One Big Thing: Cross Country Course-Design Bursary to be Relaunched
The Bill Thomson Bursary, named after Defender Burghley Horse Trials’ founding cross-country course-designer and builder, is being relaunched. This bursary was first established following Bill Thomson’s death in 1993 to help new British Eventing course-designers, course-builders and officials learn their craft, and to ensure the progression of safety developments within the sport.
Who was Bill Thomson? Bill Thomson played a large part in establishing Burghley Horse Trials in 1961, spotting its great potential as a venue, and designed and built its famous cross-country from 1961-1983.
Adrian Ditcham, Assistant Course-Designer and course-builder at Burghley and course-designer at events such as Boekelo, Belsay and Wellington, said of the fund, “Bill Thomson was probably Britain’s first professional cross-country course-builder and course-designer, and it is highly appropriate that this fantastic bursary carries his name. Since Covid, the bursary has been in abeyance, and I am delighted that we are relaunching it. It is really important that we find our course-designers, course-builders and officials of the future; we don’t have enough of them and we need to discover them if we want the sport of eventing to stay strong.”
What will this Bursary do? As one of the first recipients of the Bill Thomson Bursary in 1993, Adrian will also head up a committee to manage the bursary alongside Burghley’s Event Director Martyn Johnson. He said of the relaunch, “This is a great opportunity for both current designers and builders and people who might not yet have thought about those career paths to access funding to gain experience and work with top designers and builders to hone their skills.”
Training with Burghley’s long-serving Clerk of the Course, Philip Herbert, led to the 30-year involvement Adrian has enjoyed with Burghley, and sparked a successful and enduring career within the industry. Other recipients include Alec Lochore – course-designer for the 2028 LA Olympics – Hugh Lochore, David Evans, Eric Winter and Jonathan Clissold and, more recently, Andrew Heffernan, Guy Herbert, Lucy McCarthy, Lloyd Hunt, and Helen West.
The Bill Thomson Bursary will concentrate on two areas:
- The awarding of financial bursaries to candidates to assist them in their training and development in their respective roles
- Facilitating role-specific training at subsidised rates through the bursary.
Click here for more information, including how to apply.
US Events This Weekend
Stable View Aiken Opener HT (SC): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times] [Live Scores]
Other Links and Reading
- Today is the LAST day to fill out our 2026 Community Survey! Every response who opts in for the contest will be entered to win a $50 Smart Equine gift card, so if you haven’t already we’d love a few minutes of your time.
- Vanessa Coleman named new CEO of Equestrian Events, Inc.
- US Equestrian debuts Lifetime Care Feature for recorded horses, allowing a USEF member to add themselves to a horse’s permanent USEF record to be contacted if the horse should someday be in need of financial assistance or a home
- Have you been seeing “2026 is The Year of the Horse” all over socials and not sure what it means? Read the explanation here — and learn why it might actually be the Year of the Chestnut Mare
Sponsor Corner: Aiken Opener Horse Trials — What You Need to Know
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🏟️ Competition Arenas
- Dressage: Tree Arena
Warm-up: Johanna Glass Arena - Show Jumping: Capt. Mark Phillips Arena
Warm-up: Covered Arena/New Arena
🐎 Stabling Update
- Barns H, I, & J have been fully cleaned and sanitized for the event, to be entered through Gate 3
🎨 Course Designers
- Cross-Country: Mogie Bearden-Muller
- Show Jumping: Michel Vaillencourt
📋 Dressage Tests (2026)
- Preliminary – USEF Preliminary Test A (Sm)
- Modified – Modified Test A (Sm)
- Training – USEA Training Test A (Sm)
- Novice – USEA Novice Test A (Sm)
- Beginner Novice – USEA Beginner Novice Test A (Sm)
- Starter A – USEA Starter Test A (Sm)
🛍️ Vendors On Site
- VTO Saddlery • Devoucoux • Banks Mill Feed • Arion Sellier • Sport Innovations
🌮 Food & Refreshments
- Ronnie’s • Honey Baked Ham • Dee’s Lemonade
📺 New Stable View Jumbotron
- Be sure to check out Stable View’s brand-new high-definition Jumbotron, positioned near the Phillips Arena and best viewed from the Pavilion.
- Expect to see new:
- Fan-focused content, engaging videos, & announcements
- Expanded entertainment, promotions, & community highlight features
🍷 Graze & Gaze at Ollie’s Inn, sponsored by Pony Policy
Friday & Saturday, 5–7 PM
- Enjoy complimentary beverages and hors d’oeuvres after competition.
- Wristbands are now required for entry
- Each rider receives 2 wristbands + 2 drink tickets per wristband (21+) in their entry packet
- Additional wristbands and tickets available at the show trailer
🏨 Accommodations
- On-site accommodations are full with a waitlist
- Limited RV spots available, call (484) 356-3173
- Hotel partners (ask for the Stable View Rate):
- Carriage House Inn – (803) 644-5888 (pet-friendly with fee)
- Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott – (803) 648-7808
Join the Stable View Horse Trials WhatsApp Group for real-time updates, including dressage test availability and schedule changes.
Mini Classifieds
We’re kicking off 2026 with a new feature: mini-classifieds! If you have something to sell or promote, consider this your space to get right in front of an audience within your target market. Listings cost just $5, or you can purchase 3-5 days of mentions here in News & Notes at a bulk discount.
Please note: horses for sale MUST be listed on our partner site, Sport Horse Nation. We will not accept horse listings here, but we can feature your Sport Horse Nation listing! This space should be used for promoting events, fundraisers, clinics, job openings, tack sales and other events.
Have questions? Email [email protected]. If you want to purchase your listing, click here.
Friday Classifieds
- Sport Horse Nation Feature: Striking Monbeg ISH with Limitless Potential — This six-year-old gorgeous grey has everything it takes to make it to the upper levels. A perfect next partner for a young rider or professional to develop — ranked a 5/5 on the “K3DE here we come” scale.
- Sport Horse Nation Feature: Adorable 7 y/o Adult Amateur Superstar — A gorgeous barefoot crossbred ready to dazzle in the show ring after tons of exposure, trail riding, and dressage ring appearances. With Starter level eventing miles and at an affordable price point, this guy is ready to be your next ammy BFF.
- Sponsor Feature: Do you know the difference in necessity between Vitamin E supplements and Vitamin E with Selenium? KPP’s Elevate Se contains highly-bioavailable Selenium for horses living in selenium-deficient areas of the country or those that need additional antioxidant support.
Training Tip of the Day
Follow Lucinda Green as she details how to approach a trakehner, especially after a particularly difficult turn:
Go Eventing
Phillip Dutton hops on the 2026 throwback trend, and it’s a good one:
