’ve made a few changes, looked at the videos over and over again, and hopefully this time he’ll be absolutely amazing.”

Much of the rest of the top ten is populated by morning competitors: Tom Jackson and Hawk Eye now sit seventh on their 34.1; Caroline Pamukcu and HSH Tolan King are eighth on 34.3; and Clarke Johnstone and Domasco are ninth on 34.5.

Alex Bragg and Jaeger Master. Photo by Hannah Cole Photography.

A new entrant, though, rounds out the best ten of day one. Alex Bragg and his five-star debutant Jaeger Master posted a 35.6 to put themselves in the hunt at this early stage, in what is just their second season together after Alex took the ride on from fellow Brit Tom Woodward.

“For his first five-star, especially in the big atmosphere of Burghley, I was pleased,” says Alex. “It wasn’t perfect; he went into the main arena and got quite lit up, not naughty but just nerves, and then he becomes hypersensitive. So I tried to get into canter and then he stopped dead because he spooked at the scoreboard that’s next to the arena, and I really thought, ‘oh, I could be in trouble here!’”

But, he continues, “we got up the centre line and I stuck to my plan and didn’t get tense myself, and he tried so hard to stay with me and listening, so although it wasn’t the best work he can do, I was pleased. I think there’s a future there for a really magic test at this level in this atmosphere, and so that’s the positive I’m taking.”

Tomorrow’s second day of dressage will see the final 24 horses and riders in our field take to the white boards from 10.00 a.m. BST (5.00 a.m. EST), with Ireland’s Sam Watson and Ballyneety Rocketman first up to bat. Harry Meade and Cavalier Crystal will be the final pair of the day, starting their test at 15.50 (10.50 a.m. EST), and in between, we’ll see an exciting array of competitors from this wide open field. If you’re following along from the USA and hoping to cheer on the American riders in the field, you’re in luck: all four are scheduled to ride after the lunchbreak, with Jennie Brannigan first in on FE Lifestyle (14.00 BST/9.00 a.m. EST); US-based Aussie Ema Klugman and Chiraz following on at 14.08 BST/9.08 a.m. EST; Tiana Coudray and D’Artagnan coming forward at 14.24 BST/9.24 a.m. EST; Will Coleman and Very Dignified just after at 14.40 BST/9.40 a.m. EST; and Caroline Pamukcu and second horse HSH Blake closing out the North American effort at 15.26 BST/10.26 a.m. EST.

You can follow all the action on Burghley TV, and join us for two more packed reports (and plenty more coverage besides). Go Eventing.

The top ten at the end of Thursday’s competition at Defender Burghley.

Defender Burghley: [Website] [Tickets] [Entries] [Timetable] [Timing & Scoring] [CrossCountry App XC Preview] [EN’s Burghley Field Wiki] [EN’s Ultimate Guide] [Burghley TV] [EN’s Coverage]

Every Day She’s Shuffling: Gemma Stevens and Chilli Knight Take Thursday Morning Burghley Lead

By on Sep 3, 2026 8:50 am -

Gemma Stevens and Chilli Knight. Photo by Hannah Cole Photography.

When it comes to sixteen-year-old Chilli Knight, winner of the ‘pop-up’ pandemic five-star at Bicton in 2021, dressage isn’t about flash or fandango – instead, says rider Gemma Stevens, he just has to do “his best shuffling.”

“He can’t trot at all,” laughs Gemma. “It’s just not his forte. But the one thing that makes up for the fact that he can’t trot is his heart – he’s always trying his best.”

If any event requires heart beyond the average, it’s Defender Burghley. And today, that deep well of ‘try’ made all the difference, propelling Gemma and Chilli Knight straight to the top of the leaderboard in this morning’s inaugural session as the only sub-30 scorers of the class so far.

Their 29.7 isn’t quite their best result between the boards – that came at that fateful Bicton, where they posted a 27.9 – but it does represent both a very competitive score in this field, as well as the just reward for a bit of risk-taking moments before the test.

“At Badminton [this spring] he was a bit behind my leg, and we made some really stupid mistakes and had the worst score we’d ever had,” says Gemma. “So here, for the first time, we actually tried to razz him up a bit before he went in. It’s not a normal thing for a five-star horse, but this morning Ian [Woodhead] was like, ‘come on, let’s do it – what can it hurt?’ He’s so reliable in the arena, and he’s an old boy now so he knows his job. He goes in there; he does his thing; he only does what he has to do.”

So, she continues, “I started him off like normal [in the warm-up] and then started saying, ‘come on, come on,’ and really razzing him up, and then I gave him a pat and went in.”

Gemma Stevens and Chilli Knight. Photo by Hannah Cole Photography.

It worked. In the arena, the five-star stalwart “didn’t drop off my leg – he stayed lovely and in front of me, kept his frame up in front of me, and was really nice to ride. He’s a horse I can really trust not to run off with me in there; the worst he’d do is spook at a flowerpot, and he’s not going to get whizzy on me, so it was something I could afford to try with him.”

‘Alfie’ is probably best known for his serious turns of speed on cross-country, but in the first phase, finding the ‘oomph’ has been a long game.

“He’s so full of go on cross-country, but to him, dressage is dull,” says Gemma with a laugh. “Jumping jumps is much more fun, and galloping fast is what he loves to do. He loves it when we come to these big ones, because he knows that I’m not going to have the handbrake on, and that’s the best thing ever – at the other events he knows I’ll have the handbrake on and he gets a bit cross with me, to be honest!”

It’s that inherent joie de vivre that Gemma hopes will be the pair’s driver for a sea-change in fortunes on Saturday, after a lost shoe at Badminton forced them to pull up while in a strong position – and after a tough World Championships run for Gemma, who is still mystified by an uncharacteristic couple of refusals from Flash Cooley, her ride in Germany.

“As long as we’ve got a bit of luck on our side, and we keep our wheels on and keep galloping, there’s no reason [Chilli Knight] won’t gallop to the end,” she says. “He’s fit, he’s blood, and he’s done it before – we just have to have that bit of luck to not stand on ourselves and pull a shoe off like we did at Badminton, because he’s got such flat feet that we’re not very good when we haven’t got our wheels on. It’s like being on an ice rink – not very nice going around Burghley!”

Tim Price and Global Quest. Photo by Hannah Cole Photography.

 The margin at the top of this early stage is a reasonably comfortable one: second-placed Tim Price and Global Quest sit 2.5 penalties behind Gemma and Alfie on a 32.1 after a conservative but workmanlike test.

“You sometimes forget how long a partnership takes to really cement,” says Tim, who inherited the ride from the late Georgie Campbell in the latter half of 2024. “I’ve had him for a couple of years, and we’re just starting to feel like we’re really a team.”

Something that Tim has learned over those two seasons is the balance in how much he asks and how much he supports.

“For a big fella, he actually has quite a high level of anxiety,” he says. “With me being bigger and stronger than Georgie, it’s perhaps a bit more like, ‘it’s like this, mate’, but that’s not always been to his benefit. He can just get a little bit upset, and then he goes in his shell and everything’s a bit forced, and you lose the balance and the impulsion and things like that. So as we’ve gone on I have, for a start, got him a lot fitter and a lot lighter and his body a lot stronger, and then I really try not to come in and say, ‘it’s like this.’ I want him to show himself off, not me to say ‘this is what you need to do’, so I try to just achieve more softness and cadence and things that aren’t that natural to him.”

Today, he says, “I tried to ride smoothly, which comes at the cost of a few crisp transitions, and I ride for changes that are small, but clean. In the past I’d really go for the change and he’d throw his head down and go, ‘why did you do that?!’ So now, I just try to show him the way, and I hope that over the next couple of seasons that’ll mean he actually gets much better.”

Already, the progression is evident: “it was a nice, smooth, flowing test, and while he doesn’t have the flamboyance of the ones that’ll be at the front of the pack in this phase, it’s a great baseline to move on from. He tried his hardest in there and didn’t get distracted, even when things like the flowers caught his eye.”

Tom Jackson and Hawk Eye. Photo by Hannah Cole Photography.

Tom Jackson and the first of his two rides, the former Nicola Wilson ride Hawk Eye, step into third place at this early stage on a 34.1 – nearly bang-on their average at this level in their third start.

“Overall I’m really pleased with him – obviously there’s bits to polish up, and he just slightly dropped behind me on a couple of the halts, but he doesn’t find this phase the easiest and it actually felt a big improvement from the last couple of five-star tests he’s done,” says Tom.

Tomorrow will see both Tim and Tom return with second rides: for Tim, it’ll be the evergreen Falco, 21st at the World Championships last month, and for Tom it will be five-star sophomore United 36 who, at just ten years old, is one of the favourites in this year’s field after taking fourth place at Badminton on his debut this spring.

“They’re extremely different horses to ride, and it takes a slightly different riding style for both of them,” says Tom. “But they’ve done quite a lot together this year and the back end of last year, so hopefully I’m used to changing between the two now!”

Caroline Pamukcu and HSH Tolan King. Photo by Hannah Cole Photography.

Pathfinder Caroline Pamukcu is also double-handed in her long-awaited Burghley debut, and while her top horse, Aachen-rerouter HSH Blake, will come forward tomorrow, a steady test from HSH Tolan King was good enough to put the pair into provisional fourth place this morning on a score of 34.4.

“He was fantastic,” says Caroline. “He’s a funny story – he was a failed sale horse of mine, and so I took over the ride three or four years ago and he’s just exceeded all of our expectations.”

HSH Tolan King arrived on Caroline’s yard in the States in 2021, and the following year, Caroline relocated to the UK for a season to base herself with Pippa Funnell.

“We didn’t bring him, because we were just trying to sell him – and only for $20,000. He went to three separate professionals and we were like, ‘you should take this one – he’ll be nice!’ But he was just one of the ones I couldn’t sell. I’d produced him up to Training level at that point, and I went to the investor and said, ‘look, we’ve put so much money into him – why don’t we just kick on and take him up the levels and see what we have?’”

That call, she says, has been “so worthwhile. He’s a bit of a quirky horse, a bit of an underdog, and that’s for sure why he didn’t sell – he’s not an American type of horse. He’s blood, he’s a little small, and for me he’s very fancy, but he’s not the Dutch stamp of a horse that [the market] really like – the big flash, the big jump. But he digs so, so deep, and he’s the ideal type for me – I like the smaller ones that are a little bit rogue.”

Being pathfinder at Burghley on a debut visit might not be many riders’ ideal draw, but Caroline has plenty of trust in the little gelding, who jumped clear around Kentucky this year for fourteenth place.

“He was first out at Kentucky for me this year and first out at Maryland [last year], and I’d say Maryland was pretty beefy,” she says. “So I appreciate him; he just does a really great job and handles it all in his stride, and he couldn’t care less about an atmosphere.”

And, she continues, “I’m so honoured to be here. It’s been a bucket list show of mine, but I’ve been a big believer in supporting our American five-stars, so I try to have a horse for Kentucky and for Maryland every year. Sadly, Maryland is a no-go this year, so I thought it was a perfect opportunity to come overseas and finally do Burghley.”

Clarke Johnstone and Domasco. Photo by Hannah Cole Photography.

Rounding out the top five at this stage is British-based Kiwi Clarke Johnstone, who piloted the ex-racehorse Domasco to a 34.5 – a smart score for a horse who has often tipped into the high-30s at four-star, though proved at three-star that he has the raw material for some very smart scores in the future.

“I’m really pleased with him,” says Clarke. “He’s a Thoroughbred horse and he does tend to get quite hot, but he stayed really calm and really with me in the arena. I thought his trot work was super nice; he walked really calmly; and while his canter work is his weakness – he doesn’t do a good flying change, so they bring the score down – there must have been some high marks as well to finish on a 34, which I’m pleased with.”

A happy little surprise for Clarke was the ring announcer’s request for the crowd to keep the applause to a minimum when he came into the ring: “That actually wasn’t my doing, but I was quite happy to hear the announcement,” he laughs. “I don’t know who asked for it, but it certainly helped – at the trot-up, after the crowd clapped, he shot off with me!”

Thirteen-year-old Domasco comes into the top levels of the sport with an enviable amount of frequent flyer miles on his roster already from his former career: he was bred in the UK, then sold to New Zealand to race, and after starting his FEI career in the Southern Hemisphere, he relocated back to England at the tail end of 2021 when Clarke moved his business across the world.

It wasn’t Clarke, though, who originally found him after racing: “Helen Tompkins got him off the track, and she rode him for a couple of months. But he’s very big, and so she sent him to me to ride for her. I did one lap of the arena at a trot and then I rang her and said, ‘Helen, how much money do I need to pay you to have this horse?’ I just loved him from those first steps – it was like, ‘wow, this is my horse.’ It took eighteen months or so to convince her to sell him to me, and although it’s taken a bit longer to get him to this level than I’d hoped – he’s so accident prone that his mascot is Melman the giraffe from Madagascar – he’s still just as beautiful as I thought he was.”

This is the start of a long-awaited return to Burghley for Clarke, who competed here in 2011 with Incognito, finishing 17th.

“It’s taken a long time to feel like I’ve got the right horse to come back with,” he says. “It takes a special type of horse, and I’m hoping he’s that. He’s a fantastic jumper; he’s very clever and careful, and while I wouldn’t say he’s overly brave, and I have to keep him sweet and be very accurate the whole way around, it’s always nice to be sitting on a Thoroughbred once you get north of nine minutes.”

Cassie Sanger and Redfield Fyre. Photo by Hannah Cole Photography.

Our second US representative of the morning, British-based Cassie Sanger and Redfield Fyre, slot into seventh on a score of 38.2, just behind British pair Jack Pinkney and Claragh Olala, sixth on 38.

“The marks are never easy for him, especially in a five-star test, but the changes are slowly coming along and we kind of have three out of four now not late behind, which is a big improvement for him,” says Cassie, who balances training her string of horses with Ros Canter with working through a journalism degree.

“We have a really good system with Ros, who I train with all the time at home, and with Ian Woodhead at the events,” she continues. “We kind of go with how he’s feeling in the lead-up – we’ll work hard on the flat, and then take him to the gallops the next day, and he’s actually become quite good at flatting the day after he does his fitness work, which you wouldn’t always think would be the case with a horse who struggles with strength and balance.”

But, she says, “he just needs his brain to switch on and off with it. So we keep him really happy – he’s only had one big session here this week, and otherwise we’ve toned [the schooling] right down. I rode him this morning in the dressage saddle, but just stretching him and making sure he was loose and feeling good, and then we just did a fifteen minute warm-up for the test so we can get the best out of him in the ring.”

We’ll be heading back to the white boards shortly for this afternoon’s dressage session, which will see another twelve horses and riders deliver their tests from 14.00 BST/9.00 a.m. EST. As always, you can follow along live on Burghley TV, and keep it locked onto EN for another full report at the end of the day’s sport. Until then: Go Eventing!

The top ten at lunchtime on Thursday at Defender Burghley.

Defender Burghley: [Website] [Tickets] [Entries] [Timetable] [Timing & Scoring] [CrossCountry App XC Preview] [EN’s Burghley Field Wiki] [EN’s Ultimate Guide] [Burghley TV] [EN’s Coverage]

Thursday News & Notes

By on Sep 3, 2026 12:01 am -

Here we go! Dressage is underway this morning for the 2026 Defender Burghley CCI5* and we’ll see roughly half of our field between the boards today. If you want some ways to follow along, you can do using the links or link list below:

Timing & Scoring (including Order of Go)
Burghley TV Live Stream

Major International Events This Weekend

Defender Burghley: [Website] [Tickets] [Entries] [Timetable] [Timing & Scoring] [CrossCountry App XC Preview] [EN’s Burghley Field Wiki] [EN’s Ultimate GuideBurghley TV] [EN’s Coverage]

U.S. Weekend Preview

The Event at Skyline (UT): [Website] [Entries/Times/Scoring] [Volunteer]

Flora Lea Fall H.T. & YEH Qualifier (NJ): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times]

CDCTA Fall H.T. (VA): [Website] [Scoring] [Volunteer]

Links & Reading

Training Tip of the Day

Not *quite* an actual training tip today, but some insights that could be useful in some ways for us from some riders after their first look at the Burghley cross country course:

Go Eventing

Scone Palace (in Scotland) to Burghley via bike in just three days — all for an incredible cause!