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British venue plans to bid to host eventing World Championships in 2026

Pippa Roome Pippa Roome

    • The eventing World Championships could come to Britain in 2026, with the news today (9 February) that the team at Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials plan to bid for this major event.

    The Burghley team are in discussions with UK Sport about accessing funding to host the championship.

    Event director Martyn Johnson said: “Burghley is synonymous with the pinnacle of the sport of eventing. Hosting the FEI World Championships in 2026 would bring huge benefits to Burghley and the local community. It would also focus our longer-term vision for the event as we continue to invest in upgrading the permanent infrastructures for athletes and horses to improve further a world-class venue.

    “As we experienced with the London 2012 Olympics, the legacy of a British World Championships would not only help our British teams win medals for years to come but also provide inspiration, opportunities and facilities for the next generation of equestrian stars through our associations with the Pony Club and grassroots riders.”

    The bid process for the 2026 eventing World Championships, run by the FEI, is open and will conclude by June.

    Burghley has held the World Championships twice before, in 1966 and 1974. It has also hosted six European Championships (1962, 1971, 1977, 1985, 1989 and 1997) and one young rider European Championship (1978). No other British venue has ever hosted the eventing World Championships.

    The annual fixture at Burghley is one of the world’s seven five-stars and takes place this year from 31 August to 3 September.

    The eventing World Championships are held every four years, between the Olympics. Last year was the first time since 1986 that the World Championships in the major equestrian disciplines had been held separately at different venues, on different dates, because between 1990 and 2018 the championships were combined at a World Equestrian Games.

    Last year’s eventing World Championships took place in Pratoni del Vivaro, Italy, and Yasmin Ingham won the individual gold for Britain on Banzai Du Loir.

    • Did you attend one of the previous World Championships at Burghley? Or last year’s event? Send your memories to hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and country, for possible inclusion in the Horse & Hound letters pages.

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    Pippa Roome
    Pippa Roome

    H&H magazine editor and eventing editor
    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.
    Pippa Roome

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