Tickets, which start at just £3 for an adult, are now on sale for Burgham International Horse Trials (July 26-28) – Northumberland’s premier equestrian event.
In just a few years, Burgham has quickly developed into one of the most popular horse trials in the calendar, attracting the world’s very best horses and riders. As well as top-class international sport, Burgham offers a range of opportunities for amateur riders competing at grassroots level to compete alongside their heroes and in the special atmosphere of a world-class event.
New for 2019 is riding club team showjumping, and an inter-hunt relay, which promises to provide plenty of hilarious entertainment for spectators!
Burgham runs a complete range of affiliated eventing classes: CCI2*-S, CCI3*-S and CCI4*-S international classes, and national competitions from BE90 to Open Intermediate, catering for the entire eventing community.
David Evans, course-builder for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, will again design the cross-country courses for the CCI4*-S and CCI3*-S, while New Zealand’s former world and Olympic champion Blyth Tait will design the national courses and the CCI2*-S. Blyth started his course-designing career here at Burgham, and this will be his very first international track.
Blyth, who has moved home to New Zealand but will be returning to Britain in June and July to design the courses at Burgham and at its sister event, Alnwick Ford, said: “I’m really excited to design an international track for the first time. Burgham is a wonderful event – it has great going and offers plenty of scope to design interesting, challenging and fair courses – and always receives a large, high-class entry as a result.”
World number one Oliver Townend has an outstanding record at Burgham, and won last year’s CCI4*-S with Ballaghmor Class, winner of Burghley’s CCI5* in 2017 and runner-up there in 2018.
“It’s an event I never miss, and definitely one of my favourite of the year,” said Oliver. “The team go to great efforts to make sure every aspect of the event is as good as it can be.”
The jumping phases of Burgham’s international classes take place on Sunday, 28 July, with the national classes taking centre stage on Saturday, 27 July. On Friday, 26 July, Burgham hosts Dubarry Burghley Young Event Horse classes and the dressage phase of the international sections commences. The riding club showjumping and the inter-hunt relay will take place on Sunday.
Other attractions include lots of children’s entertainment, a variety of carefully selected locally produced food options, a licenced bar and great shopping.
Event Director Martyn Johnson said: “We try hard to improve what we can offer to riders, owners, spectators and sponsors every year to ensure Burgham keeps its position as one of the best and most popular horse trials of the year. It offers great value for money as a day out, and is one of the very few opportunities for northern-based equestrian fans to see and mix with the world’s elite riders.”
For more information and to book tickets, visit www.burghaminternationalhorsetrials.co.uk.
For media enquiries, contact Catherine Austen. Tel: 01451 830526; email: cfausten123@gmail.com.
About Burgham International Horse Trials
Burgham Horse Trials was founded in 2011 and achieved international status in 2014. It is situated near the A1 between Alnwick and Morpeth and is Northumberland’s premier international event. It runs national classes at BE90, BE100, novice and intermediate level, and international classes at CCI4*-S, CCI3*-S and CCI2*-S level.