Oliver Townend and Cooley Master Class Photo courtesy Rupert Gibson Photography
Unprecedented numbers of entries – and a desire to help competitors achieve their goals in this difficult and interrupted season – means that Burgham International Horse Trials will run over five days and will, for the first time and subject to FEI approval, stage a CCI2*-L class.
Each of the short-format CCI classes – the CCI4*-S, CCI3*-S and CCI2*-S - has received huge entries of a very high quality, and this year those classes will each be divided into two separate sections.
The event will now start on Wednesday 19 August. Dressage for the international classes will take place from Wednesday 19 to Saturday 22, with the jumping phases for the CCI3*-S on Friday 21, for the CCI4*-S on Saturday 22 and for the CCI2*-S on Sunday 23. The jumping phases for the CCI2*-L will take place on Friday 21 and Saturday 22.
In order to avoid balloting competitors, there will be national classes at open intermediate, intermediate, novice, open novice and BE100 level on Thursday 20 August, and further BE100 classes on Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 August.
Richard Waygood, British Equestrian’s Performance Director, said: “Putting on a CCI2*-L class is a great initiative to give competitors who need a MER (Minimum Eligibility Requirement) the opportunity to get it at Burgham, which is a well-established event, enabling a pathway to Osberton and the young horse world championships at Le Lion d’Angers.
“At this present moment in time, this is all about solving problems in ingenious ways.”
Event Director Martyn Johnson said: “As the first major international event of the season we expected good entries, but we are delighted to say this is a record entry for us, and of outstanding quality, with some of the most famous horse and rider partnerships in the world coming to Burgham. It’s just such a shame that the public won’t be able to come and see them this year, but we hope to be able to offer a livestream option.
“We are grateful to British Eventing for granting us additional days, so that we can give as many riders the chance to compete at Burgham as possible, and we are happy to be able to help out by running our first CCI2*-L.”
The additional class still requires FEI approval, and entries will reopen as soon as this has been received.
