Piggy March leaves the arena with husband Tom after taking the Burghley title. This could be you! Kind of! Photo by Nico Morgan Media.
Riding at the iconic (and, okay, let’s be real, absolutely terrifying) Defender Burghley Horse Trials is on the bucket-list for no shortage of us loopy eventing lot – but getting there is no mean feat. First, you need to find yourself a horse who’ll love those endless galloping hills and mammoth fences; then, you need to produce them carefully over the years while picking up a laundry list of MERs; finally, you need to wrap them in cotton wool from the moment that long-awaited entry finally gets sent in and hope that you can actually make that trip to Lincolnshire come late-August.
Sounds like a lot, right? It is – but thanks to our friends at Burghley, there’s now a chance for you to ride on these hallowed grounds as part of this year’s event, even if you’re still a long way off five-star.
On Thursday, 31 August – that’s the first day of dressage – former British team chef d’equipe and leading trainer Yogi Breisner will be giving a masterclass in the main arena on ‘Better cross-country without hiring a course’ – and he needs a rider.
Applications are now being sought for a horse-and-rider pair competing at BE affiliated competitions at Novice and above, and will remain open for entries until Monday, 7 August.
To apply, send the following information to [email protected]:
- Rider’s Full Name
- Horse’s Registered Competition Name
- Rider Age
- Horse Age
- Level competing at
- Please tell us a bit about you and your horse (no more than 200 words)
Yogi himself, with help from the Burghley team, will select a winner and a reserve, who will be notified by the 14 August. You must be 18+ to enter. Good luck – and Go Eventing!
