Take a sneak peek at William Fox-Pitt walking the Burghley cross-country course…

With the event fast approaching next week (5-8 September), it’s time to take a first look at the Defender Burghley Horse Trials cross-country course for 2024, designed by again by Derek di Grazia.

H&H dispatched six-time Burghley winner William Fox-Pitt to Lincolnshire to check out the track and you can read all his thoughts on every fence in this Thursday’s magazine (dated 29 August), plus we’ll release videos of William walking some key combinations on Monday, 2 September. Meanwhile, to whet your appetite, here’s a sneak peek at a few fences…

Burghley Horse Trials cross-country course: sneak peek

The Holland Cooper Leaf Pit (fence 7abcde) is always a landmark fence on the course. On the direct route, riders come down the big drop and then take on two brush arrowheads.

William paces out the distance on the return trip through Defender Valley (fence 8ab), where a log drop is followed by a choice of striding to the big corner.

This rolltop is the first element of the serious water combination at the Trout Hatchery (10ab and 11abc).

Having splashed through the water, riders then jump a second rolltop to enter the water for a second time (pictured behind William), before coming out to face the final challenge.

An angled hedge corner is followed by a half-moon brush fence as riders exit the Trout Hatchery area. This complex will be one of the most difficult parts of the Burghley Horse Trials cross-country course.

The direct route through Joules at the Maltings (fences 14 and 15abc) starts with this oxer to hedge.

William demonstrates the angle needed over the angled rail that follows the hedge.

The final arrowhead element at Joules at the Maltings will then come up quickly.

This combination, Fairfax & Favor at Keepers (fence 21ab), comes at the highest part of the course, after the turn away from the Irish Horse Board Cottesmore Leap.

Boodles Raindance (fence 26abc) is the final combination on course, with two cabins followed by this curving fence into the water.

Burghley Horse Trials cross-country course photos by Peter Nixon

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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.