Burgham International Horse Trials 2024 – order or view XC Videos here
Britain’s Tom Jackson has taken a convincing lead in the Holme Dodsworth Metals CCI4*-S class at Burgham International Horse Trials (24-28 July), presented by Project Pony, with a personal-best score of 22.9 on Patricia Davenport’s Capels Hollow Drift.
Tom and the 13-year-old grey were part of the British squad at the 2023 European Championships in France, and finished second in the CCI5* at Defender Burghley in 2022.
“I was so pleased with him,” said Surrey-based Tom. “We’ve just taken the pressure off him a little bit since Badminton [where he finished fifth], and he felt really happy in the arena. I think that was the best test I’ve had with him. He’s been flirting around the mid-20s mark before at this level, but he’s gone and smashed that today.”
Tom plans to take Capels Hollow Drift back to Burghley in September.
“We’ll try to go one better than last time!” he said.
The 31-year-old added: “We’ve been coming to Burgham since nearly the very beginning of the event, when there were about four stables up in the top corner of the field - it has grown so much. We come back every year because the courses are fantastic, the going is fantastic and it’s a lovely event to be at.”
Tom has an impressive margin of nearly six points in hand over second-placed Harry Meade with Jane Dear and Charlotte Opperman’s Away Cruising (28.7). Third is Irish rider Lucy Latta on her 2024 Badminton runner-up, Lesley Crampton’s RCA Patron Saint.
Izzy Taylor, a former winner of the feature CCI4*-S class at Burgham, is first and second in section B of the Hambro Sport Horses CCI3*-S on Caroline Wilson’s eight-year-old Hathaway Royale (24.1) and Johnny Hornby’s seven-year-old Barrington Alice (24.4).
“I’m delighted with my two grey girls,” said Izzy. “They are very different to each other - Hathaway Royale is a little horse who is really learning to shine, and Barrington Alice is a taller, younger mare who is still learning at this level. It’s great to be at Burgham with such exciting horses excelling in a big class.”
Ibble Watson, 21, is on top in CCI3*-S section A with a mark of 24.4 on her own Aristotoles S Z, ahead of the USA’s Jenny Caras (Sommersby, 28.2).
Of the four British Eventing Open Intermediate and Intermediate sections at Burgham today, two were won by Tokyo Olympics team gold medallist Oliver Townend, who will be hoping to challenge the CCI4*-S leaders on Friday when he does his dressage test on his 2024 Defender Kentucky CCI5* champion Cooley Rosalent.
Burgham’s Friday programme features the showjumping and cross-country phases of the Hambro Sport Horses CCI3*-S, while dressage continues for the Holme Dodsworth Metals CCI4*-S and starts for the NIS Group Services Ltd CCI2*-S.
Saturday and Sunday at Burgham not only offer top-class sport with the jumping phases of the CCI4*-S topping the bill, but also great fun for families, friends and children. From 10.30am on Saturday in the Burgham Park Arena, visitors can take part in “have a go” dog agility and the newly popular pastime of “hobby horsing”, and there’s also a fun charity dog show. On Sunday, the dog show, dog agility and “hobby horsing” will take place in the afternoon following the conclusion of the Thoroughbred and Ex-Racehorse Show in the Burgham Park Arena.
Burgham also features great tradestands and lots of delicious, locally-produced food and drink and public bars. It is situated in beautiful, tranquil Northumbrian countryside not far from the A1 between Morpeth and Alnwick.
If you’re looking for a family day out that’s really affordable this summer, you can’t do better than Burgham International Horse Trials (24-28 July) - visit www.burghaminternationalhorsetrials.co.uk to find out more and to buy tickets.
