Oliver Townend and Ballaghmor Class. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Burgham International Horse Trials, running July 24-27 in Northumberland, England, has received record entries for its eventing classes, featuring many of the best British-based riders and some world-class horses.
24 different nations will be represented at Burgham, with a total of more than 900 horses subscribed, once again proving the immense popularity of northern England’s premier equestrian event.
Among them are British Olympic gold medal winners Laura Collett, Tom McEwen and Oliver Townend, current FEI world #1 Harry Meade, Australian multiple gold medallist Andrew Hoy, world champion Yasmin Ingham, the New Zealand CCI5* winners Jonelle Price and Caroline Powell, Chinese Olympian Alex Hua Tian, Badminton and Burghley heroine Piggy March, top Scottish rider Wills Oakden and the rising stars Emily King, Tom Jackson and Bubby Upton.
Local top riders include Katie Magee and Jack Mantel, both of whom made brilliant CCI5* debuts at Badminton in May. Burgham will also act as a final trial for the short-listed combinations for the Young Rider and Junior European Championships, and entries include Young Rider National Champion Elizabeth Barrett and Junior National Champion Oscar Fitzgerald.
Due to the exceptionally large number of entries, there will be two sections of CCI4*-S competition, sponsored by Project Pony and Holme Dodsworth Metals, two sections of CCI3*-S, sponsored by WL Straughan & Son Ltd and Houghton Country, and two sections of CCI2*-S, supported by NIS Group Ltd and Encon Technical Solutions and Jack-Thomas Watson Horses.
Burgham is also the final leg of the 2025 Northumberland Challenge, the big-money series which unites the three Northumbrian international events of Belsay, Alnwick Ford and Burgham. Izzy Taylor and Barrington Boy, winners of the CCI3*-S at Alnwick Ford in June, are in line for a £7,000 bonus if they can repeat their triumph at Burgham, while Jago Jackson and Cooley Top Boy, who took the CCI2*-S at Alnwick Ford, having previously finished in third place in the same class at Belsay, could potentially take home £8,000 if successful at Burgham.
Burgham also features Dubarry Burghley Young Event Horse qualifiers on Wednesday, July 23, a Thoroughbred and Ex-Racehorse Show on Sunday, July 27 and unaffiliated show jumping on July 26-27. Entries for these classes are still open but will close shortly and can be sent in here.
“We are absolutely delighted with Burgham’s entries, and it should be a brilliant, busy week of top-class sport and fun,” Burgham event director Craig Anderson said. “We are very lucky that the weather in the North has not been as dry and hot as it has in many parts of the South of England, and the footing and the grass cover is very good. We pride ourselves on producing the best possible going and courses for horses, and we will continue to work to do so. Course-designer David Evans has freshened up the cross country tracks this year, and they should be exciting to watch and enjoyable to ride. We can’t wait to welcome riders, owners, sponsors, supporters, volunteers and spectators to Burgham in a few weeks’ time.”
Saturday and Sunday at Burgham not only offer top-class sport, but also great fun for families, friends and children. There is a fun dog show on both days, and hobby horses for children to “ride”. Burgham also features great tradestands and lots of delicious, locally-produced food and drink and public bars. It is situated in beautiful, tranquil Northumbrian countryside not far from the A1 between Morpeth and Alnwick.
If you’re looking for a family day out that’s really affordable this summer, you can’t do better than Burgham International Horse Trials (July 24-27) – visit www.burghaminternationalhorsetrials.co.uk to find out more and to buy tickets.
All four days of cross-country from Burgham – Thursday to Sunday – will be live streamed on ClipMyHorse.tv here (membership required).
