Burghley Horse Trials 2024

This year’s Defender Burghley Horse Trials took place on 5-8 September and Horse & Hound’s team of expert equestrian journalists were on hand to keep fans up to date with all the headlines during Britain’s autumn five-star, plus big name interviews, analysis of the action, videos and beautiful photography throughout every day of the competition.

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The autumn five-star took place under the leadership of Martyn Johnson, who was appointed Burghley Horse Trials director in October 2021. The course-designer was Derek di Grazia.

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Burghley Horse Trials dates

The Defender Burghley Horse Trials will be held on 5 to 8 September 2024.

How much prize money will the 2024 Burghley winner receive?

The 2024 Burghley winner will take home £110,000, which is the same as last year, when it was increased from £100,000 in 2022.

Does Burghley help any charities?

My Name'5 Doddie Foundation, which was launched by Scotland rugby player Doddie Weir to fight motor neuron disease, has been named as the event’s official charity in 2024.

Where is Burghley Horse Trials held?

Burghley Horse Trials is held in the grounds of the Burghley Estate, which is located in Stamford, Peterborough.

Burghley Horse Trials history

The first Burghley event was held in 1961 and the horse trials had never been cancelled or abandoned until Covid-19 took out the 2020 and 2021 renewals.

Anneli Drummond-Hay was the event’s first winner, riding Merely-A-Monarch, who also became the first horse to win both Badminton Horse Trials and Burghley when he took the Gloucestershire event the following spring.

Andrew Nicholson’s ride Avebury, who won the event in 2012, 2013 and 2014, is the only horse who has won Burghley three times. The only other horse to be listed among the Burghley Horse Trials winners more than once is Ginny Elliot’s ride Priceless, who won in 1983 and 1985, when he was also crowned European champion.

Burghley has also hosted the European Championships on five other occasions, the most famous of these being in 1971 when Princess Anne took the title on Doublet.

What is Burghley Horse Trials?

Burghley Horse Trials is one of just seven five-star events in the world. Five-star is the highest level of eventing competition, where the very best horses and riders in the sport compete against each other in three phases: dressage, cross-country and show jumping. The same horse and rider combinations take part in all three phases and their penalty scores are added up. The horse and rider with the lowest penalties is the winner.

STAMFORD WEATHER