Four former winners head up the Defender Burghley Horse Trials entries for this year’s event (30 August-3 September).
Piggy March, who took the title last year on Vanir Kamira, returns to defend her crown. She will ride the 2021 European team gold and individual silver medallist Brookfield Inocent, owned by Alison Swinburn and John and Chloe Perry.
New Zealand’s Tim Price, a former winner here on Ringwood Sky Boy, brings forward his own and the Giannamores’ Vitali, who finished third at Burghley last year.
Pippa Funnell will start on her own and Marek Sebestak’s Majas Hope, who has twice been in the top 16 here, as she attempts to capture her third Burghley win.
Oliver Townend, the winner here in 2009 and 2017, has four horses listed but will only be able to start on three. His Burghley Horse Trials entries at this stage are: Ballaghmor Class (owned by Karyn Shuter, Angela Hislop and Val Ryan), Swallow Springs (owned by Paul and Diana Ridgeon), Tregilder (owned by the Hazeldines and Mitchell Fox Group) and Cooley Rosalent (owned by Paul Ridgeon). Ballaghmor Class has previously finished first, second and third at Burghley.
Zara Tindall, a former Burghley runner-up, is slated to start this year on Gleadhill House Stud’s Class Affair.
The new European champion, Ros Canter, will bring Kate James and Annie Makin’s Pencos Crown Jewel to Burghley. This mare finished 11th here last year.
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Tom McEwen will start among the Burghley favourites with Toledo De Kerser – owned by Fred and Penny Barker, Jane Inns and Tom’s mother Ali – who makes his first Burghley start since finishing fourth here in 2017.
Only three horse in the field have previously won at five-star – Toledo De Kerser (who has won the French five-star at Pau Horse Trials), Ballaghmor Class (double five-star winner at Burghley and Kentucky Horse Trials) and On Cue, who took the inaugural Maryland 5 Star in 2021 and who is one of two rides here for US competitor Boyd Martin.
Harry Meade is the other rider in the field, besides Oliver, who has four horses among the Burghley Horse Trials entries and is likely to start on three. His hand of horses consists of Jane Dear and Charlotte Oppenheimer’s Away Cruising, Charlotte Opperman’s Cavalier Cruise, Tenareze (owned by David Bernstein, Sophie Caruth and Nigella Hall) and Nigella Hall and Alexandra Robinson’s Red Kite.
Kitty King, who took individual silver at last week’s Europeans, does not have a ride at Burghley, but she will be walking Derek di Grazia’s cross-country course for Horse & Hound’s magazine and online previews (published next week).
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Pippa is a true eventing geek and has been H&H’s eventing editor since 2005. She has first-hand experience of competing up to British Eventing intermediate and international CCI2*-L level, and has worked in the industry on a top event yard. Pippa enjoys nothing more than immersing herself in the sport at the highest level, reporting from the five-stars and international championships, including the Olympics.
