Defending champion decides his Burghley rides, plus young Brit withdraws

Defending champion Oliver Townend has decided which of his five entries he will ride at this week’s Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials (30 August-2 September).

Oliver has withdrawn Cooley Master Class and Ulises, so his rides will be Ballaghmor Class, Cooley SRS and MHS King Joules.

The world number one will be the pathfinder on Tom Joule’s 13-year-old MHS King Joules, who was seventh in the US four-star at Kentucky in April.

Cooley SRS, the 11-year-old Badminton runner-up who belongs to Angela Hislop, will start at number 53.

He will be the last rider on course as number 107 with last year’s Burghley winner Ballaghmor Class, an 11-year-old who belongs to Angela, Karyn Shuter and Val Ryan.

Andrew Nicholson has also narrowed his three entries down to two starters. He has withdrawn Teseo and will start on Jet Set IV (number 15) and Swallow Springs (number 98).

There have also been a few more last-minute withdrawals from the event, which kicks off with the first horse inspection this afternoon (Wednesday 29 August).

British first-timer Will Furlong has withdrawn Collien P 2, saying that the stifle wound she incurred on the cross-country at Haras du Pin earlier in August has not healed enough for her to compete and he hopes to head to Pau in October.

New Zealand rider Caroline Powell has pulled out Up Up And Away, although she still competes with On The Brash.

Article continues below…

You might also be interested in:

Laura Collett withdraws Mr Bass from Burghley: ‘Roll on Badminton 2019’

The star British rider will miss Burghley with her top horse after announcing today that she is withdrawing him from

Top-10 contenders among latest Burghley withdrawals as final line-up takes shape

Several horses who could have featured at the sharp end have been pulled out of this week's four-star, while Oliver

Michael Jung withdraws from WEG eventing; reserve called up for German squad

The German superstar will miss out on riding at a championship for the first time since he made his squad

British riders Ros Canter, Tina Cook and Gemma Tattersall have officially withdrawn their World Equestrian Games (WEG) rides Allstar B, Billy The Red and Arctic Soul.

Bill Levett has also withdrawn Lassban Diamond Lift, who he will ride on the Australian squad at WEG.

Full Burghley preview in the Horse & Hound currently on sale (dated 23 August) and don’t miss our bumper report in 6 September issue.

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.