NEWs

Superb entries for Defender Burghley Horse Trials

An exceptional field of horses and riders will contest Defender Burghley Horse Trials (5-8 September), with 76 pairs representing 10 nations entered for the prestigious CCI5* event.

Among them are:

  • Four past Defender Burghley winners
  • Eight CCI5*-winning combinations
  • 11 CCI5*-winning riders
  • Two former world champions
  • 11 Paris Olympians
  • 25 Burghley first-timers

The star-studded entries are headed by two members of Britain’s gold medal-winning team at the Paris Olympics, Ros Canter and Tom McEwen. Lincolnshire-based Ros will bring her Paris ride – and 2023 Badminton winner and European champion – Lordships Graffalo, as well as Pau CCI5* hero Izilot DHI. Tom, the current world number one in the FEI rankings, will ride CHF Cooliser. Ros is one of two former world champions in the field – the other is Zara Tindall, entered with Class Affair.

Among the immensely strong British squad heading to Burghley is last year’s winner Oliver Townend, who is bringing his Defender Kentucky champion Cooley Rosalent in a bid to earn a fourth Burghley trophy. He is joined by Pippa Funnell (MCS Maverick), who took Burghley in 2003 and 2019. There are also two past winners representing New Zealand in the field: Tim Price, victorious at Defender Burghley in 2018, will be pathfinder in the competition – and will also be the final rider. Tim, like Britain’s Harry Meade, is planning to ride three horses at Burghley. Harry, third last year, has actually entered five horses but will run only three of them. And Caroline Powell, a Burghley winner in 2010, will ride her 2024 Badminton champion Greenacres Special Cavalier.

Other entries with a chance of taking the Defender Burghley title include recent British National Champion Emily King (Valmy Biats), and Britain’s Tom Jackson with his 2022 runner-up Capels Hollow Drift,

There are seven entries from the USA, nine from New Zealand, one from Australia and nine from Ireland – including all three members of the Irish Olympic team in Paris, and Lucy Latta, who finished second at Badminton this year. Six riders will represent France, including Nicolas Touzaint, a member of his country’s silver medal-winning team in Paris and a former double European champion and Badminton winner.

Excitingly, recent Olympic bronze medallists Japan (Ryuzo Kitajima and Toshiyuki Tanaka) and Switzerland (CCI5* winner Felix Vogg and Nadja Minder) will be represented at Burghley for the first time in more than 15 years.

Burghley’s Event Director Martyn Johnson said: “We have a hugely exciting set of entries this year, with great strength in depth from the most international field seen at a CCI5* for some time. To have such a global entry with highly competitive riders from nations such as Japan and Switzerland shows how the sport of eventing has grown in recent years. With many new developments to the event this year, the stage is set for a truly brilliant week, and we are very much looking forward to welcoming all our visitors to Defender Burghley 2024.”

Equestrian sports analysis company EquiRatings points out that this is the first time that Burghley will attract eight previous CCI5*-winning horses to its line-up. These are Cooley Rosalent (Oliver Townend), Chilli Knight (Gemma Stevens), Colorado Blue (Austin O’Connor), Lordships Graffalo (Ros Canter), Izilot DHI (Ros Canter), Coup De Coeur Dudevin (Tim Price), Grappa Nera (Jonelle Price) and Greenacres Special Cavalier (Caroline Powell).

EquiRatings’ co-founder Sam Watson, himself a CCI5* rider and world silver medallist, said: “Burghley winners have only ever come from six nations: GBR (38), NZL (14), AUS (4), USA (2), GER (1) and IRL (1), so we may see a seventh flag enter the roll of honour in 2024.”

As ever, there are plenty of first-timers (25) all keen to test their skills in riding and training their horses against Burghley’s thrilling and challenging cross-country course, designed by the USA’s Derek Di Grazia. A full preview of this year’s cross-country track will feature shortly on Burghley TV, which will broadcast every moment of the action from Defender Burghley 2024.

For a full list of entries in drawn order, please visit https://burghley-horse.co.uk/competition/2024-cci5-entries

Defender Burghley is the established highlight of the summer social season. As well as top-class sport featuring both the most famous horses and riders in the world and up-and-coming stars, in the beautiful and historic setting of Burghley Park, the event offers superb shopping opportunities, delicious food and drink, elegant hospitality options and lots to entertain children and less-horsey members of the family.

To find out more about Defender Burghley (5-8 September 2024) and to purchase tickets and hospitality, visit www.burghley-horse.co.uk.

Picture of Tim Price and Vitali at Defender Burghley in 2023 courtesy of Nico Morgan/Defender.

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