Who better than two past champions of the sport to judge the up-and-coming equine stars of eventing than Nicola Wilson and Andrew Nicholson?
They join an experienced panel of judges at the Dubarry Burghley Young Event Horse Championship, the most prestigious showcase for four- and five-year-old eventing horses, at Defender Burghley Horse Trials on Friday, 1 September
The top young horses from the summer-long programme of qualifiers will perform a dressage test plus a round of jumping, and their conformation is examined by the panel of judges. The top 10 in each of the two classes then come forward for a final assessment, where they are judged on their suitability and type for the top levels of the sport and their potential to gallop round a five-star track in years to come.
This year the dressage phase will be judged by Les Smith and Sue Baxter, both of whom have officiated on CCI5* ground juries round the world while reigning European eventing champion Nicola Wilson, who retired from the sport after a bad fall at Badminton in 2022, will join former Burghley winner Jane Holderness-Roddam – the first woman to ride on a British Olympic eventing team - in judging the jumping phase.
Former British eventing team vet Dr Jenny Hall will judge the “suitability and type” phase and the final 10 in each age group will then go forward to the gallop. This will be marked by five-times Defender Burghley winner Andrew Nicholson, who is taking a very different role at the event for the first time.
We can’t wait to see who will be this year’s Dubarry Burghley Young Event Horse Champions!
