If you’re lucky enough to be heading to the Defender Burghley Horse Trials next week (4–8 September 2024) and perhaps haven’t visited before or are wondering what’s on offer this year, here is our complete guide to what you won’t want to miss while you’re there.
Walk the cross-country course
Make sure that, no matter which day you’re visiting Burghley, you take a walk around the iconic five-star Burghley cross-country course – until you’ve seen those fences in the flesh, you don’t get a true appreciation of how enormous they are! Just make sure you stay behind the roped-off areas and don’t walk up to the fences to protect the incredibly hard work done by the Burghley team to ensure the best ground for the five-star horses. Alternatively, you can join a pre-organised cross-country course walk, where experts explain to you fence-by-fence how each obstacle should be ridden, and can provide fascinating insight. Keep an eye on social media channels and equestrian websites to catch a space on a pre-organised course walk.
Check out the Burghley Young Event Horse final
Open to four- and five-year-old horses, the aim of this series is to encourage breeders and trainers to produce and present the type of young horse that has the potential to make a world-class three-day event horse in the future. The judges look for an athletic, loose-moving horse with a promising jumping technique and attitude which, with correct training and production, will develop physically and mentally into an elite three-day event horse. The winner is the horse with the highest overall marks from four sections: dressage, jumping, suitability and type, and potential to gallop. The final takes place throughout the day on Friday 5 September in the House Arena, which can be found between the main arena and Burghley House.
Visit some (many) of the 500+ tradestands
Well, it would be rude not to, wouldn’t it? Burghley’s vast shopping village is one of the many highlights of the event, attracting a huge collection of many well-known brands. From equestrian fashion to country lifestyle brands, there is plenty to choose from. The opening hours of the shopping village are:
Thursday – Saturday: 9am–5.30pm
Sunday: 9am–5pm
Oh, and don’t forget to have a walk around the food stalls too
There will be a wide selection of food-based tradestands for you to wander around and sample their wares – from delicious smoked fish to a range of wines, there is something for everyone.
New for 2024 is the Avebury Restaurant, situated just moments from the central shopping village and the buzz of the main arena atmosphere, which will offer breakfast and lunch sittings. Table reservations are for one hour and prices start at £32 per person. Advance booking has now closed, however a limited number of tables will be available for on the day reservations at the event, so it will definitely be worth popping by.
Get top tips from some of the world’s best trainers
During the dressage lunch break on Thursday, triple Cheltenham Gold Cup-winning trainer Henrietta Knight will be explaining how to re-educate a racehorse for a new career in the main arena. She will be working with four riders who have retrained their ex-racehorses to achieve success in other disciplines: Katie Dashwood (Minella Rebellion), Amanda Brieditis (Kilmarnock Lad), Sarah Pinfield (Kings Bridge) and Lizzie Harris (Glen Forsa).
And it will be worth hanging around after the completion of the dressage action on Thursday too as six-time Burghley winner William Fox-Pitt and his wife Alice will be sharing their insights in a masterclass about preparing a horse to compete at Burghley.
Learn from the dressage master Carl Hester
Seven-time Olympian, Carl Hester, will be in the main arena on Friday during the dressage lunch break to give a dressage masterclass, titled “Groom to grand prix” – popular Irish dressage rider and Olympian Abi Lyle will take part too.
Garner advice from a top husband and wife duo
Top showjumper William Funnell and his wife, the prolific event rider Pippa Funnell, will present their masterclass “Showjumping – working in harmony” after the dressage has finished on Friday afternoon, which is certainly something you won’t want to miss.
Check out the Insight Stage
Previously The Celebrity Talk Area, the newly revamped Insight Stage will be hosted by experienced presenter Hayley Moore and will offer fascinating interviews with top riders, lifestyle chats and interactive sessions – pop by for details of who will be on stage when.
The Shetland Pony Grand National
This brilliant spectacle will take place on Saturday at 9.30am in the main arena, prior to the cross-country action getting underway at 11am. There will be an additional Shetland Pony Grand National in 2024 too, which will get underway in the main arena on Sunday at 1pm. Make sure you give them all a good cheer!
Support Burghley’s official charity
This year Burghley will be supporting My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, which was launched by Scotland rugby player Doddie Weir to fight motor neurone disease (MND). The charity’s plans during this year’s Burghley include a very special tug-of-war competition in the main arena, featuring rugby players and event riders. Doddie, who died from MND in November 2022, made 61 international appearances for Scotland on the rugby pitch, but in his youth he was a keen rider and competed in eventing on the Scottish circuit, including at the Scottish Novice Championships held at Thirlestane Castle. He remained interested in horses throughout his life.
Keep an eye out for Burghley’s artist and sculptor in residence at work
Sporting artist Daniel Crane is known to many in the equestrian world and he will be working as the event’s artist in residence in 2024, sketching at the heart of the horse trials to create a unique artwork. Keep your eyes peeled for this talented artist at work. Plus, new for 2024, don’t miss sculptor in residence, Belinda Sillars, who will be given wide access to the event, including behind the scenes, with a view to creating a piece of sculpture that captures what Burghley is all about.
And of course, last but by no means least, keep up-to-date (and watch) all of the five-star action
Whether you are there in person or are keeping tabs on things from home, we’ve got you covered with our guides to Burghley tickets – e-tickets will be available for the first time, although cash will still be accepted on the gate – and how to watch Burghley live, plus stick with us for all the news as it happens.
- To stay up to date with all the breaking news throughout the Paralympic Games, Burghley, Horse of the Year Show and more, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website
You might also be interested in:
How to watch Burghley Horse Trials live in 2024: your complete guide
Take a sneak peek at William Fox-Pitt walking the Burghley cross-country course…
Five-star winner takes pathfinder spot as Burghley draw released
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