After the first few horses have started out on the Defender Burghley Horse Trials cross-country today (Saturday 6 September), seven of the 11 have completed.
The best of those is Harry Meade and the first of his three rides, Et Hop Du Matz. This 11-year-old gelding, owned by Harry and Mandy Gray, made the course look mostly very straightforward, and they finished with a clear jumping round with just 2.4 time-faults – finishing six seconds over the 11min 24sec optimum time.
Harry had to hunt through the Trout Hatchery but he explained why saying: “Someone ran out in front of me, which took mine and my horse’s eye off.”
Harry had one other hairy moment, which came at Lambert’s Sofa, just two fences from the end of the track.
“I saw a very long stride and didn’t quite get it right,” explained Harry. “This horse has lovely long stride, and I saw a forward one, but then sat up in case he put in one more, which he did – it was rider error.”
Speaking of the Derek di Grazia-designed track, which runs in the reverse direction this year for the first time since 2017, Harry said that the course “rode as it walked”.
“It’s a very clever track and is very intense, but very fun,” he added.
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Samantha Lissington on Burghley Horse Trials cross-country
New Zealand’s Samantha Lissington and the first of her two rides, Billy Alberto, sit in second at this early stage. Sam jumped clear, picking up 5.6 time-faults aboard this relatively inexperienced 13-year-old, who is owned by Alison and Ian Spence.
“He was really phenomenal. I mean, you never know really that you’ve got a Burghley horse until you’re halfway through the course or going through those finishing flags, and I had an inkling that he could be, but he certainly proved it today,” said Sam, who rides her second horse, Lord Seekönig, fourth after the dressage, later.
“We don’t know each other well, and I was going just off a gut feel and hoping that the tools and everything were in place, and they certainly were. We helped each other out. It was a great round.”
Talking about the course, Sam said: “It rode mostly to plan – I added a stride here and there, but my plan came off.”
Billy Alberto has had a rapid rise to five-star level.
“Eighteen months ago, he was rocking around under-18 novices, and so to think that in the space of the six or seven months he’s been with me, that he could be at Burghley is pretty phenomenal,” said Sam. “I’m thrilled for his owners – it’s really cool.”
Disappointment for David Doel
David Doel and Galileo Nieuwmoed, who were 14th after dressage and a big hope for many to go well this week, were flying around until this experienced horse left a knee on the corner at the final part of the Fairfax & Favor at Keepers at 10b, leaving them both briefly on the deck. After being checked over, David and Galileo Nieuwmoed walked back to the stables seemingly none the worse for wear.
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Former web features editor, point-to-point editor and digital racing editor
Gemma is an experienced journalist, who was a member of H&H staff from 2014 to September 2025. She is passionate about all equestrian sports, including racing and point-to-pointing. She has enjoyed riding out for top trainers Nicky Henderson and Charlie Appleby and took part in a charity Flat race at Epsom in August 2018. Gemma’s has reported from numerous five-star events around Britain and Europe, as well as European championships.
