Preparations for this year’s Defender Burghley Horse Trials are “going smoothly”, with the event build well under way and its title sponsor extending its long-standing support.
The new “multi-year” title sponsorship agreement was announced on Monday (12 August).
Event director Martyn Johnson said that Defender’s “renewed investment means we can continue to deliver and develop a world-class event every year”. Land Rover has been the official vehicle supplier to Burghley since the early 1990s and became title sponsor in 2005.
As H&H went to press on Monday, the five-star entries featured notable British entries and a strong international line-up, including Paris Olympians and medallists from the Games.
“An Olympic year is actually quite a good year for Burghley as it sits a little bit further away than a European or World Championships, which really helps,” Mr Johnson told H&H. “Obviously the Olympic bounce and good feeling is really noticeable as well, which is really good not just for Burghley but also for the sport.”
He noted that 2008 Badminton winner Nicolas Touzaint, who was part of the French side that won eventing team silver, plus Japan’s bronze medal-winning riders Ryuzo Kitajima and Toshiyuki Tanaka are among the entries, as is Ireland’s Austin O’Connor with his Maryland-winning Olympic ride Colorado Blue.
Entries as of Monday also included former Burghley winner Tim Price, 2022 runners-up Tom Jackson and Capels Hollow Drift, Lucy Latta and RCA Patron Saint who finished second at Badminton this year, plus a host of other top names.
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Britain’s Paris Olympic gold medal-winning event riders will also parade on the Sunday of the event (8 September).
Also on offer this year is the Avebury restaurant and a top masterclass line-up (news, 1 August).
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Lucy is an experienced news journalist, reporter and presenter. Since joining the Horse & Hound team in 2015, Lucy has reported from major global sporting events including the Tokyo Paralympic Games and multiple European Championships, as well as Badminton, Burghley and London, to name a few. She has covered current affairs and sports news across the full spectrum of equestrian disciplines and racing, as well as human and equine welfare, industry news and court cases.
