Classic Eventing Nation

Overnight leaders Tim Price and Vitali. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

It’s been a morning of two halves here at the Defender Burghley Horse Trials. We woke up, bright-ish and sort of bushy-tailed, to discover news of five overnight withdrawals, thinning the field to 32 going into the final phase, and feared an ongoing morning of drama — but then, as the final horse inspection unfolded in front of ground jury members Christian Steiner, Anne-Mette Binder, and Nick Burton, it was all… rather boring, actually. Not a single one of our remaining horses was so much as asked to trot a second time, and all 32 looked fit, well, and in good condition following yesterday’s exertions. It’s the kind of ‘boring’ that we all tend to long for.

Those withdrawals came from across the breadth of the leaderboard. Most notably, though also most unsurprisingly, was the withdrawal of ninth-placed Tenareze, who was the last horse on course yesterday with Harry Meade, and completed with 9.6 time penalties but pulled up lame at the finish. Harry and his team have since posted an update on the gelding on social media: “He’s happy, settled & comfortable in his stable this evening having pulled up lame,” they write. “The veterinary team at the finish were absolutely brilliant and with him within seconds. Thankfully he will be fine although sadly for him won’t get his chance to shine in the show jumping tomorrow.”

Will Faudree and Mama’s Magic Way move into the top ten. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

That withdrawal now means that US representatives Will Faudree and Mama’s Magic Way step up into the top ten going into showjumping.

Also withdrawn was 25th-placed Ferro Point, the other ride of David Doel, who sits third with his remaining horse, Galileo Nieuwmoed. Tom McEwen, who pulled up on course yesterday with Toledo de Kerser, who is also confirmed to be happy and well at home in his stable, opted to withdraw his debutant, Luna Mist, who sat 19th after cross-country, and British-based US rider and five-star first-timer Grace Taylor withdrew Game Changer from 16th place. Former British under-25 title-holders Greta Mason and Cooley For Sure also withdrew from 35th place.

Jennie Brannigan and FE Lifestyle. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Two prizes were awarded at the final horse inspection. The Best-Shod Horse prize was given to Tim and Nina Gardner’s FE Lifestyle, ridden by Jennie Brannigan and shod by Russell Deering. The Horsemanship Prize for the groom who was deemed to have gone above and beyond in their care of their charge was awarded to Amy Akehurst, groom for Tom Crisp and Liberty and Glory, who has also been a previous winner of this prize at Badminton. Second place went to Kerryn Edmans, groom for overnight leaders Tim Price and Vitali.

Tom Crisp and the best cared-for horse, Liberty and Glory, groomed by Amy Akehurst. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Now, it’s all about the showjumping — and that top few horses and riders. We’ve got an exciting afternoon ahead of us, not least because our overnight leaders have just 2.3 penalties in hand — and in three five-stars, have consistently had three rails down each time. But in second place, Oliver Townend and Ballaghmor Class aren’t a guaranteed jumping pair either; they pulled four rails at Pratoni last year, and though they have jumped clear and won at the level, they’ve also had to settle for a top-five placing a number of times on the basis of this phase. And then, in third place, there’s David Doel. He’s 7 penalties — less than two rails — behind the leader, and 4.7 penalties — a rail and less than two seconds — behind Oliver, and he and Galileo Nieuwmoed haven’t had a rail down in 2023. They’ve jumped clear at Kentucky and Badminton, and while they did tip the final rail at Pau last year while in the lead, they come into the ring in a much more fortuitous and less pressurised position. Just 1.2 penalties, or three seconds, behind him is Wills Oakden and Oughterard Cooley, who had three rails here last year and two at Badminton this spring, and then, in fifth, it’s Sam Watson and SAP Talisman, who haven’t yet had a clear round in a long-format. Expect big changes and a tonne of excitement to come (and maybe pour yourself a stiff drink to get through the stress of it all).

Here’s a look at the top ten going into showjumping this afternoon:

The first group of 12 horses and riders will take to the showjumping ring from 10:30 a.m. local time/5.30 a.m. EST. The top twenty will follow on from 14.15 p.m. local/9.15 a.m. EST. Keep it locked onto EN for a full report on all the action — and to meet our 2023 Defender Burghley Horse Trials champion!

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

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

Tim Price and Vitali. Photo by Peter Nixon/Defender Burghley Horse Trials.

In classic Burghley fashion, cross-country day has been a day of major changes, colossal climbs — and no shortage of surprises. Just four of our top ten after dressage remain in the hunt after cross-country, though no one could quite have predicted the variety of ways in which major contenders fell by the wayside: second-placed Oliver Townend and Swallow Springs retired at the Dairy Mound (20ABC) after effectively landing in the huge oxer at A; fourth-placed Tom McEwen and Toledo de Kerser also pulled up, though just before fence 12, the Waterloo Rails, after the horse took some lame steps. Fifth-placed Ros Canter and Pencos Crown Jewel saw their day end at the Dairy Mound when the newly-crowned European Champion took a shock tumble at the second element, the first of the skinny triple bars, and tenth-placed Emily King and Valmy Biats dropped down to 29th after a topsy-turvy round full of enormously classy moments but also no shortage of rotten luck, which saw them activate a pin at those Waterloo Rails — “I don’t think you’re meant to miss at a five-star fence,” she jokes, wryly — and then get their stud girth caught on the fence. They steadily navigated the rest of the course battling a shifted girth, a lost whip, and a bad chest infection (for Emily, not, crucially, Valmy), and so finished in fine style but with a sensible 30.8 time penalties as well as those 11 frangible penalties.

But where there were high-profile disappointments (who, for example, could have guessed that Oliver’s first ride of the day, with Tregilder, would end because of a snapped rein, or that hugely experienced trailblazers Harry Meade and Away Cruising would pick up their first 20 in six years?), there were also countless of the kind of stories that make this event so special, and so unique. Take, for example, the 33- and 23-place climbs executed by Scotland’s Wills Oakden, who rocketed into the top ten on both rides as a result of his swift, capable riding; see also the lifts from 37th and 26th to 13th and 14th, respectively, by Alice Casburn and Topspin and Tom Crisp and Liberty and Glory after masterclass efforts. We’ve seen first-timers — horses and riders alike — excel: take British-based US representative Grace Taylor and Game Changer, for example, who might have dropped out of the top ten into 16th with their 17.6 time penalties, but still looked as though they’d walked the course together while tackling their step up, or Wesko Equestrian Foundation beneficiaries Emma Thomas and Icarus, who kept on digging deep and romped home to sit just outside the top twenty with a 25-place climb.

Tim Price and Vitali. Photo by Peter Nixon/Defender Burghley Horse Trials.

And then there was our overnight leader, who left the startbox late in the day with an enviable margin, thanks to the remarkable 18.7 he’d put on the board yesterday, setting a venue record, a five-star record, and a personal international record all in one go. As it turned out, New Zealand’s Tim Price and Vitali would need it; they added 8 time penalties during their round, allowing them to maintain their grasp on first place — thanks, in part, to disasters that befell many of their nearest competitors — but taking away any hope of a rail in hand for tomorrow’s finale, too.

That eight time penalties — that’s twenty seconds — came as something of a surprise, both to spectators and to Tim, too: the 13-year-old Holsteiner hasn’t yet made the time at five-star, but he’s come close to it. But, Tim explains, today he had a rather different feeling underneath him than he’s used to.

“He was just not taking me from the start for whatever reason — horses aren’t machines,” he reasons. “He still had a desire to go, but just not the same speed as what I’ve had with him in the past, so you’ve just got to ride with what’s beneath you. His jump stayed good, and the action was good all the way home. It was just a matter of just trying to just eke a little bit more out of him. For him, he’s such an internaliser. I’ve said before, I think it did him some good at some stages, to take a breath and relax and then get into a good wind kind of mode. He just stayed a little bit held, but I’m really proud of him, he just kept coming. At one point, I thought it was a long way to home, but he kept trying and we got there.”

Tim Price and Vitali. Photo by Libby Law.

The pair looked classy around the course, but for one nearly moment at the Irish Bank at 17A, when the gelding came close to tripping himself up while touching down atop the obstacle.

“I just wish I didn’t see that distance,” says Tim. “I was just trying to be cheeky under the tree and took my eye off the distanace and I had to sort of hook it out of the ground. And then I thought, ‘you’ve asked for trouble now’. Anyway, we got away with it, and the rest really was just a tough day in the office around a five-star really.”

One of the highlights of the round came at the Holland Cooper Leaf Pit at 7ABCD, where Vitali locked on and attacked the colossal final elements of the question, which was ultimately the most influential of the day with 15 combinations picking up penalties, despite most riders assessing it as an easier iteration of the complex than in previous years.

“That’s what makes him the horse that he is cross country,” Tim explains. ‘He switches on when it’s really important to, and he responds to my questions when he needs to. Not just for staying inside the flags, but for safety and for all these other things that we have to deal with all the way round the course. But we’ve had lovelier rounds; Badminton in the mud was really smooth and it was, I think, one of my most favourite rounds of my career. But with horses being horses, you can’t expect that every time, and every day is different. It’s become quite warm this afternoon, whether it’s that or whether it’s just the side of the bed he got out on, he just wasn’t taking me today like he can do.”

Now, the pair go into tomorrow’s showjumping finale with less than a rail — 2.3 penalties, to be precise — in hand. That’s not, perhaps, the proximity that Tim would have liked to have borne; in his three five-stars, Vitali has had three rails down each time.

“He’s just not all that confident with atmosphere,” says Tim, who has taken the gelding jumping in the Spanish winter tours in a bid to build his confidence in this phase. “He’s actually quite a good jumper. He’s quite an athlete and he wants to do the right thing, but he might leave the building for thirty seconds or so which isn’t helpful. But our preparations have been really good; I’ve been mixing it up a little bit with my approach to it all, and I think he’s come here really happy and relaxed. I’m looking forward to having a chance of demonstrating that tomorrow.”

Oliver Townend and Ballaghmor Class. Photo by Libby Law.

After two rounds that he’d rather forget — that broken rein with Tregilder, for one, and the crash through the oxer at the Dairy Mound with Swallow Springs, after which he retired — Oliver Townend was relieved to leave the start box for the final time on a horse who’s not only won here, on his debut as a ten-year-old six years ago, but is, arguably, the most consistent cross-country horse in the world. Ballaghmor Class has run at eight five-stars, and has never finished outside the top five in any of them — and once again, he proved today precisely why that is, with a positive, confident round that saw him hold his overnight second place, albeit with 4.8 additional time penalties.

“After the first two, I did think, ‘here we go again!’ It’ll be like twelve months ago, hitting the floor twice without feeling like we’d done too much wrong,” says Oliver. “So it was good that the last one was Mr Reliable. What can you say about him? He’s a freak of nature, and not only is my hero, but the horse of a lifetime.”

His time penalties, he explains, came because adjusting the 16-year-old’s stride proved tricky around the long, tough track.

“He wasn’t giving me the easiest ride; he’s definitely not showing his age! He was keen, keen, keen,” he says. “He opens the stride easily, but then it doesn’t close — going down to fence five, the rail and ditch, I had no control whatsoever, and the very last stride before we took off at the rail was the shortest stride he took and the only split second I was in control. But he just knows what he’s doing, and as long as I show him where we’re going, he does it nicely.”

Both his earlier rides, he says, returned to the stables feeling fit and well and ready to potentially reroute after some conversations with the owners.

“It’s a huge credit to the team at home. These horses don’t lie; they don’t turn up as old as they are again and again and again and again with their ears pricked, doing their jobs, without incredible management behind the scenes,” says Oliver. “All the girls back home have been there for years and years. We’re all getting older, but we’re all still madly passionate about the horses and they keep coming to these big events and putting in great performances.”

David Doel and Galileo Nieuwmoed. Photo by Libby Law.

At the very start of the day, two riders put down exceptional clear rounds inside the time — and though we all wondered, for just a fleeting moment, if that might mean that the time would prove gettable all day, nobody else managed it throughout the rest of the 58 rounds.

The fastest of those? Wiltshire-based David Doel and the consummate galloper Galileo Nieuwmoed, who once again showed the utter class that has seen them finish in the top ten at Badminton, Kentucky, and Pau — the latter of which they led after this phase. They came home in 10:57, nine seconds inside the time, and stepped up from overnight 25th to third place going into the final phase.

“He’s had great five-star form and he’s a lovely galloping horse — he gallops so easily across the ground,” says David, who was up on his minute markers throughout the course. “He turned really well, even though this was probably a bit of a fiddly course for him; he’s got a big stride and really likes to open up, so with the twists and turns, I wasn’t really sure how he’d take it. He felt a little bit tired coming off the Dairy Mound, but he picked up really well coming home and gave me a super feel.”

But the credit can’t go wholly to Galileo Nieuwmoed: David himself has proven time and time again that he’s exceptional at riding a swift rhythm and finding economical lines and approaches, a skill that’s helped him catch the time at several five-stars with different horses.

“It’s been a lot of years of work, and it’s been a real team effort over the years — we’ve made some mistakes and learned from them, and I made mistakes today and we’ll learn from them again,” says David, who also sits 25th with second ride Ferro Point after an early drive-by at the final element of the Leaf Pit and a respectable 9.6 time penalties, even with that runout. “So it’s an ever-evolving sort of picture really. I like going quickly, don’t get me wrong, it’s good fun, but I’m very lucky to have two lovely horses here at the moment that you can sit on top of and let jump underneath you, and they gave me super rides.”

And going into the final phase? David sits on a score of 33.7, which puts him seven penalties — or less than two rails — behind the leaders, and a rail and just under two seconds behind Oliver, who, like our overnight leaders, will be achingly aware that tomorrow’s phase isn’t always his most straightforward. As for Galileo? He’s not yet had a rail this year, and he jumped clear on the final day at Badminton last year, so while the memory of losing the win at Pau when the final rail fell will probably still sting, he has the great benefit of going into tomorrow’s competition without the pressure of jumping for the win outright. All he has to do is get the job done and wait, for what will probably be the longest two rounds of his life thereafter.

Wills Oakden and Oughterard Cooley. Photo by Libby Law.

The other clear inside the time went the way of Scotland’s Wills Oakden, who brought to Burghley all the confidence that comes from having just won a home CCI4*-L — he took Blair Castle’s feature class, plus a three-star victory, last month — and, of course, two excellent horses. His first, the hugely athletic Oughterard Cooley, was the one with whom he caught the time, and really, this has been waiting in the wings for a while: the gelding finished just outside the top ten here last year and at that tough Badminton this spring, and now, at thirteen, he’s truly hitting his peak. He now sits fourth, having climbed from 27th after dressage.

But, he laughs, “I’ve no shame to admit,  I was out of control the whole way! There was not much being able to ‘whoa’ to prepare for fences. It was just trying to pick a spot, either left or right, in the gear we were in, because he was just relentless, but so cool. He’s a really cool horse.”

One of the secret weapons that Wills has utilised to find Oughterard Cooley’s penchant for speed has been to team up with Grand National-winning racehorse trainer Lucinda Russell, with whom he’s undertaken fitness work on her gallops in Kinross.

“I’m very grateful for the support I get with him, and for the owners — I’m so happy for them,” says Wills. “We’ve had a lot of help this summer from Lucinda — we used her gallops and she’s helped us with the fitness, because he’s been five-star twice and I thought both times we could have got more out of him. He’s really found his guts now with a little tweak from her, and I’m just so proud and so impressed with him. I was slightly terrified at times; it was good! He’s so gutsy, and he just digs so deep and gets going.”

Another way that Wills moderated the energy to ensure he had enough in the tank to catch up at the end was by moderating his own reactions — something he learned from his experience here last year.

“I got very excited last year when I went through Discovery Valley, I got a bit of a cheer and I thought ‘wahey, let’s go!’ And I think that set him alight even more. So this year, I just kept saying to myself, ‘don’t use him. Don’t use him. Don’t use him’. I knew where my minute markers were, I knew I was sitting just behind them. I just thought to myself, ‘wait, wait, wait,’ and I managed to keep waiting all the way until I was through the last bit of the Lion’s Bridge. And then when I pressed go, oh my god, he went! God knows what happened at the last two fences — I can’t remember, but it was pretty fun!”

Wills Oakden and Arklow Puissance. Photo by Libby Law.

Not content with just one mountainous climb, Wills returned near the end of the day for another go-round, this time with the former Oliver Townend ride Arklow Puissance. Though he couldn’t quite catch the time, he added just 4.4 time penalties, moving up from 43rd to tenth place going into the final day in the horse’s first five-star completion.

Sam Watson and SAP Talisman. Photo by Libby Law.

There’s obviously something to be said for Puissance offspring, because alongside Oughterard Cooley and Arklow Puissance, who are both by the stallion, there’s another well in the mix in our new-look top ten. Ireland’s Sam Watson came to Burghley knowing that his very blood SAP Talisman would be perfectly suited to a terrain-heavy stamina test, and so he was — so much so, in fact, that like Wills and Oughterard Cooley before him, he crossed the finish line and found that his horse still had several minutes of running left in him.

“If I could have settled him, I would have been inside that time, but I was a second over,” says Sam ruefully. “Firstly, I take the blame: I wasted two seconds on my way to the first fence, and I knew it at the time as well. And I thought, ‘if I’m a second over I have myself to blame’ — but then I couldn’t settle him either, so it was hard to get it back. It really was.”

Where they could catch up, though, was in Talisman’s unerring ability to cover the ground, delivering stride patterns emulated by much bigger horses throughout the day.

“He’s not big; he’s barely 16 hands and he has a small stride, and he’s spooky. So he’s unreal to shuffle, but like, he did three strides up on the Dairy Mound. He did those big corners in four and three and he wasn’t off them. He had his stride. I didn’t have a good start, and I wouldn’t say that was my smoothest round ever by any stretch but I was on a very good horse today.”

Harry Meade and Cavalier Crystal. Photo by Libby Law.

After a frustrating blip in an otherwise smart trailblazing ride with Away Cruising, Harry Meade returned midway through the day with an exciting debutant in Cavalier Crystal — and although she’s the least experienced of his three rides this week, she’s also put in the top result of his trio. They picked up just a scant 5.2 time penalties, helping them execute a climb from 21st place after dressage to overnight sixth.

“I was thrilled with her,” says Harry, who masterfully negotiated a green moment at the Leaf Pit to add confidence and pace throughout the round thereafter. “I was on a little bit of an ambiguous stride coming up to it and it’s not a thought process. It’s just instinct. It’s always better just to kick on, rather than manhandle them and override the horse’s instincts — but she was mega. She’s been a slow burn; I never, as a young horse, thought she was necessarily a five-star type. She scuttles in her gallop, and she’s very careful and she’d sort of drag herself to the roots of a fence and then jump it in a careful way. But I’ve ridden her since she was a five year old and she’s just gotten better and better. I was slightly in two minds as to how she’d be — I just thought she was an unknown chapter for me here, but she just found it really, really easy. She could see everything — so long as she can see the fences she just pricks her ears and goes. It felt great fun, and she felt she could have done another two or three minutes on the end of it. She could go in a bottomless year and feel like she’s got loads of engine.”

Harry also delivered an end-of-day top-ten round with Tenareze, who was initially awarded 15 penalties for a missed flag but, after those were rescinded, stepped two places up to ninth with his 9.6 time penalties — though it’s unlikely we’ll see him return tomorrow for the final phase, as he was taken for veterinary inspection after he pulled up at the finish. We’ll keep you updated on this as the story develops.

Boyd Martin and Tsetserleg. Photo by Libby Law.

Boyd Martin is best of the fearsome US contingent after delivering a classy and capable round with Tsetserleg TSF, putting a tricky year with run-outs at Kentucky and Luhmühlen well behind him. They added 9.6 time penalties, moving them down just one spot from sixth to seventh.

But that round was very nearly a bit of a different story: they were pulled up by the ground jury late in the course, just before the colossal Agria Slate Mine at 23, for closer inspection of what had appeared to be blood in the horse’s mouth. While they were subsequently deemed fit to restart, Boyd didn’t totally relish the prospect of jumping one of the course’s biggest fences as a re-starter obstacle.

“It was bloody nerve-wracking!” he says. “I was getting waved down in front of the big tram, and I thought someone might have crashed in front of me as they were just pulling me up, but they thought they saw a speck of blood on him. Luckily for me, a couple of vets and a TD there opened his mouth and looked through him and then said, ‘Alright, turn around and come to the biggest jump on the course from a standstill.’ I  was like, ‘oh, God!'”

It’s not, perhaps, an ideal moment in an otherwise very exciting round, but Boyd is pragmatic about it all: “To be honest, it would have been better if I could have just kept rolling but you know, I think the welfare of the horse is always important. Part of me was frustrated but then the other part of me thinks, I love this horse so much and if he was injured, I’d be the first one to pull him up.”

Boyd Martin and On Cue. Photo by Libby Law.

That was Boyd’s second ride of the day; the first, with Maryland 5* winner On Cue, sees him sitting pretty in twelfth on 10.8 time penalties, which came as the horse began to visibly tire in the latter stages of the course, which prompted Boyd to ease off her and coast her home.

“It was a tough round, and she had to fight hard,” says Boyd. ‘She hasn’t done much since the last two years. So she was sort of lacking a previous five star to really get her fit. But God, she tried hard, and I love her to bits. It doesn’t matter what the scenario, she pricks her ears and gets over the jump.”

Pippa Funnell and Majas Hope. Photo by Libby Law.

Pippa Funnell remains in eighth place with Majas Hope after a round that began and ended in much the same way: with an eye on the clock and a palpable air of determination from both horse and rider en route to adding just 8.8 time penalties.

Most interestingly of all, though, is the fact that, in a bid to keep Hope from getting wound up, Pippa didn’t jump a single warm-up fence before leaving the start box — instead, she warmed the gelding up on the flat and then used the early single fences to get the experienced gelding in the air and feeling confident.

“It was a bit nerve-wracking with the warm up, because we didn’t warm up,” she says. “I kept him so far away and trotted and just went up the canter strip, and my practice jumps were the first two three fences So I maybe wasted a bit of time over the first three fences; I felt I was ten seconds down at one minute, which a little bit is me, from the old days with the steeplechase. I always used to start a bit slow, and then you felt the horse underneath you, and you get quicker and quicker. And so that’s what I did. But he was great. Really, really great. I mean, I can’t be unhappy with him at all — I thought he was pretty much foot perfect.”

Will Faudree and Mamas Magic Way. Photo by Libby Law.

Will Faudree was disappointed to pick up 12.4 time penalties with Mama’s Magic Way, dropping them from ninth to eleventh place, but he shouldn’t be, really — the 12-year-old gelding and his rider alike looked exceptional around the course, making light work of both the terrain and the colossal fences.

“He jumped great — he’s a real game horse,” says Will. “Unfortunately, I got in his way a little bit too much to catch the time, so I’m a bit perturbed with myself. But, you know, I got home, and I’ve just got to be better and come back and do it better.”

Now, he tells us, he plans to re-evaluate how he prepares for these big events: “I don’t ever really let him run fast at events at home, because nothing holds him back, and these jumps here actually do hold him back a bit, so I’m going to think about how to train better at competitions,” he says.

Part of it, too, comes down to Burghley’s unique terrain, which was a new experience for ‘Mason’.

“I was actually right on my minute markers up until the Rolex combination [at 15ABC], and then I slowed him down for [the steep Capability’s Cutting road crossing], but he got to the edge of it and just stopped,” explains Will. “I don’t think he’s ever seen anything like that. I also didn’t kick him up the Winners’ Avenue; I let him go kind of on his own, which in hindsight, maybe I should have kicked him up there. Because then I ended up having to add a stride to the corner to get him in front of me.”

Jessica Phoenix and Wabbit. Photo by Libby Law.

Canada’s sole representatives here, Jessica Phoenix and Wabbit, stepped up from 29th to 15th after adding 10.8 time penalties — a quick and efficient round that began with a tactical bit of steady riding out of the start box.

“I was hoping to be closer to the time than we were, but he needed me to just settle him a little at the start,” she says. “He’s a full Thoroughbred, and he raced, so sometimes when he hears people he loses his brain a little bit. But after minute three, he really settled in and then we found our rhythm, and then I was just so thrilled with him. He absolutely lives for this day. He loves the terrain, he loves when the fences are that big. He love the complexity of it all. He’s just got a brain that moves so quickly that he thrives under these conditions.”

Grace Taylor and Game Changer. Photo by Libby Law.

British-based US representative and five-star debutante Grace Taylor had to settle for stepping out of the top ten with Game Changer after they added 17.6 time penalties, moving them from seventh to 16th, but she certainly wasn’t disappointed with her first run at the level: “He tried his guts out,” she says. “He tired towards the end, but I think he had to help me out towards the beginning, which saps their energy. Hopefully next year I can come back and conserve his energy in the beginning and do better, but it’s really exciting.”

Jennie Brannigan and FE Lifestyle. Photo by Libby Law.

Jennie Brannigan and the very game FE Lifestyle dropped just three places, from 14th to 17th, after adding 15.6 time penalties in a confident campaign across both horse and rider’s first Burghley track.

“It’s quite special,” she says. “I’m probably a little in shock, to be honest, because normally I’d be, like, crying and freaking out! I’ve never felt him tired like this; this is his sixth five-star, and it’s definitely the hardest in the world. He’s just a gem.”

Tiana Coudray and Cancaras Girl. Photo by Libby Law.

Our final US pair, British-based Tiana Coudray and her debutant Cancaras Girl, sadly didn’t complete after a rider fall at the B element of the Irish bank complex — but we look forward to seeing them back out again soon.

Tomorrow takes us into the grand finale of the 2023 Defender Burghley Horse Trials, and first on the agenda is the final horse inspection in the main arena, set to begin at 9.00 a.m. local time/4.00 a.m. EST. Pending any overnight withdrawals, we’re down to 37 competitors from an original 58 — that’s a 63.8% completion rate — and of those, we’ve seen 25, or 43.1%, complete without jumping penalties. Once they’ve tackled that inspection, we’ll go into the morning’s jumping session from 10.45 a.m. local/5.45 a.m. EST, while the top 20 will jump from 14.15 local/9.15 a.m. EST. Then, we’ll have a winner — and what a competition they’ll have topped. As always, you can watch along on Burghley TV — and keep it locked onto EN for a full report and plenty more content from this special event throughout the day. Go Eventing!

The top ten at the 2023 Defender Burghley Horse Trials after cross-country.

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

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

Everyone’s eaten their vegetables over the last two days, and now it’s time for the meat of the week: it’s cross-country day at the Defender Burghley Horse Trials! Let’s take a look at what’s to come over the course, which, unlike last year, has a much more intense final third…

THE TECHNICAL DETAILS

Length: 6325 meters

Fences: 29

Optimum Time: 11:06

THE COURSE MAP:

(Check this out in full on the CrossCountry App!)

THE NEED-TO-KNOWS

Fence 1: The Defender Starter

Fence 2: Lambert’s Sofa

Fence 3: The Pol Roger Table

The first three fences are simple, single jumps, just intended to help horses and riders find a rhythm and confidence as they move forward from the start.

Fence 4AB: The LeMieux Arena Rails

The first combination, but these wide overs are far enough apart that there’s not a set stride pattern. There’s a tonne of atmosphere in the arena, and huge cheers, so this is a focus question and a tune-up as much as anything.

A view through Defender Valley, with the A element on the right and that final corner on the left.

Fence 5ABCD: Defender Valley

The first real question on course; the direct route is a downhill approach to a set of clipped rails, then a pop over the ditch, and then over a big, left-handed timber corner.

Fence 6: The Triple Bar

A Derek classic: light, airy timber, a huge spread, and a tonne of airtime — certainly something that’ll give confidence and wake horses and riders up before they tackle the first major question on the course. The point of this one is to bolster bravery, and while it’s terrifying to look at, the feeling in the air will be unbeatable.

Fence 7ABCD: The Holland Cooper Leaf Pit

Okay, now we’re at Burghley! There’s some sentiments around that perhaps the iconic Leaf Pit is a bit more straightforward this year, with its brush questions, but it’s still a seriously tough question. There’s no video or photo in the world that can accurately convey how huge the drop down at A is, and then these fit, fresh horses will be freewheeling a bit as they run down to BC, a huge brush spread. Then, they’ve got a choice of a left- or right-handed brush at D, so they’ll need to know their horse’s dominant side and ride what they can feel underneath them to make a good job of this.

Fence 8: Defender Valley

There’s not a proper pass back through the Valley as there has been in previous years, but instead, a huge single fence. This is a nice mental break after the last couple of combinations; one of Derek’s strengths as a course designer is knowing exactly where to ease off the mental strain to allow horses and riders alike to save enough brain cells for the Advanced Calculus to come.

Fence 9: Herbert’s Hollow

I’m not a short girl — I’m nearly 5’8 if I actually stand up straight — and these are hard for me to see over. They are enormously tall, hugely deep, and achingly skinny, and there’s two of them on a line with undulating terrain in between, so this is really where we’re starting to test the accuracy and rideability. At this point, that initial freshness should be simmering down a bit, and it’s time to focus. As always, there’s a long route if something goes wrong or if this feels like too much of a question at this stage.

This year’s Trout Hatchery complex.

Fence 10ABC and Fence 11AB — The Defender Trout Hatchery

Let’s go for a splash! The Trout Hatchery is a unique water complex, because it’s effectively two ponds, and we always see interesting, influential questions here. It’s a touch more straightforward than last year; 10A is a kayak house coming down the hill, after which they’ll canter down through pond number one. Then they’ll tackle the BC elements, a pair of houses on a bounce distance, before cantering into the second pond. Then, it’s up a step and over an angled skinny, landing in the water and then cantering on away. There’s a long route here that does involve a log drop into water, so it’s all about knowing your strengths and weaknesses and planning accordingly. We’ve seen bounces into water at a few British four-stars this year, so hopefully, many competitors will feel well-prepared for this kind of question.

Fence 12: The Waterloo Rails

Just another airy timber spread after a bit of a gallop uphill away from the Trout Hatchery. A big jump, but a fair and straightforward one to reward the hard work undertaken at the Trout Hatchery.

Fence 13: The Voltaire Design Brush

The same again, really — it’s not a timber oxer, but this hanging brush-topped log-and-ditch is another run-and-jump to keep them moving at a good clip. This bit of the course is a chance to catch up on the clock, but riders have to be careful: there’s a tonne of terrain to come, and draining resources at this early-ish stage is unwise. It’s all about finding a positive cruising rhythm and settling into it — major adjustments use major energy.

Fence 14ABC: Joules at the Maltings

The Maltings is always packed with insanely huge white rails, whether in oxer form or corner form — and it’s the latter we’ve got here. The direct route is a big, beautiful carved hare, and then there’s a curving line between a left-handed to right-handed corner, which are about as wide as we’ve ever seen. It’s a fearsome angle, but those blue lines are a helpful visual aid — and, again, there’s a much longer alternate route that they can choose to take if this is too big an ask. We’ll definitely see that used — especially if we see those MIMs drop easily early on and riders change their plan accordingly.

Fence 15ABC: The Rolex Combination

There are two routes through this question, but this is the more direct of the two. That AB element is SKINNY, and it’s angled off a ditch, and followed by another one of those jaw-dropping big skinny brushes. There’s no mix-and-match between routes here, but this is all about picking a great line, establishing a great, positive pace, and committing. It’s proper five-star stuff.

Fence 16: The Parasol Table

Last year’s penultimate fence, which famously saw Oliver Townend have a freak tumble while up on the clock with Tregilder, is now at the midpoint of the course. It’s as wide as they come and pretty looky, but any horse that has a spook left in it at this stage is being fed on rocket fuel, frankly. It demands respect, so it’s not as straightforward a run-and-jump fence as some of the singles on this course, but it isn’t one of the major questions, either.

Fence 17AB: The Irish Horse Board Bank

As we turn onto the 400m or so of uphill pull that is Winner’s Avenue — one of the toughest stamina tests on the track — we meet one of the most talked-about fences. The A element is an Irish bank, which can be jumped or banked, and then there’s a log fence that’s perpendicular to it and can be jumped from either side. There’s plenty of space to work out all sorts of different curving lines to it, but as Harry Meade points out, the interesting thing will be deciding the approach to the A — do you gallop it for a guaranteed jump, or do you aim for a more compact canter and plan to touch down on top? We’ll see lots of different rides here through the day.

Fence 18: The Cottesmore Leap

Arguably Burghley’s most iconic effort. You can park a Land Rover in that ditch, but on the approach, if you keep your eyes up, it looks surprisingly doable. It’s all about finding pace and power and then letting your horse reach — so they’ll need to keep something in the tank while moving up Winner’s Avenue, or this will feel like a much bigger ask than it needs to be.

Fence 19AB: Fairfax & Favor at Keepers

A brush skinny to a brush corner on a bending left-handed line, which is made more difficult simply because horses will be feeling a touch weary at this point. That might mean it requires a bit more set-up and deft horsemanship than if it was an early question, and we could well see a few horses skim out the side door at that B element.

There’s no messing around at the Dairy Mound at 20ABC.

Fence 20ABC: Defender at the Dairy Mound

The Dairy Mound is a serious question this year. There’s an uphill approach to a huge oxer at A, then two big frangible triple bar skinnies at B and C, with a downhill left-handed approach to the last one. There’s a long route, but long routes add more steps, more time, and take more energy, so we’ll see a lot of people trying to go straight — and probably a lot of penalties accrued here through the day, whether through run-outs or MIM activations.

Fence 21: The Pardubice

Just simply one of the biggest, beefiest bits of brush you’ll ever see — but it rides brilliantly and has a very readable, sloping profile. A delightful mental break and a fence that acts like a pat on the neck for these exceptional athletes.

Fence 22: Rolex Grand Slam at Capability’s Cutting

The terrain on the approach here is the most interesting thing. It’s a road crossing, effectively, with a very steep downhill, a stride on the flat, and then a very steep uphill before meeting this corner on the flat at the top. That makes the approach much more of a challenge, but the uphill should also set horses back on their hocks and help them out a touch.

Fence 23: The Agria Lifetime Equine Slate Mine

A table you could hollow out and turn into a comfortable family home. Kick on.

Fences 24 and 25AB: The Boodles Raindance

A much more intense question here than last year; there’s two jewellery boxes on an angle and then a big drop fence into the water. Riders will hope the last couple of questions and that downhill run put some air back into their horses’ lungs, and they’ll need to really ride this last major question and help them out. It’s another question of committing to a line and being super positive.

Fence 26: The Lion Bridge

Just a straightforward rolltop wagon on a slightly downhill approach before…

Fence 27.

Fence 27: The Lion Bridge, part two

…a fish in the water that’s actually really, really small, which is a challenge in itself because horses can be tempted to get loose in front. It’s got brush on top now, but this will just demand a bit of respect. We’ve seen a couple of horses trip in this water before, too, so no complacency can sneak in here.

Fence 28: Horatio’s Garden

Another big old table en route to the last. Just keep respecting these fences.

Fence 29: The Defender Finale

And then, it’s everyone’s favourite fence: the last one. As before, this always needs to be respected, because silly things can happen at final fences. Then, it’s home safe and back to the support team — well done, folks!

Cross-country starts momentarily at 11:15 a.m. local/6:15 a.m. EST. Check out what riders have to say about the task ahead here, and tune in for live updates here. Kick on, and Go Eventing!

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

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

Rise and shine, it’s Burghley cross country time! Photo by Tilly Berendt.

It’s time for some Burghley cross country action! I hopped off a plane home from AEC at about midnight last night, so I can’t really speak to the amount of brain cells I’m in possession of, but whatever is left up there is ready to party, Burghley style.

We’ll be getting underway at 11:15 a.m. local time (6:15 a.m. EST), and as is tradition here on EN I’ll be keeping you up to speed with live updates throughout the morning. Of course, my updates can’t come close to watching in person, so be sure to snag a Burghley TV subscription to follow along (and catch up on demand if you’re a normal person who enjoys sleep).

Derek di Grazia has quite a challenge built in his sophomore year designing at this British 5*. You can read Tilly’s preview here, view the course on CrossCountryApp here, and read how riders are reacting to it here. The optimum time is 11 minutes, 6 seconds.

You can find the full running order in order of standing here. If you’re looking for the order of go, you can find it here.

Refresh this page periodically for the latest updates. Here’s to safe rides to all – let’s get after it!

Defender Burghley: [Website] [Entries] [Program] [Live Stream] [EN’s Coverage] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]

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

11:21 a.m. ET: Here are a few numbers to mull over from today:

Completion rate: 37/58 (63.8%)
Clear rate: 25/58 (43.1%)
Clear inside the time: 2/58 (3.4%)
Fastest round: David Doel and Galileo Nieuwmoed (10:57)

Tilly Berendt will be along later today with the full report from today. Thank you for following along with us!

11:17 a.m. ET: And Harry finishes with 9.6 time penalties aboard Tenareze to finish the day! I’ll be back shortly with some numbers from the day.

11:16 a.m. ET: Here’s a look at the top five after cross country (full scores can be found here):

11:14 a.m. ET: So Harry now has the track to himself as he navigates to the Cottesmore Leap at 18 with Tenareze.

11:12 a.m. ET: Ballaghmor Class is looking a bit winded at this last part of the course, but he’s still proving to be very genuine for Oliver. Oliver shouts “long route” in the water as he was eyeing the direct route in the water at the Lions Bridge. Oliver can afford six seconds of time and I don’t think he’s going to make it, but it will be close tomorrow. He’s 12 seconds over and 4.8 time penalties, into second for this pair on 29.0. Tim Price will not have a rail in hand.

11:11 a.m. ET: Ballaghmor Class gives the Dairy Mound a hard rub but Oliver’s picked him up and carried him through. Harry is clear at the Trout Hatchery.

11:10 a.m. ET: Tenareze looks green at the Leaf Pit, but Harry uses all of his experience to get the job done. Here’s a look at that Triple Bar:

GIF via Burghley TV.

11:09 a.m. ET: David Doel and Ferro Point had one more 20 at the Lions Bridge and have finished. Oliver is clear through the Irish Bank at 17. Harry navigates the Defender Valley and survives a hairy moment at the Triple Bar.

11:08 a.m. ET: A quick update on our North Americans: nearly all of our pairs will find themselves within the top 15, with Boyd and Tsetserleg highest placed.

11:07 a.m. ET: And our final pair is on course!

11:06 a.m. ET: David Doel and Ferro Point have perhaps the best ride through the Irish Bank at 17AB all day. Oliver is clear through the Rolex Combination hedges. Harry Meade will close us out with Tenareze.

11:02 a.m. ET: And our penultimate pair is away: Oliver Townend and Ballaghmor Class could take the lead if they can go clear inside the time. This pair has won here before (2017) and hasn’t finished off the podium here in three finishes.

11:01 a.m. ET: Boyd’s time is recorded as 9.6 penalties to go onto a score of 37.7 and sixth place at the moment. He’s also currently in 10th with On Cue.

10:59 a.m. ET: Ferro Point is the latest to drive by the C of the Leaf Pit, but he and David Doel are clear on the next attempt. Bummer!

10:57 a.m. ET: Oh no, it looks like Tom actually pulled Toledo up and it looked like the horse was lame on a front leg. We’ll keep you posted. David Doel and Ferro Point are on course and have the track to themselves for now.

10:55 a.m. ET: Man, what a day – Tom McEwen and Toledo de Kerser have now retired after some trouble, but I missed exactly where it happened. Harry Mutch and HD Bronze drive by the C of the Leaf Pit and are retiring now.

10:54 a.m. ET: Wills Oakden is working on another fast clear – he’s not going to be inside the time but he’s going to be damn close with 4.4 penalties accumulated with Arklow Puissance. What a great day for Wills!

10:52 a.m. ET: Thomas seems to have picked up a second wind and is home clear. They’ll recalculate his time and I’ll keep you posted.

10:51 a.m. ET: Ok, Boyd has been restarted and is now clear through the Boodles Raindance. Unsure if they were checking on Thomas or if there was some sort of repair to a fence needed. Harry Mutch now returns with his second ride, HD Bronze, and he’s one of just four left to see today.

10:51 a.m. ET: A look at Tim and Vitali on course:

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10:49 a.m. ET: Boyd is shown now talking with the TD Andrew Temkin. Still not sure what’s going on.

10:47 a.m. ET: Now Boyd has also been pulled up, but at least before he made his approach to Boodles Raindance and not in the middle of it. I think Grace may have just damaged the fish in the water ahead of him, but I’ll keep you posted. We’re also joined now by Tom McEwen and his Tokyo partner Toledo de Kerser, who stand as one threat to Tim’s lead if they can go quick.

10:45 a.m. ET: Grace and Game Changer survive a hairy moment at the Lions Bridge but she’s finished clear now with 14.8 time. We’re also joined by Wills Oaken and his second ride, Arklow Puissance.

10:44 a.m. ET: Boyd at the Joules at the Maltings. He’s having to work a little here but Thomas is looking positive and confident.

GIF via Burghley TV.

10:42 a.m. ET: Grace gets a little loose through the Dairy Mounds and gives the pins a hard rub but she’s still working on a clear, dangling martingale and all.

10:40 a.m. ET: Really pleased with how these horses are finishing, I’ll keep saying it! Here’s a look at Boyd straight as an arrow through the B and C of the Leaf Pit:

GIF via Burghley TV.

10:38 a.m. ET: Ah rats, Sophie Fouracre just gets off her line and goes past the C element of the Dairy Mound. She’s clear on the long route attempt. Boyd comes into the Defender Valley at 5. Boyd has talked about Thomas not wanting to turn right early on course at times, and this question was to be a first test of that — all good here.

10:37 a.m. ET: And here comes Thomas blazing out of the box with Boyd Martin.

10:35 a.m. ET: Richard Coney is home clear with Poetry In Motion. It looks like Grace’s martingale has broken, but she’s carrying on and will be hoping it doesn’t interfere.

10:32 a.m. ET: And here’s Grace Taylor, who’s made a big impression with some strong rounds with Game Changer this year. She’s quite competitively placed after earning a sub-30 score in the dressage. Boyd Martin will be back with us next aboard Tsetserleg TSF.

10:31 a.m. ET:

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10:30 a.m. ET: Our newest starters are Sophie Fouracre and Lordana vh Leysehof Z, to be followed by our next American pair Grace Taylor and Game Changer.

10:29 a.m. ET: Tom Crisp picks up 10.8 time penalties with Liberty & Glory and comes home clear and happy.

10:28 a.m. ET: “It was hard work, but that’s the nature of the beast – it’s Burghley. Whilst this horse has given me some amazing rides, with Badminton earlier this year in the deep going – today he just wasn’t taking me the same, so you have to revise your plan a bit,” Tim said of Vitali. “I went into survival mode after about three minutes thinking, ‘this is a long way home’, so I’m just really proud of him.”

10:27 a.m. ET: Our latest starter, 24-year-old Richard Coney, is clear through the Trout Hatchery with Poetry In Motion.

10:26 a.m. ET: Eventing’s power duo share a moment after a clear cross country from Vitali:

GIF via Burghley TV.

10:23 a.m. ET: Tim will keep his lead for the moment with 8 time penalties on a score of 26.7. If Oliver or Tom can go quick, they will overtake him for the overnight lead.

10:23 a.m. ET: The lovely Liberty and Glory at the Trout Hatchery:

GIF via Burghley TV.

10:22 a.m. ET: Tim Price is headed for home and we don’t have a clock on him but the commentators all believe he’s a bit down on the markers.

10:20 a.m. ET: A look behind the scenes:

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10:20 a.m. ET: Tim very nearly comes unseated after Vitali just drags a leg over the Irish Bank at 17. Whew!

GIF via Burghley TV.

10:18 a.m. ET: Tom Crisp and the absolutely lovely mare Liberty & Glory are our next to see as Tim navigates the Joules at the Maltings.

10:16 a.m. ET: Tim Price uses his stick to gently encourage Vitali to move away from the Trout Hatchery.

10:15 a.m. ET: Well it looks like Julia has now been eliminated for the blood in the mouth. Definitely a good call to stand by the rule, but I also stand by the fact that stopping a rider in the middle of a combination is nothing short of dangerous and irresponsible.

10:13 a.m. ET: Wow, Julia has been pulled up in the middle of the Boodles Raindance. Not a fan of that stopping point…looks like perhaps there is some blood in the mouth here and Ardeo Berlin is being checked out by the vets. Still not a fan of that stopping point at all.

10:11 a.m. ET: France’s Arthur Duffort and Toronto d’Aurois run into trouble at the Leaf Pit and have retired here. Julia Norman is working hard on a clear round and is through the Fairfax & Favor Keepers. And here we go with our leaders! Let’s see if Tim Price and Vitali can make good on their 18.7. He has about five time penalties in hand at the moment.

10:09 a.m. ET: Sam Watson points out that fast, tidy feet are a necessity for a handy event horse as this ability gives the rider more options. However, this can often be a curse in the dressage as these horses will struggle to achieve the more elevated, extended movement naturally.

10:08 a.m. ET: The MIM pins at the Dairy Mound element C do their job as James can’t quite get Milchem Eclipse back on his hind end to make it over cleanly. That’ll be 11 penalties on their card.

GIF via Burghley TV.

10:05 a.m. ET: A look at some more fancy footwork at the Leaf Pit, as demonstrated now by Zimbabwe’s Julia Norman and Ardeo Berlin:

GIF via Burghley TV.

10:03 a.m. ET: Padraig and HHS Noble Call take a slight detour and will add a few more seconds to their final time.

GIF via Burghley TV.

10:01 a.m. ET: HHS Noble Call is another to give the B at the Dairy Mound a very hard rattle, but he and Padraig are still working on a clear round. James Rushbrook is clear through the Trout Hatchery.

9:59 a.m. ET: The global 5* average clear range is 55%, and Sam brings up the point that the best cross country horses in the world come to Burghley, which is well-known as the toughest 5* track of the bunch, which often leads to a higher than average clear rate. Today, that’s not the case with around a 40% clear rate at this point.

9:57 a.m. ET: James Rushbrook and Milchem Eclipse are away. We’re just a couple of combinations away from seeing our dressage leaders, Tim Price and Vitali, on course.

9:56 a.m. ET: Sarah Clark has been having a cracking round, making her way home via the Lions Bridge water.

9:51 a.m. ET: Tom Bird, the youngest competitor this weekend at 21, completes with Rebel Rhyme, a couple issues out there but a completion nonetheless. Ireland’s Padraig McCarthy and HHS Noble Call are the next to see out on course as fellow Irishman Sam Watson now joins Nicole Brown in the commentator’s booth. I always love Sam’s commentary and his thoughts on the sport.

9:42 a.m. ET: We’ve 16 more combinations to see today, including overnight leaders Tim Price and Vitali, Boyd Martin and Tsetserleg, Grace Taylor and Game Changer, Oliver Townend and Ballaghmor Class, Tom McEwen and Toledo de Kerser, to name just a few pairs with potential. Australia’s Sarah Clark and LV Balou Jeanz are our next out of the box.

9:41 a.m. ET: Tom Bird and Rebel Rhyme pick up 20 at the C of the Leaf Pit — definitely the most influential fence today so far.

9:39 a.m. ET: And a look at first-timer Holly Richardson and Bally Louis:

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9:38 a.m. ET: Take a look at Pippa’s round with Majas Hope:

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9:38 a.m. ET: “I just can’t believe he was clear around Burghley and it’s our first five-star!” Emma Thomas says at the finish.

9:36 a.m. ET: Another one bites the dust as Lauren Lillywhite falls from Hacien at the Rolex combination. She’ll be alright it looks like, but what a disappointment for her.

9:35 a.m. ET: Nooooooo – Tiana and Cancaras Girl look to have parted ways at the Irish Horse Bank. They both look ok, but what a bummer. Our latest starters are Lauren Lillywhite and Hacien, followed by Tom Bird and Rebel Rhyme.

9:32 a.m. ET: AH after that amazing save, Tiana now runs into trouble with a glance-off at the first corner of the Joules at the Maltings. She’s clear on the second attempt. 5* first timer Emma Thomas is on her way home and looking absolutely ready to go around again. Emma has produced this little pocket rocket herself and isn’t going to be that far off the optimum either.

GIF via Burghley TV.

9:29 a.m. ET: Wow!!! Tiana just made the SAVE of the YEAR, with a popped airvest and all, at the Leaf Pit. They’re clear on the second attempt and continuing on.

GIF via Burghley TV.

9:27 a.m. ET: 12.4 time penalties for Will and Mama’s Magic Way and a lovely clear round. Mason looks quite well coming home.

9:26 a.m. ET: Will navigates the Boodles Raindance at 25 and is getting close to home. I think he’ll be down on the time a bit, but he also certainly hasn’t been hanging about.

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9:24 a.m. ET: Our next starter is U.S. rider based in England Tiana Coudray with Cancaras Girl.

9:23 a.m. ET: Sam Watson brings SAP Talisman home just one second over the time, the quickest since those two double clears earlier in the day. Will is over the Cottesmore Leap with Mason.

9:22 a.m. ET: Good conditions and good designing are bringing horses home looking really well today. It’s really nice to see — well done to their riders with their fitness work.

9:22 a.m. ET: “I think he’s got plenty of blood, but over the years I feel like I don’t have quite as much blood!” Pippa Funnell says at the finish.

9:21 a.m. ET: Really strong through the Trout Hatchery for Will and Mason.

9:20 a.m. ET: Another debut pair, Emma Thomas and Icarus, are our next out of the box.

9:20 a.m. ET: Go back on board with Boyd and On Cue:

GIF via Burghley TV.

9:18 a.m. ET: Pippa Funnell stops the clock with 8.8 seconds of time, which will keep her well in contention on a 38.4 and fourth position. Sam Watson and SAP Talisman quickly navigate the triple combination at the Dairy Mound. Will and Mama’s Magic Way show off some epic footwork at the Leaf Pit:

GIF via Burghley TV.

9:17 a.m. ET: Will and Mason attacking the early oxers in the arena:

GIF via Burghley TV.

9:15 a.m. ET: Oh hey, Mason:

GIF via Burghley TV.

9:13 a.m. ET: A look at the very bold ride through the Leaf Pit from Sam Watson and SAP Talisman:

GIF via Burghley TV.

9:11 a.m. ET: Sadly Aistis and Commander VG have fallen at the A element of the Dairy Mound. Commander VG wasn’t immediately on his feet but was likely just catching his breath — the next view shows him up and walking away. The pins did activate in this instance.

9:09 a.m. ET: Another pair I’m very keen to watch today will be our next: Ireland’s Sam Watson of EquiRatings and SAP Talisman. Following Sam will be Will Faudree and Mama’s Magic Way.

9:08 a.m. ET: Pippa takes the red flag down at the C of the Leaf Pit, but looked to be well clear inside from my view with Majas Hope.

9:05 a.m. ET: Next away is Rolex Grand Slam and two-time Burghley winner Pippa Funnell with Majas Hope.

9:04 a.m. ET: Louise Harwood has retired after trouble at the Maltings.

9:03 a.m. ET: Lithuania’s Aistis Aistis Vitkauskas is on course and takes a big risk at the Leaf Pit but is clear on the direct route. Here’s a look at Boyd’s helmet cam with On Cue through this question:

GIF via Burghley TV.

8:59 a.m. ET: Louise Harwood is the latest to have a glance-off at the C element of the Leaf Pit. She’s clear on the second attempt.

8:58 a.m. ET: Gah! Tom Rowland’s weekend ends at the Maltings corners after a valiant effort to save it:

GIF via Burghley TV.

8:55 a.m. ET: We still have yet to see a third pair achieve the optimum time, with David and Wills still sitting in the clubhouse lead position. Louise Harwood and Native Spirit are our latest starters.

8:54 a.m. ET: What a round! Holly Richardson finishes with time, but no matter — a safe and clear Burghley cross country debut is in the books!

GIF via Burghley TV.

8:52 a.m. ET: Bummer – Richard Skelt takes a tumble from Credo after activating the MIM rail at the open oxer at 6. Both he and Credo look to be no worse for the wear. We’re also joined by Tom Rowland and Possible Mission. Our debut pair, Holly Richardson and Bally Louis are making their way home and looking fit and full of run – lovely!

8:48 a.m. ET: And that’s Burghley cross country, conquered! Jennie and FE Lifestyle finish with 15.6 time — what a debut for this pair and what awesome riding.

8:47 a.m. ET: A look at Jennie at the Boodles Raindance (24/25):

GIF via Burghley TV.

8:46 a.m. ET: Jennie is riding her ass off here, getting Foxy clean through the Dairy Mound at 20.

8:44 a.m. ET: Cottesmore Leap: check!

GIF via Burghley TV.

8:43 a.m. ET: Jennie is clear at the Irish Horse Bank complex at 17.

8:41 a.m. ET: 5* debut pair Holly Richardson and Bally Louis are heading out now!

8:40 a.m. ET: Oliver makes a wise decision to pull up now after Swallow Springs puts his back legs down in the A element of the Dairy Mound. This will change up the standings, as he was in second with this horse, and leaves him with just one to go in Ballaghmor Class. Jennie is clear through the Trout Hatchery. Go girl!

8:39 a.m. ET: Jennie chooses the left handed side at C of the Leaf Pit and has one of the better trips through this line so far.

8:38 a.m. ET: Jennie and Foxy are safe and straight through the Defender Valley at 5.

8:36 a.m. ET: Swallow Springs stands a bit off the second corner at the Joules at the Maltings, but all clear so far. Cavalier Crystal is m making her way home with Harry — he’s not going to be far off the time, but just a hair over I think.

8:35 a.m. ET: Here we go! Jennie Saville leaves the box in her first Burghley with Tim and Nina Gardner’s FE Lifestyle. She told me when she entered there wasn’t another horse she’d have chosen to tick this box with. Let’s cheer her on around this epic track!

8:33 a.m. ET: A heart-stopping moment for Oliver and Swallow Springs at the Leaf Pit, but they’ve made it through unscathed:

GIF via Burghley TV.

8:31 a.m. ET: Bouncy Cavalier Crystal is looking very much in her element in her Burghley and 5* debut with Harry:

GIF via Burghley TV.

8:28 a.m. ET: Well scores are showing Michael Owen and Bradeley Law have retired, most likely after that drive-by at the Leaf Pit. This won’t be the ending to his career Michael was hoping for, but what a star Bradeley Law has been for him. It’s been an honor to follow him. We will now be joined by Oliver Townend and Swallow Springs, who are currently in a tie with himself for second place. Jennie Saville and FE Lifestyle, our next U.S. pair, will follow Oliver.

8:27 a.m. ET: Wabbit is still looking keen as ever as Jessie navigates the Lions Bridge direct route. She’s a bit down on the clock but she will be close. Nothing runs like a Thoroughbred! She’s going to stop the clock less than a minute over — great round from these two!

8:25 a.m. ET Our trailblazer Harry Meade is back with his second ride, Cavalier Crystal. Michael Owen and Bradeley Law looked to not have made the jump at the C of the Leaf Pit but it looked like they continued on…

GIF via Burghley TV.

8:23 a.m. ET: Kristina Hall Jackson and CMS Google come home with some time and those unfortunate 20 penalties at the Dairy Mound. Jessie and Wabbit are over the Cottesmore Leap.

8:22 a.m. ET: Some highlights from Lauren Innes’ awesome round earlier:

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8:19 a.m. ET: After a huge jump over the A, CMS Google has a runout at the B of the Dairy Mound combination. Jessie and Wabbit make quick work of the Trout Hatchery water. We are also joined on course by Michael Owen and Bradeley Law, who is running his final 5* this weekend at the age of 19 years young.

8:17 a.m. ET: Wabbit is super keen down the Leaf Pit and they are able to make the straight route work without trouble. Here’s a look at them earlier at the Defender Valley:

GIF via Burghley TV.

8:16 a.m. ET: A look at Kristina Hall Jackson and CMS Google making it happen at the bounces at the Trout Hatchery:

GIF via Burghley TV.

8:15 a.m. ET: Here we go with our next North American pair and sole Canadian representative today: Jessie Phoenix and Wabbit with the Cute Ears.

8:13 a.m. ET: Interesting choice here as Kristina Hall Jackson opts to go long at the Leaf Pit, perhaps because she felt CMS Google might be too keen off the drop and encounter the same trouble many others have. It pays off, and they stand off from the brush at C but make the line work.

8:12 a.m. ET: Matt Heath and Askari climb all over the B element of the Dairy Mound but leave the pins unscathed.

GIF via Burghley TV.

8:10 a.m. ET: CMS Google and Kristina Hall Jackson are our latest starters as we move toward the halfway mark. Andrew Heffernan has also opted to retire Harthill Phantom ahead of Cottesmore Leap.

8:10 a.m. ET: Highlights from Boyd and On Cue’s round:

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8:07 a.m. ET: Askari and Matthew Heath are the latest to fall victim to the corner at the Maltings, also picking up a drive-by here but clear on the second attempt. Andrew Heffernan also has a drive-by at the Leaf Pit, coming in smoking hot to the brush and unable to make it work. The big brush oxer on an uphill approach ahead of this encourages a forward stride, but then you’ve got to have enough management to get the horse’s eye on the left or right-handed brush. Also an update: Emily King’s missed flag penalty has also been removed, so she’ll just be sitting on the 11 for the pin falling and time penalties.

8:05 a.m. ET: Dutch rider Andrew Heffernan now leaves the box with Harthill Phantom; this is Andrew’s first 5* start since 2017 and Harthill Phantom’s debut at the level.

8:04 a.m. ET: Alice Casburn and Topspin turn in a speedy round; they’ll collect 7.6 time but will but themselves well into contention for a strong finish with that scrappy round.

8:03 a.m. ET: Our latest starters are the very experienced Matthew Heath with a new 5* horse, Askari, who was produced through the 3* level by Dickie Waygood.

8:02 a.m. ET: Luc Chateau has retired after a glance-off at the B element of the Joules at the Maltings. This is set on a very forward four strides, requiring commitment and concentration on the part of horse and rider.

GIF via Burghley TV.

7:59 a.m. ET: To catch up on scores so far, our clubhouse leader is currently David Doel, who achieved a clear round inside the time with his first horse, Galileo Nieuwmoed, earlier today. He’s one of two clears inside the time — Wills Oaken and Oughterard Cooley are the other pair to earn the time so far. Luc Chateau has a hairy ride through the bounces at the Trout Hatchery, and Alice Casburn survives some trickiness at the Fairfax & Favor Keepers after a huge leap over the Cottesmore Leap:

GIF via Burghley TV.

7:58 a.m. ET: Francis brings DHI Purple Rain home quite well with some time, but much improvement from their last attempt here where the horse appeared to tire fairly early on.

7:55 a.m. ET: Our first of two French pairs, Luc Chateau and Viens du Mont out seeking their third 5* finish this weekend and their first Burghley together.

7:54 a.m. ET: A handful of horses have banked the massive Irish Horse Bank at 17, including DHI Purple Rain, who also almost takes out the cameraman on his way out!

GIF via Burghley TV.

7:51 a.m. ET: We’re now joined by 21-year-old Alice Casburn and Topspin, already with a Burghley and a Badminton under their belt and looking for a strong performance today. Here’s a look at Francis Whittington and DHI Purple Rain through the Trout Hatchery:

GIF via Burghley TV.

7:49 a.m. ET: Ah, bummer. Tim and Gaston have had another problem at the Joules at the Maltings and are now opting to retire.

7:44 a.m. ET: Francis Whittington and DHI Purple Rain are our next to see, looking for a Burghley completion after coming here last year and opting to retire on course.

7:43 a.m. ET: Lauren Innes and Global Fision finish with about a minute of time, and she looks thrilled. Nicely done! Meanwhile, Tim is the latest to have a glance-off at the brush at the Leaf Pit, another one to go for the bold, long stride to the final element and paying the price for it.

GIF via Burghley TV.

7:42 a.m. ET: Also some highlights from Harry Meade and Away Cruising’s pathfinding round:

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7:39 a.m. ET: Lauren Innes is clear at the Cottesmore Leap with Global Fision M. Tim Cheffings (who is celebrating his 40th birthday today!) and Gaston are our new starters, looking for a first 5* completion this weekend.

7:36 a.m. ET: Phil Brown is our latest starter with Harry Robinson. They run into trouble at both Defender Valley and the Leaf Pit and have opted to call it a day.

7:31 a.m. ET: Here’s a glimpse at Wills Oakden’s cracking round earlier:

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7:30 a.m. ET::

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7:30 a.m. ET: Our first Kiwi of the day will be Lauren Innes (who celebrated her birthday yesterday — happy birthday!) and Global Fision M.

7:28 a.m. ET: Now Austin has a drive-by at the brush coming out of the Leaf Pit. He, much like Zara earlier, came in quite bold to the brush oxer and just couldn’t get Colorado Blue’s eye on the next question. Austin has opted to retire now, not much point to continue on without hope of competing — this horse certainly doesn’t need the extra mileage at this point.

GIF via Burghley TV.

7:27 a.m. ET: Austin O’Connor has to pony club kick “Salty” with his left leg to make the line to the big corner at Defender Valley, and they look to be getting into their stride as they carry on.

7:25 a.m. ET: RATS – Pencos Crown Jewel just catches a leg at the second of the pinned arrowheads at the Dairy Mound and sends Ros out the left-hand door. What a disappointing ending — highs and lows, man.

GIF via Burghley TV.

7:24 a.m. ET: Now here’s a pair I’ve been waiting to see: Ireland’s Austin O’Connor and the elite Colorado Blue.

7:22 a.m. ET: Oh no! Our latest starter, Christoph Forsberg, comes in a bit hot to Defender Valley’s upright rails and very nearly makes the save but can’t quite make it work and takes a tumble. He looks to be absolutely fine, though he’ll be salty about that early ending, to say the least.

GIF via Burghley TV.

7:20 a.m. ET: Ros is nicely through the Trout Hatchery with Pencos Crown Jewel.

GIF via Burghley TV.

7:18 a.m. ET: “I rode rubbish to a single fence and ended up having a rail at the pinned oxer. It was completely only my fault, but on the hard fences he was phenomenal — he was super,” Emily King says in the vet box. She notes that she dropped her whip at the MIM oxer and also felt her girth move up with the rub, so she contemplated pulling up until she heard some encouragement from the crowd. “I heard someone in the ground say “you’re doing a great job!”

7:16 a.m. ET: Greta Mason is still managing a very keen Cooley For Sure as they navigate the Dairy Mound at 20. Another one who’s struggled to get the control, but who also looks quite fit for the task.

7:14 a.m. ET: Here we goooooo – your reigning European Champion is underway with a horse that poses a serious threat this weekend: Ponchos Crown Jewel.

7:13 a.m. ET: Boyd’s 15 penalties for missing a flag have been removed, leaving him with just 10.8 time added aboard On Cue. That puts them onto a two-phase score of 42.6.

7:12 a.m. ET: Emily is home a little over 60 seconds past time and with that broken MIM and a missed flag at the Joules at the Maltings.

7:11 a.m. ET: Nicky Hill and MGH Bingo Boy are our latest starters. Emily King and Valmy Biats are at the Lions Bridge at 26/27.

7:08 a.m. ET: Emily and Valmy Biats seem to be no worse for the wear from their broken pin and are jumping well and on their way to Cottesmore Leap. Greta Mason had a drive-by at the Defender Valley early on at 5 with Cooley For Sure.

7:07 a.m. ET From an elated Alex Bragg: “I don’t know that any horse is going to finish as strong as that!”

7:06 a.m. ET: Yikes, Emily King and Valmy Biats break the pin quite hard at the Waterloo Rails at 12. They’ve continued on and look to be ok thus far.

GIF via Burghley TV.

7:05 a.m. ET: Zara is retiring just before the Cottesmore Leap, the same place where Oliver pulled up earlier. She’s been having to really encourage Class Affair and likely has decided it’s not going to be worthwhile to push for a finish.

7:02 a.m. ET: Alex and Quindiva are going to be over the time, but the mare looks exceptionally fit coming home — what a great round for this pair. Super impressive so far – a testament to the fitness of these horses we’ve seen to this point as well as the intelligent course design on the part of Derek. We’ll see if the time proves to be catchable for more pairs, but so far we’re seeing horses looking well as they finish which is the top priority.

GIF via Burghley TV.

7:01 a.m. ET: Class Affair knocks the bounces coming into the water at the Trout Hatchery and Zara is really needing to ride this gelding in the earlier going.

6:59 a.m. ET: Quindiva is still looking really well in herself as she navigates the Irish Horse Bank at 17, on Winners’ Avenue. Emily King now leaves the box in her first Burghley with Valmy Biats.

6:58 a.m. ET: Oh gosh, Zara Tindall just loses her center after a big distance at the brush oxer coming out of the Leaf Pit and then cannot make the line to the brush work. That’ll be a disappointing and unlucky 20 for this pair.

6:57 a.m. ET: Harry Mutch brings home Shanbeg Cooley with the 20 penalties at the Leaf Pit and about 40 seconds of time.

6:56 a.m. ET: From Boyd: “She’s a legend horse. About halfway around she really felt that hill going up to the Trout Hatchery and I sort of thought to myself if I push her any faster she might be out of petrol by the end. I just love her to bits and got her home a bit over the time.”

6:55 a.m. ET: Zara Tindall is now away with the experienced Class Affair.

6:51 a.m. ET: Boyd has a missed flag penalty from the Joules at the Maltings — I don’t think I saw that combination so not sure what it looked like. He brings Cue home about 30 seconds over the time, and she looked quite well within herself galloping home. We’ll see what happens with the flag.

She’s 17 years young! GIF via Burghley TV.

6:50 a.m. ET: Alex Bragg now joins us with the mare Quindiva.

6:48 a.m. ET: Boyd sails over the Cottesmore Leap at 18. He loses his balance a bit at the Fairfax and Favor Keepers but keeps himself in the tack. Cue kicks out the red flag at the second MIM-pinned arrowhead at the Dairy Mound but she’s clear through.

GIF via Burghley TV.

6:47 a.m. ET: Tom brings Luna Mist home 47 seconds over with this first-timer — a really nice first round for this mare. I will be keen to see her develop with this big experience under her belt. Harry has picked up a 20 at the Leaf Pit, with the 9-year-old Shanbeg Cooley just getting a bit of an extra peek at the big drop. Listen, I would need a second too, I get it.

6:46 a.m. ET: Harry Mutch now joins us with his first of two rides today, Shanbeg Cooley. Luna Mist is boldly through the Lions Bridge on her way home.

6:44 a.m. ET: A really nice trip through the Trout Hatchery for Boyd.

GIF via Burghley TV.

6:43 a.m. ET: Boyd and Cue are neatly through the Defender Valley at 8 as David Doel finishes inside the time by a whopping 14 seconds. Jonelle notes that she felt many people would catch the time today. Boyd chooses the left handed option through the Leaf Pit.

6:40 a.m. Luna Mist has a HUGE jump through the bounces at the Trout Hatchery, just showing her greenness a bit — but hey, she’s enthusiastic! Tom’s task will be to keep her energy contained to save it, and also to keep her confidence up. Boyd is away!

6:39 a.m. ET: Next out will be our first U.S. pair, Boyd Martin and Maryland 5 Star winner On Cue. Let’s goooooooo! Enjoy Boyd’s hype video to get you amped:

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6:38 a.m. ET: Tom McEwen navigates the Leaf Pit and takes the left-handed corner option with this greener horse, who’s quite keen and impressed by the crowds in this early going.

6:36 a.m. ET: Wills is inside the time! 11 minutes, 2 seconds — what a class round. This is one of the toughest courses in terms of terrain and stamina demand, and this horse set an example of fitness today. Also, I’m a big fan of how these bounces at the Trout Hatchery ride (as demonstrated by David Doel):

GIF via Burghley TV.

6:35 a.m. ET: Both Wills and David are having absolute cracking rounds so far, with their horses looking really fit and within themselves at this point. We now see Tokyo Olympian Tom McEwen on course with Luna Mist, a 10-year-old 5* debutant who’s also a newer ride for him.

6:30 a.m. ET: “I think everything was sort of as expected. I think he was a good yardstick for everyone to watch and get a good indication of the course,” Harry says of Away Cruising. We’re also joined now by David Doel and Galileo Nieuwmoed.

6:29 a.m. ET: We now are joined by Wills Oaken and Oughterard Cooley, who have finished as well as 12th here at Burghley. Also, some unfortunate news for Oliver as it looks like his left rein has snapped with no hope of getting it back, forcing his retirement just before the Cottesmore Leap at 18.

6:28 a.m. ET: Harry and Away Cruising are home! They will pick up about a minute of time plus those 15 penalties for the missed flag.

6:26 a.m. ET: Harry and Away Cruising jump the widest part of the corner at Capability’s Cutting and has to come back around for the option. He also opts for the option at the Lions Bridge at 26/27.

GIF via Burghley TV.

6:24 a.m. ET: Harry Meade is riding Away Cruising strongly as they get to the back third of the track, having done quite a bit of uphill climbing to this point. Away Cruising is a bit tired, but he is responding well to Harry’s aids. Tregilder is clear through the Trout Hatchery water.

6:23 a.m. ET: Oliver kicks out the white flag at the corner out of the Leaf Pit as Harry sails over the Cottesmore Leap at 18.

GIF via Burghley TV.

6:21 a.m. ET: Harry is clear at the Joules at the Maltings — a notoriously huge combination that requires a brave, attacking stride to make the distances work.

6:19 a.m. ET: Jonelle notes that she feels the Trout Hatchery (11 and 12) is “a bit of a let-up” this year. The bounce into the water rides quite well for Harry and Away Cruising. Meanwhile, Oliver Townend is away with his first of three rides, Tregilder.

6:15 a.m. ET: And that whistle means we’re away! Harry Meade and Away Cruising are away, and we’re treated to commentary from Tina Cook and Jonelle Price to kick us off. This is Away Cruising’s eight appearance at this level, and he’ll be looking to be a competitive pathfinder for Harry today.

Tom McEwen and Toledo de Kerser. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.

TILLY BERENDT

Winner: For me, it’s Tom McEwen and Toledo de Kerser, through and through, and I am so sorry for jinxing them if it doesn’t pan out this weekend. This pair just deserve a British five-star victory on their record so much; Toledo is one of the greatest event horses of the modern era, in my humble opinion, and he’s already won at Pau and been a silver and gold medallist at Tokyo, among his enormous roster of accolades. There are few horses who can succeed at both Pau — on the tight, twisty, technical far end of the 5* spectrum — and Burghley — the huge, bold, terrain-heavy other end of that spectrum, but Toledo adapts himself to any course so admirably. He was fourth here on his last appearance back in 2017 as a ten-year-old, and I can’t wait to see what he makes of his return this week.

Best Foreign Entry: It’s a bit of a ‘cheat’ for me to say Ireland’s Austin O’Connor and Colorado Blue, because they’re British based, but still, it counts — and who’d want to bet against this extraordinary little horse, who delivered by far the fastest round of the day in incredibly tough conditions at Badminton this year? He finished looking like he could have done another minute, ultimately finishing third, and this week, the conditions are far more favourable, so even with the tougher terrain, I think he’s going to be one of the most noteworthy rounds to watch come Saturday. This is his first Burghley, but I have faith we’ll get more of the ‘Salty’ magic this week.

Best Mare: Well, Liberty and Glory, naturally — more on this below — but also, Ros Canter’s excellent Pencos Crown Jewel. She’s been incredibly successful in her own right, finishing top ten at Badminton this year, Bicton 5* on her debut in 2021, and eleventh here last year, but she’s always rather overshadowed by her maternal half-brother, Lordships Graffalo. This is her week to prove that she’s every inch as good as Walter, and I think she’ll be a right in her wheelhouse doing so.

Dark Horse: Surely they don’t count as dark horses anymore, but speaking of competitors who seem to get overshadowed in the wider conversation, I have to give the nod to David Doel — the kindest man in eventing — and Galileo Nieuwmoed. This is such a cheat pick for me, because they’ve been in the top ten in their last three five stars (Badminton, Pau, and Kentucky), AND they led Pau after cross-country, but I still feel like they’re often being missed out in the chit-chat because of the major names in this line-up. I’ll be looking at them to finish in the business end again and for everyone to finally realise that they’re a truly world-class combination.

You Don’t Know Them Know, But You Will: I’ve liked the look of Matt Heath’s Askari ever since he was an Intermediate being taken around by British team head honcho Dickie Waygood — he’s got the sweetest splashy face and a tonne of talent. He’s impressed me on both his runs around terrain-heavy Bramham CCI4*-L — he’s bold, and game, and clever with his feet, and Matt is one hell of a cross-country jockey. I think a lot of people will find a new favourite here as the gelding takes on his first five-star.

Highest Climber After Cross Country: It’s a tough one for me to call between 21-year-old Alice Casburn and her homebred Topspin, who climbed from 30th to eighth after cross-country last year, ultimately moving up to fifth on the final day, and flying firefighter Tom Crisp and his own homebred, Liberty and Glory, who climbed from 39th to fifteenth on cross-country and then moved up to ninth in the showjumping. But after that unlucky dunking at Badminton this spring in the lake, at which point Tom and ‘Lori’ had been giving one of the performances of the day — Tom’s unseating came when she twisted a bit in the air, and as he was due an operation on a hernia, he was slightly short on his usual core strength — I want to give this one to Tom. Everyone will be rooting for him as, even in the throes of heartbreak, he put on a show, ‘swimming’ in the lake before taking a bow, and there are few horses more fun to watch than the tiny, feisty mare he’s mounted on. I’m gunning for another top ten for them this week, and even though the first phase isn’t Lori’s forte, the pair are so capable and quick that it’s totally within their wheelhouse to put themselves at the business end again when it counts.

David Doel and Galileo Nieuwmoed. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

CHEG DARLINGTON

Winner: 
There’s going to, rightly, be a lot of talk about Toledo, but Swallow Springs is totally on my radar – and EquiRatings’ too, who have him down as favorite to win. So, I’m going to play the numbers game. Oliver has ridden at Burghley every year since 2006 (except, of course, the Covid years) – he won it the third time of trying (and the first time he completed, in 2009), and has since won again, as well as coming second, third and fourth – he’s going for his third win this weekend. Swallow Springs comes forward for his third go at Burghley – he was third on his first attempt, with Andrew Nicholson in the irons, when he finished on his dressage. He’s certainly shown he can be there or thereabouts after the first phase, and was sitting in third after dressage at Badminton in the spring. According to EquiRatings, Swallow Springs is the third fastest horse in the field and there’s no denying his cross country jumping ability. He may have a pole on the final day, but so could a lot of the other horses, and if all three phases show up for him, I think he could be onto a winner. All these threes are talking to me and whispering that maybe it’ll be third time lucky for this lovely horse.

Best Foreign Entry:
I’ll kick on with my head choice – and stick with my three theme – and put Tim Price and Vitali in here. They were third at Burghley last year and have had top 10 finishes in all three of their top-level outings together – in fact, their last three runs have been 5*s. We all know that Burghley’s not a dressage competition, but last year they put down a 21.3 in the first phase – the fourth best Burghley dressage score of all time, and, according to EquiRatings, Vitali is the second best dressage horse in the field this year, based on their 6RA stats, (OK, so my threes theory runs out of gas here). You have to go right back to his first FEI outing (with former rider James Avery) to find cross country jumping penalties on his record, and he’s shown he can be close to the time at the level, although he hasn’t quite been inside it, yet. Vitali’s show jumping can drop him down the order – although Tim has the most Burghley show jumping clears in the field – but the twelve he added on the final day in the Burghley Main Arena last year only saw him drop one place. If they’re to be up there at the end of proceedings, this will be a real team effort – starting out like they mean business, Tim putting his foot down on the cross country, and Vitali holding it together in the show jumping – just as eventing should be.

In case you’re wondering, my heart choice is Boyd Martin and Tsetserleg TSF. I could run the stats and come up with a very similar argument to the one above, but sometimes it’s nice to just follow your heart, and Thomas is a horse that I get heart-eyed-emoji about. I’d love to see him have a great Burghley, and I think he just might.

Best Mare:
Boyd’s back in my picks, with On Cue – a mare that I am very much looking forward to seeing on her first trip overseas. She comes forward for her third 5*, having placed third in her debut at the level at Kentucky, and then winning on her second attempt – at Maryland, where she posted a 25 in the dressage and then finished on that score. She probably won’t win the dressage in present company, but for sure she’ll be in the hunt as we go into the cross country, and she’s amongst the most reliable cross country horses in the field, with no jumping penalties on her record since a 2* in 2018. She’s not always the fastest, but she can be if Boyd decides to go for it, so we’ll just have to wait and see how she’s feeling on the day. She’s an exciting talent, that’s for sure.

Dark Horse:
I’m actually backing David Doel and Galileo Nieuwmoed for the win, but as I needed a combination for the dark horse category, and Galileo is literally a dark horse, I’m putting him in here. As an eight-year-old he tackled his first 4* at Le Pin au Haras in 2019, adding nothing to his dressage of 33.3 for second. At his first 5* – Pau in 2021 – he was 15th, with a double clear cross country but a couple of poles on the final day. Last year, the pair burst onto the Badminton leaderboard, finishing 6th with David the highest-placed Badminton first-timer. It was jumping clear all the way, adding just 1.2 cross country time to their dressage of 32.4. He returned to Pau last season to finish 4th, jumping clear inside the time on cross country day – one of only four to make the time and coming in 9 seconds under – and missing out on the win by just one show jumping pole. He followed that up with eighth place at Kentucky this spring, finishing on his dressage with a score of 35.6. This is a bold, scopey horse who’s as fun to watch as he is talented, and I won’t be at all surprised if he’s right up at the top once all’s said and done.

You Don’t Know Them Know, But You Will:
When you hear Kristina Hall-Jackson talk about CMS Google, it’s impossible not to get caught up in the excitement she has for their partnership. They’ve completed at all but one of their 26 FEI starts together (withdrawing at the only one they didn’t complete), and their cross country round at Badminton in the spring was, for me, one of the rides of the day. Yes, they had a couple of green refusals, but it was only their second time at the level – Google is still gaining mileage – and, if your horse tells you she’s having the time of her life, it’s totally commendable to kick on and finish the thing, gaining enormous experience and building your partnership along the way. They finished 29th and were the highest-placed British Badminton first-timers. This is for sure a combination that is up-and-coming, and, whilst I don’t think they’re going to win Burghley this time around, if you love seeing a horse digging deep and a partnership that’s truly a team, then this exciting prospect is one to watch. Also, best Christmas present ever! That’s right, Kristina got Google for Christmas, excuse me while I get all dreamy-eyed for a second.

Highest Climber After Cross Country:
Aistis Vitkauskas and Commander VG is my sensible choice for this category, but I just have to add Francis Whittington’s DHI Purple Rain in here. It’s a bit of a game of two halves based on his stats – on recent form, he’s likely to be at the bottom end of the hunt after the first phase – but that’s very much down to mood and atmosphere rather than talent for the test. More often than not, he’s in the low-30s in the first phase, and therefore in the mix, but he can get hot, hot, hot – as he did at Badminton in the spring – and when that happens, despite Francis being brilliant under the pressure, those scores just slip away. But it’s the cross country that’s really important for this category. I was incredibly taken by how this horse took on all that the Badminton track threw up this year. One thing you’ll notice about this guy is his extravagant and flamboyant action – he really is a sight to see. You’d have thought he was totally unsuited to the sticky, difficult going, but no – he ate that course up and looked like he relished every single second. He was quick that day – he isn’t always, but Francis has been spending time patiently producing this lovely horse and so doesn’t always have his foot down. After his gutsy performance at Badminton though, perhaps he’ll feel that ‘Prince’ is ready to run – we’ll have to wait and see. In terms of highest climber, it’s more likely to be Commander VG if you look at form alone (he’s one of the fastest horses in the field for a start), but based on circumstantial evidence and my own observations, there’s a real possibly it’ll be DHI Purple Rain.

Tim Price and Vitali. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

DIANA GILBERTSON

Winner:
Well, I always find this hard, and this time is no different. I honestly haven’t a clue – I could jump on about ten different horses (figuratively speaking that is – I doubt any of the top jockeys would let me get on their finely tuned partners in crime), including 5* stalwart Ballaghmor Class, his stablemate Swallow Springs, the recently crowned European Champion Ros and Pencos Crown Jewel, (who also happens to be half sister to Ros’ European ride, and Badminton champ, Lordships Graffalo),  Tokyo Olympic Gold and Silver Medallist Tom McEwan….the list goes on. But I am going to go with my heart here, and say FEI World No. 1, Tim Price with Vitali, who was third here last year. We all know Vitali, who can easily dance his way to the top of the leader board on dressage day and follow it up with a speedy clear across country has a major Achilles heel in the show jumping. Three down here last year dropped him down from second, while another three at Badminton this spring dropped him from fourth to seventh, but STILL! This is eventing, the sport where anything can – and does – happen, and I would love to see Vitali and Tim have their day. If I was to have a back up, I’d say Tom McEwan and Toledo. In fact, in all honesty, they’re a more likely candidate, as they are pretty infallible in all three phases, but no. I shall go with my heart, and stick on Tim. An utter genius in the saddle and an all round super human in general, it would make me very, very happy to have him add another Burghley title to his ever growing list of major wins, and with such a lovely horse, too. GO TIM! And Vitali, pick your bloody feet up!

Best Foreign Entry:
Is it cheating to say Tim again? Ok, yes…he may be a Kiwi but let’s face it, he’s part of the fixtures and fittings over here now. So instead, I’ll venture to America, and pick Boyd Martin, with On Cue. She has had just 20  cross country penalties across her six year FEI career, and is the definition of girl power. This is her first trip to Burghley, but with a cross country record like that, the tough track that lies ahead on Saturday shouldn’t cause her too much trouble, and her consistency in the dressage should stand her in good stead, too. Unfortunately, her show jumping record isn’t as squeaky clean; she has tipped rails in almost all of her starts this season, and as such she may struggle to make the podium. Having said that, if she can pull her usual sub 20 dressage mark out of the bag as well as another magical cross country performance, she may earn herself enough leeway to drop a few poles and still stay in the mix. Either way, she will no doubt make Boyd’s trip across the pond more than worthwhile, even if it is just to show us all how it is done over one of the toughest tracks in the world.

Best Mare:
I could be really lazy and simply say, see above (On Cue), but then I’d feel guilty…I really, really wanted to say Luna Mist, only so I could talk about the incredible upside down half moon on her forehead. She’s so pretty! But I don’t think that would pass as a good enough reason to back her as the best mare. So instead let’s talk about Jasmine – Pencos Crown Jewel. Piloted by this season’s golden girl, Ros Canter, and half sibling to the Badminton and European Champ Lordships Graffalo, all eyes will be on her this weekend. Rightly so, it must be said. She may not have quite as long a list of accolades to her name as her (half) bro, but she is still a mare worthy of much celebration. Second in the CCI-4*L at Bramham last June, she then made her Burghley debut and came in eleventh, and bettered that with ninth at Badminton this Spring. She isn’t quite as careful as Walter on the final day – she had 3 down here last year, and 2 at Badminton – which may keep her off that coveted top spot, but that’s not to say she can’t pull a clear out of the bag. In fact, she did just that at Bramham last year, despite a whole jump blowing over beside her mid-round. So it won’t be surprising to see her finish top 10 – nay, top 5, nay, top THREE! – this weekend, especially considering she is partnered by Ros, Queen of Absolutely Everything (in my world, anyway).

Dark Horse:
Um, this is awkward, but I am going for a literal dark horse here. David Doel and Galileo Nieuwmoed. Admittedly, they were eliminated at their first 5* at Bicton in 2021, but they have put that far behind them and not only completed, but smashed every 5* start since. Sixth at their first Badminton in 2022 with a double clear, fourth at Pau later that year with one show jump, eight at their first Kentucky this Spring with another double clear, this is not a horse that will be under the radar for very much longer. Nor does it seem fair that he is still an eligible contender for this category – or that he hasn’t yet made it on to a Championship team. But that, lads, is a conversation for another day. Today we are here to talk about Burghley, a tough cross country test that requires a brave, fast horse, and guess what, we have one right here. Add to that a pretty snazzy show jumping record – not a single pole all season thus far – and an ever improving first phase score, and you have a dark horse about to put his best foot forward into the light.

You Don’t Know Them Know, But You Will:

Burghley 2023 sees one of the most competitive line ups since well, a long time. Up against several major players from overseas — including Boyd Martin from the US with not one, but two rides (one of which is already a 5* winner) —  are a veritable feast of UK based superstars. We’re talking Olympic, European and World Medallists, the FEI World Number , and of course, this year’s Badminton Winner. However, as exciting as it is to see all of these legends in action, there is also a multitude of lesser known faces making their 5* debut this weekend. One such debutant is  nine year old Shanbeg Cooley, ridden by Northumberland-based Harry Mutch who is, in his own right, a rider to keep your eye on. This will be Harry’s fourth 5* start but the very first for ‘Jager.’ Some might say that Burghley is quite the challenge for such a young and relatively inexperienced horse, but Harry has a lot of faith in him, especially after a successful romp around the equally trying CCI-L4* at Bramham in June, to  finish inside the top 20. Harry calls him a ‘freak,’ who could easily have been a pure showjumper – this will certainly stand him in good stead on the final day, as will his preference to run fast across country. His dressage is a work in progress, but with 3 double clears from 5 international starts this season, this is a horse that could well fly up the leader board after the jumping phases, putting himself firmly in the spotlight, and proving himself as one to watch for the future.

Highest Climber After Cross Country:
Austin O Connor and Colorado Blue. I do not need to say much to justify this, the stats speak for themselves. Although he is usually well down after dressage, he is just as likely to be back in the top 10 – or 5 – after cross country. Need evidence? 34^th to 3^rd at Badminton this Spring, and similar scenes the year before, climbing way up to finish eighth at only their second 5*. They were best of the Irish in Tokyo in 13, thanks again to a game of leader board leap frog after cross country and I won’t be alone in predicting the same happens here. Hopefully Salty can maintain his position on the final day, as his tendency to knock a few poles has seen him go back down a few spots too – he would have been second at Badminton had it not been for two rails on the final day – but it is still oh so fun to see him skip so far up the leader board after cross country! I feel a new bet for all the gamblers out there….how many places can Austin go up this time?

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

ALLIE HENINGER 

Winner: 
The odds are against anyone who isn’t Oliver Townend this weekend, who will enter the ring three separate times on very competitive horses. Swallow Springs currently has the highest probability scoring from our friends at Equiratings, and his record shows a typical expert-level challenge to the rest of our field of competitors. After taking a silver at Badminton thanks to his ridiculously low dressage score – with over 7 points between him and the third-place finisher – another similar test could give them a nice comfortable cushion should time be lost on cross country.

Ballaghmor Class, however, may be the more suited horse for this particular competition, with a much higher tendency to produce the kind of confident cross country ride that will be needed this week. This gelding hasn’t been out of the top five in any of his eight five-stars – with just a pole or two in show jumping keeping him from shining success, though he does have two wins at the level to his name. I am never very successful in my attempts at predictions (so don’t quote me on any of these!), but I definitely look forward to seeing how these two – as well as Oliver’s third competitive entry Tregilder – duke it out for the finish.

Best Foreign Entry:
Our Kiwi friends Tim Price and Vitali took Burghley by storm last year post-dressage on the lowest score in the field at 21.3 – one that managed to secure them in third place despite three show jumping rails and 5.2 time faults on cross country. They took a seventh place finish at Badminton this year with nearly the exact same story – a 27.1 dressage score that was added to with three rails and an understandable amount of time on cross country, crossing the finish as the fourth fastest even given the field conditions. Experience will prove itself in challenging competition, and I don’t think this weekend will be an exception for this well-seasoned pair.

Best Mare:
Always my favorite will be the beautiful queen that is On Cue – winner of this year’s Bromont CCI4*-S and also of my heart. Cue’s only two 5*s thus far have seen a win and a fourth place finish, with very few deviations outside the top ten – or top five, for that matter. While certainly not the fastest horse in the field, her first Burghley outing will call for technique and bravery, which she certainly has in hand with only one cross country refusal in her entire history. If she can keep the rails up in the final phase, she’s sure to give a very competitive score.

Dark Horse:
While not exactly a typical dark horse, one pair that I feel may be overlooked is the Irish duo Austin O’Connor and Colorado Blue. The two have been slowly decreasing their average dressage score over the years, and have seen top ten finishes at the only two 5* completions they have under their belt. Most importantly, however, is “Salty’s” tendencies for a fast and clear cross country – the gelding put in the fastest time on this year’s very wet and difficult Badminton course, earning them a spot on the podium. They also added only one dropped pole in the Tokyo Olympics for a 13th place finish, so a competitive dressage score could mean a huge advantage for this pair.

You Don’t Know Them Know, But You Will:
Julia Norman sent me on a research journey this week when I learned that she had recently switched nationalities to her late mother’s homeland of Zimbabwe. This previously-British competitor’s entry brings a first for Burghley’s records, and while Julia has a Burghley run under her belt, this will be Ardeo Berlin’s only second run at the CCI5* level. “Bert” is not to be discounted, however, after taking a quick fourth place finish at Ballindenisk this spring. His dressage scores aren’t typically star-studded, but this rider’s story will surely be the talk of the town this week.

Highest Climber After Cross Country:
The ever-talented Shanbeg Cooley always catches my eye, and while he’s known for not always being able to put down the best scores in the sandbox, he is known for being an absolute freak on cross country. Earning double-clears more often than not, this fast and strong stallion seems made for Burghley. This will be his 5* debut piloted by the young but experienced Harry Mutch, who has mentioned quite a bit about the difficult young horse’s work to make it to this field. If the hot-headed “Jaeger” truly is fitter than he’s ever been, we are certainly sure to see quite the show from this pair come Saturday.

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