The drawn order has been released for next week’s Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials in Lincolnshire (3-6 September).
There are currently 92 combinations listed on the order, although 94 numbers have been given out.
This is because Oliver Townend has four horses listed and will start on a maximum of three, while Pippa Funnell has three horses in the mix but will only start on two.
Therefore one of their rides has been given two numbers so that the starting order works regardless of which of their horses is withdrawn.
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Oliver – winner here in 2009 – will be the pathfinder and also last to go. Oliver’s first ride is Dromgurrihy Blue (number one) and his last is Armada (94).
He also has Samuel Thomas II at number 53. His final entrant is Fenyas Elegance, who has been given numbers two and 95, but the mare is on the British squad for Blair less than a week later (10-13 September), so she is unlikely to run at Burghley.
Five-time Burghley winner William Fox-Pitt has two entries this year – Bay My Hero (number 73) and Fernhill Pimms (number 74). However, as Bay My Hero is also entered for Blair, it is unlikely that he will be run here.
Meanwhile, 2003 Burghley and Rolex Grand Slam winner Pippa Funnell currently has three horses entered. These are Redesigned (number 11) and Mirage D’Elle (number 81) – both double entered with Second Supreme (number 12/82). Second Supreme is also Pippa’s reserve horse for Blair. Her first choice for Blair is Sandman 7.
Other past winning riders to look out for are Caroline Powell on Onwards And Upwards (number 36), Andrew Hoy on Rutherglen (number 27) and H&H columnist Mark Todd on Leonidas II (number 50).
H&H blogger Nana Dalton, who will take Absolut Opposition (number 51), is likely to have a Friday dressage, but as she is around the middle of the field, it does depend on final withdrawals.
Among her fellow H&H bloggers, Coral Keen on Wellshead Fare Opposition (number 65) will also do her dressage on Friday and Simon Grieve on Cornacrew – drawn at number 17 – is likely to have an early to mid-Thursday dressage time.
German double Olympic gold medallist Michael Jung will be competing at the horse trials for the first time on two of his top mounts.
He has been given number 85 with his London 2012 medal-winning partner La Biosthetique-Sam FBW and number 16 with 2014 World Equestrian Games (WEG) silver medallist FischerRocana FST.
Withdrawals so far include Wills Oakden (Alfi Brown), Andreas Ostholt (So Is Et) and Bettina Hoy (Designer 10), who has received her call-up to the German Europeans squad.
Due to a serious fall at the Festival of British Eventing at Gatcombe (9 August), 2014 winner Andrew Nicholson will not be returning to defend his title.
Andrew and Avebury have won the title for the past three years.
The Kiwi eventer is recovering at home following neck surgery and his three entered rides – Avebury, Nereo and Perfect Stranger – have been withdrawn.
Don’t miss H&H’s full Burghley Horse Trials preview out Thursday (27 August).
