Piggy March boosted her chances of British team selection for the European Championships with a convincing victory on Jayne McGivern’s Halo in the Project Pony-sponsored CCI4*-S section C at Burgham International Horse Trials (24-27 July).
Piggy’s finishing score of 19.8 with the 12-year-old Holsteiner stallion is a Burgham CCI4*-S record; the pair added nothing to their dressage mark in the subsequent jumping phases, floating easily round David Evans’ cross-country track within the time allowed.
“He’s been amazing – he really has felt on top form, and I’m genuinely really excited about this weekend; I put pressure on myself because I know what a great little horse he is,” said Piggy, who has won medals at World and European Championships for her country. “I want to put him in a position to try for championships – I know that Britain is an incredibly strong nation and there are lots of brilliant horses and riders coming up and I am not in the early days of my career, but I am still very competitive and would love to try to do it still.
“Halo was put on the planet for those sorts of classes [championships] and I wanted him to come here and do a solid performance and look like the sort of horse I know he is. I wanted to make this happen and happen very well. He was very polished, very consistent and it made for a very happy day. He’s a wonderful little horse.”
Piggy and Halo clearly relish eventing in Northumberland: they won the inaugural CCI4*-S at Belsay in May.
Wills Oakden and Keep It Cooley repeated their 2024 second place in this highly competitive class, completing on their dressage score of 25.3. Their next target will be the new event at Scone Palace in Perthshire in August. Third, just 0.6 of a penalty behind Wills, were Tom Jackson and Hawkeye.
Oliver Townend and Cooley Rosalent, the 2024 winners, led after showjumping but cruised round the cross-country for four time-penalties and fifth place, behind Clarke Johnstone and Sparky Lad in fourth.
Tom McEwen and his 2024 Paris Olympics team gold medallist JL Dublin took the second CCI4*-S section, which this time was sponsored by local company Holme Dodsworth Metals. Tom and the Deirdre Johnston, Jo and James Lambert-owned Diarado 14-year-old were faultless in the showjumping and cross-country, completing on their dressage mark of 23.4.
Tom said: “‘Dubs’ has been fantastic. He came out very fresh for all three phases; he flew round the cross-country, and it was so nice to have such a well-built track that was really flowing to ride with a few different striding patterns. As a ‘prep run’ for the autumn – hopefully the European Championships, if we are selected – it has been perfect.”
It was Tom’s second international victory at Burgham 2025 – he had already won WL Straughan & Son Ltd CCI3*-S section A on Brookfield Danny De Muze.
Izzy Taylor and SBH Big Wall were second in CCI4*-S section D behind Tom on their dressage mark of 24.4, with Sarah Bullimore and the homebred Corimiro third on 26.2. World champion Yasmin Ingham (Gypsie Du Loir) and Laura Collett (Count Onyx) were fourth and fifth.
On Sunday, the final day of Burgham 2025, the focus turns to the two CCI2*-S classes. Willa Newton and Da Vinci are in the lead in the NIS Group Ltd and Encon Technical Solutions-sponsored section E with a dressage score of 24.8, ahead of Ros Canter (Club Class, 27.5). In the Jack-Thomas Watson CCI2*-S section F, Danielle McCormack is in pole position aboard Hildare Trust Me on 28.3, giving her a slim margin over Jago Jackson and Barrington Highlight K on 28.5. Jago, 17, is also the only rider still with a chance of winning prize-money in the Northumberland Challenge, which unites the three Northumbrian events of Belsay, Alnwick Ford and Burgham. He is in fifth place in CCI2*-S section E on Cooley Top Boy, on whom he won the CCI2*-S at Alnwick Ford in June, having already finished third in that class at Belsay in May. Jago must finish third or better at Burgham on Cooley Top Boy to take home a potential total of £8,000.
Sunday at Burgham not only offers top-class sport, but also great fun for families, friends and children. There is a fun dog shows, have-a-go dog agility, hobby horses for children to “ride”, and a Thoroughbred and Ex-Racehorse Show on Sunday, alongside grassroots eventing classes.
Burgham also features an excellent range of 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.
Visit www.burghaminternationalhorsetrials.co.uk to find out more and to buy tickets.
All the cross-country from Burgham is being shown live on ClipMyHorse.tv – visit www.clipmyhorse.tv/en_GB/ to watch.