It’s been a long time coming, but later today eventing’s super fans will be flocking into the Burghley estate to watch this afternoon’s first horse inspection as the event gets under way for the first time since Pippa Funnell lifted the trophy in 2019. Can she make it back-to-back victories riding her 2022 partner Billy Walk On? Pippa is certainly among our eventing editor’s pick of those to watch at the event – find out who else made the list of favourites to win the Land Rover title among this year’s Burghley Horse Trials riders. Our team of journalists will be on hand throughout the event to bring you all the news as it happens from course pictures and the first trot-up today, to the final key showjumping rounds on Sunday.
Picture by Sit4Two Equestrian Photography.
Two-time Grand National runner Ballyoptic, who earned over £300,000 in his National Hunt career and retired after last year’s race, has demonstrated the versatility of former racehorses by claiming a red rosette on his first-ever dressage outing. Marisa Mills, whose family owns the chaser, told H&H his first competitive outing since leaving Nigel Twiston-Davies’s yard was preliminary dressage at Beechwood Equestrian Centre on Tuesday (23 August), where he won his class. “Can you believe that?” she said. “I was so impressed with him, bless him. He’s amazing.”
The BSPS Summer Championships are always a favourite among the showing community and this year’s show didn’t disappoint with numerous exquisite show animals to watch at Arena UK. The titles were as hard fought for as ever with both plaited and natives competing for their prestigious flowery sashes. The overall supreme went to the Knipe family’s beautiful five-year-old lead-rein show pony Derw Dream Boy with five-year-old Milly in the saddle. She was led by her delighted father James, a farrier, so it was a real family affair.
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Find out how you can follow the action from the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials on TV and online
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