The Defender Burghley Horse Trials is an annual three-day event held at Burghley House near Stamford, Lincolnshire, England, currently in early September. Defender Burghley Horse Trials is classified by the FEI as one of the seven leading three-day events in the world (the others being the Badminton Horse Trials, the Kentucky Three-Day Event, the Australian International Three Day Event, the Luhmühlen Horse Trials, the Maryland 5* and the Étoiles de Pau). It has competition at CCI5*-L (five star) level. The prize for first place is currently £110,000. Prize money is given down to 20th place.
Burghley is also one of the three events in the Grand Slam of Eventing.
Run in conjunction with the event since 1990 is the Dubarry Burghley Young Event Horse final, which judges four- and five-year-old horses on their potential as future Olympic mounts.
History
Horse trials have been held at Burghley House since 1961 when its owner the 6th Marquess of Exeter, an Olympic gold medalist in athletics and IOC member, heard that a three-day event at Harewood House could no longer be held. Since then no other international horse trials site has staged as many championships, a record ten in all including the first World Championship in 1966.
It is the longest continuous running international event. Up to 2023 there have been seven course designers: Bill Thomson, M.R.C.V.S. 1961 – 1983, Lt-Col. Henry Nicoll, D.S.O., O.B.E., 1975, Philip Herbert 1984 – 1988, Captain Mark Phillips, C.V.O., 1989 – 1996 and 1998 – 2000, Mike Tucker 1997 and 2001, Wolfgang Feld 2002 – 2004, Capt. Mark Phillips, C.V.O., 2005 - 2019 and Derek di Grazia, 2022-present.
Winners
| Year | Rider | Horse | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 |  Anneli Drummond-Hay (GBR) |
Merely-A-Monarch | |
| 1962 | James Templer (GBR) |
M'Lord Connolly | |
| 1963 |  Harry Freeman-Jackson (IRL) |
St. Finbarr | |
| 1964 | Richard Meade (GBR) |
Barberry | |
| 1965 | J.J. Beale (GBR) |
Victoria Bridge | |
| 1966 |  Carlos Moratorio (ARG) |
Chalan | |
| 1967 | Lorna Sutherland (GBR) |
Popadom | |
| 1968 | Sheila Willcox (GBR) |
Fair and Square | |
| 1969 | Gillian Watson (GBR) |
Shaitan | |
| 1970 | Judy Bradwell (GBR) |
Don Camillo | |
| 1971 | H.R.H. Princess Anne (GBR) |
Doublet | |
| 1972 | Janet Hodgson (GBR) |
Larkspur | |
| 1973 | Mark Phillips (GBR) |
Maid Marion | |
| 1974 |  Bruce Davidson (USA) |
Irish Cap | |
| 1975 | Aly Pattinson (GBR) |
Carawich | |
| 1976 | Jane Holderness-Roddam (GBR) |
Warrior | |
| 1977 | Lucinda Prior-Palmer (GBR) |
George | |
| 1978 | Lorna Clarke (GBR) |
Greco | |
| 1979 | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Andrew Hoy (AUS) |
Davey | |
| 1980 | Richard Walker (GBR) |
John of Gaunt | |
| 1981 | Lucinda Prior-Palmer (GBR) |
Beagle Bay | |
| 1982 | Richard Walker (GBR) |
Ryan's Cross | |
| 1983 | Virginia Holgate (GBR) |
Priceless | |
| 1984 | Virginia Holgate (GBR) |
Night Cap II | |
| 1985 | Virginia Holgate (GBR) |
Priceless | |
| 1986 | Virginia Leng (GBR) |
Murphy Himself | |
| 1987 |  Mark Todd (NZL) |
Wilton Fair | |
| 1988 | Jane Thelwall (GBR) |
King's Jester | |
| 1989 | Virginia Leng (GBR) |
Master Craftsman | |
| 1990 | Mark Todd (NZL) |
Face the Music | |
| 1991 | Mark Todd (NZL) |
Welton Greylag | |
| 1992 | Charlotte Hollingsworth (GBR) |
The Cool Customer | |
| 1993 | Stephen Bradley (USA) |
Sassy Reason | |
| 1994 | William Fox-Pitt (GBR) |
Chaka | |
| 1995 | Andrew Nicholson (NZL) |
Buckley Province | |
| 1996 | Mary King (GBR) |
Star Appeal | |
| 1997 | Mark Todd (NZL) |
Broadcast News | |
| 1998 | Blyth Tait (NZL) |
Chesterfield | |
| 1999 | Mark Todd (NZL) |
Diamond Hall Red | |
| 2000 | Andrew Nicholson (NZL) |
Mr. Smiffy | |
| 2001 | Blyth Tait (NZL) |
Ready Teddy | |
| 2002 | William Fox-Pitt (GBR) |
Highland Lad | |
| 2003 | Pippa Funnell (GBR) |
Primmore's Pride | Won as the final leg on the way to winning the Eventing Grand Slam |
| 2004 | Andrew Hoy (AUS) |
Moon Fleet | |
| 2005 | William Fox-Pitt (GBR) |
Ballincoola | |
| 2006 | Lucinda Fredericks (AUS) |
Headley Britannia | |
| 2007 | William Fox-Pitt (GBR) |
Parkmore Ed | |
| 2008 | William Fox-Pitt (GBR) |
Tamarillo | |
| 2009 | Oliver Townend (GBR) |
Carousel Quest | |
| 2010 | Caroline Powell (NZL) |
Lenamore | |
| 2011 | William Fox-Pitt (GBR) |
Parklane Hawk | |
| 2012 | Andrew Nicholson (NZL) |
Avebury | |
| 2013 | Andrew Nicholson (NZL) |
Avebury | |
| 2014 | Andrew Nicholson (NZL) |
Avebury | |
| 2015 |  Michael Jung (GER) |
La Biosthetique-Sam FBW | Won as the first leg on the way to winning the Eventing Grand Slam |
| 2016 | Chris Burton (AUS) |
Nobilis 18 | |
| 2017 | Oliver Townend (GBR) |
Ballaghmor Class | |
| 2018 | Tim Price (NZL) |
Ringwood Sky Boy | |
| 2019 | Pippa Funnell (GBR) |
MGH Grafton Street | |
| 2020 | No event | Cancelled due to COVID-19 | |
| 2021 | No event | Cancelled due to COVID-19, replaced by Bicton Arena International 5* | |
| 2022 | Piggy March (GBR) |
Vanir Kamira | |
| 2023 | Oliver Townend (GBR) |
Ballaghmor Class |
