Getting Tiana Coudrays Defender Burghley partner DArtagnan up to the main arena today was no mean feat the 12-year-old grey, who has an incredible vigor for life, required a fly mask, two leaders on foot, and copious amounts of polo mints.We had a bit of a disaster getting up here yesterday, and I thought this is it, our weekends over, because you have to ride through the middle of the Leaf Pit and Discovery Valley to get here, said the US rider. Thats game over because hes like a spaniel on speed at that point. He was up the hill and into the warm-up at about 700 meters a minute.So, trying to get a dressage test out of him was not looking promising. I didnt have high hopes.For todays trip to the main arena, the horse wore a fly mask, with a person leading on either side, handing out a constant supply of polos.We were force-feeding polos. Every time hed start to look, give polos. I will try anything, she laughed. And actually, to be fair, it did work.If anything, he was maybe a little bit too quiet, which meant he missed some changes, which on another day he wouldnt have, but look, we will take it. He was obedient. He was listening.Lessons learned at BurghamTiana acquired DArtagnan, who is contesting his first five-star, when he was rising eight, and he has quickly climbed the ranks.He just gives you his entire heart and soul. If ever theres a problem, its because hes too enthusiastic, she said. Hes just a dream to train and theres no other horse Id want to be here with.Their preparation has not been completely straightforward, with a difficult run at Burgham a few weeks ago coupled with being named as reserves for the world championships.Burgham was a try-out-things-that-dont-work-in-all-three-phases, tick that box and move on, so weve moved on, explained Tiana.DArtagnan had been practising the dressage test for Aachen, where certain movements including flying changes on the short side were deliberately avoided.But at Burgham, those same changes were required.So he actually did a nice test there, but he completely cocked up both those changes because he was going, Im not allowed; Im not allowed to change, she explained.In the showjumping, Tiana opted to test herself against the clock, anticipating a tight time allowed at the worlds, and they had two fences down.Then came the cross-country.We were just not in the right headspace, and he went one way and I went the other, so all three phases tick tick tick, she said.Tiana added that she has no expectations for Burghley.I just hope to give him the best ride I can, and give him every opportunity to do his job,. Then itll be what itll be, she said.Lifes too shortGetting the horse here has been particularly meaningful for Tiana, who thought he might be sold. I was so lucky. Probably a year-and-a-half ago, there were some offers on him, and Annabelle [James], my groom, who owns him said, No, lifes too short. You need to have fun, and so she turned them down.Co-owner Kyrle Arscott subsequently became involved in the horse in the spring, helping to secure his future at Tianas Swindon yard.Im not saying that if big money came along we wouldnt consider it, but it secured the situation, which has been amazing, and its just been so fun to have her [Kyrle] along.Main image by Tim WilkinsonRelated contentWhy Will Colemans alpha female mare is wearing a nosenet for her five-star debutTeacher knows best!: Sam Watsons approach to riding a horse with oodles of energyHe was her favourite horse: Tim Price pilots Global Quest at Burghley in memory of Georgie CampbellHow to watch Defender Burghley Horse Trials this weekThe post Like a spaniel on speed: how polos saved the day for this excitable Burghley first-timer appeared first on Your Horse.

For the first time in history, a Swiss rider leads the way after the first phase of competition a the Defender Burghley Horse Trials. Nadja Minder, 26, and the evergreen Toblerone, who is 19, have put themselves firmly in the spotlight after completing a polished dressage test on Thursday and have maintained the lead ahead of tomorrows cross-country. For a horse who does not necessarily regard dressage as his favourite occupation, Toblerone produced exactly the performance his rider had been hoping for accurate, mistake-free and rewarded by the judges.Toblerone is a cool dude, said Nadja afterwards. Now hes the Burghley leader.Nadja explained that, much like Gemma Stevens Chilli Knight, who sits in second on 29.6, just 0.1 penalties behind the young Swiss, dressage does not come entirely naturally to Toblerone. But he was just so with me, so correct and didnt make any mistakes.For Nadja, this was precisely the sort of test riders dream of extracting from their event horses at the highest level: a clear, obedient performance in which the horse stays with his rider and delivers when it matters.It was the clear-round dressage performance were all trying to get out of our horses, she said. And to get rewarded like this is pretty cool.Toblerone is no stranger to the demands of the sport. He and Nadja were trailblazers for their team at last years Blenheim European Championships, producing an outstanding cross-country round on a course that was tough even by four-star long standards.Twelve months on, Nadja believes that experience can only help although she is keen to make sure tomorrows strategy is rather different from one of her previous visits to Burghley.His best phase is still coming tomorrow, so thats exciting.She admitted that she had been deliberately conservative around Burghley two years ago.I was very slow two years ago around here because I was quite scared to go out and try to be quick, she explained. So theres a different plan tomorrow Im going to try and put ourselves in a good position, but obviously stay safe, jump the jumps, and theres a lot to do, she said. But hes a cross-country machine, so Im definitely looking forward to it.At 19, there may not be many more major outings left for Toblerone, making this week particularly special.Hes a true family member, said Nadja. My whole family loves him. We have a yard at home and my parents look after him too hes my partner in crime.She credits him with teaching her a huge amount, particularly as they progressed through the levels.Hes very special and there were no shortcuts with him because he wouldnt allow it. He really communicates with you. You really feel like he could talk. He blinks, and sometimes, just with looks, he shows you exactly what he wants.Gemma Stevens: Im genuinely in shock Gemma Stevens will head out on cross-country remaining in second after their Thursday dressage performance, a position she admits she scarcely expected.Im genuinely in shock, actually, she said. Really in shock.Her delight was largely for her mount, the 16-year-old Chilli Knight, who she feels has finally received the recognition his consistency deserves.I feel really happy that weve been or actually, the horse has been rewarded for being such a good boy, she said. Hes always such a good boy, and he always tries really hard.The pair have often found themselves frustratingly close to the top without quite receiving the marks to match their performance.Its always been so hard to get any marks out of the judges, Gemma explained. Weve always been just outside the top 10 after the dressage.This time, however, everything came together.Yesterday I felt like his good training and his good brain were rewarded, she said. Gemma will be out relatively early on cross-country, continuing a theme that has followed her throughout the season.To be honest with you, me and him just need to go and do our thing, she said. Its Burghley, its tough, the terrain is tough, and theres questions all the way to the end.Us as riders have got to ride with our brains and ride in a good balance and look after our horses, she said, and try and be as fast and clear as we can.Tim Price: precision will be key for Falco New Zealands Tim Price and Falco were the only new addition to the top three after todays dressage. They sit on a score of 30.5, despite a couple of mistakes. Falco is the only horse competing at Burghley this weekend having completed the eventing World Championships at Aachen almost three weeks ago, where they finished 21st individually following a disappointing first phase score. He was basically unrideable in Aachen, Tim said. He was so fresh in the dressage, and I pledged to not make that mistake again.This time, some additional work over cross-country fences yesterday helped take the edge off.He was very rideable today, Tim said. So therefore, it was just down to me to do as good a job as possible.He felt he could have produced a cleaner performance, particularly in the flying-changes, but added: Other than that, he was really good. Hes a lovely, lovely horse and I enjoyed riding him.Tomorrow represents something of an unknown for Falco. Although Tim has won Burghley before, this is Falcos first appearance at the event.I dont really know the answer, he admitted when asked how the course would suit him. But I do believe in him a lot.Now the key is giving Falco a course on which he can feel confident enough to show his considerable jumping ability, as he is widely considered a good enough showjumper to take this up professionally.Hes such a deliberate show-off with his jump, Tim said. He loves to jump well.The going, therefore, could be crucial.If I did something that took away his ability to jump well, I think you could see an unraveling, he explained.I want to go out of the start box and have him having fun. Just 10 penalties cover the top 37 combinations, so it really will be all to play for tomorrow. The cross-country gets underway at 11.30am. Images by Tim WilkinsonRelated contentWhy Will Colemans alpha female mare is wearing a nosenet for her five-star debutI am old!: 52-year-old rider fulfils five-star ambition at Burghley Im fortunate he stayed: one horse and riders journey to their first BurghleyTeacher knows best!: Sam Watsons approach to riding a horse with oodles of energyHe was her favourite horse: Tim Price pilots Global Quest at Burghley in memory of Georgie CampbellHow to watch this weeks Defender BurghleyThe post Hes a cool dude now hes leading Burghley: action-packed first phase results in some surprises appeared first on Your Horse.

The 2026 Midwest Indoors Series will bring back some of World Equestrian Center Wilmingtons (WEC) favorite events, along with new opportunities for exhibitors and guests to gather and enjoy the community. From social evenings at the Paddock Club to fun activities and exciting events throughout the series, there will be plenty of ways to celebrate with friends, family and dogs!Source

A nosenet might not be the first thing you expect to see in a five-star dressage test, but Will Coleman had good reason for fitting one to his Defender Burghley ride, Very Dignified, today (4 September).She has some allergenic symptoms; she suffered from IAD [Inflammatory Airway Disease] pretty bad when we got her back to the States for the first time, explained Will. Ive only just started experimenting. She can be a snorter, like she will be clearing her airway a lot when I ride her. Some of that is maybe nerves, but she has a very sensitive nasal passage.Will recently started riding in a nosenet to ease the 11-year-old mares symptoms.Weve really only been using it for a few weeks, but I do think it helped her. She isnt snorting as much, and she seems to be more settled in it. It might [stop] some things from getting in her nose and keep her from being so fixated on that.Shes an alpha femaleWill was asked why he brought the mare to Burghley which is commonly referred to as the toughest five-star cross-country track in the world for her debut at this level.I thought about submitting myself for a psychiatric evaluation upon arriving here, he joked. Shes 11 years old, and we felt like shes ready to contest one. This season it was either Burghley or Pau, and I think in some ways Burghley will suit her better.Shes an aggressive fighter mentality; an alpha female. She has a lot of spirit and a lot of blood in the way that she goes cross-country, and Im hoping that she brings that to the course tomorrow. Shes going to have to. Its a big track and 11 minutes 20 seconds around the toughest terrain in the world.Wills priority is to give the mare a positive experience.Its my job to sort of look after her out there tomorrow and make sure that she leaves a better horse than she arrived. Thats maybe not so result-driven, but I want to give her the best ride I can and see how she copes. Well learn a lot about each other.A special placeWill also made his five-star debut at Burghley.It was a long time ago I was 20 and had no idea what to expect. I came here and fell in love with eventing because of this place.Its the crown jewel of our sport. It represents all the things that makes eventing so special. Its always a privilege to come and ride here.Difficult preparationThe mares preparation has been less than straightforward, with Will spending much of the summer focused on his World Championship campaign with Diabolo, with whom he finished fourth individually and helped the USA to team bronze at Aachen last month.Its been less than ideal, he admitted.Wills wife and team members including Morgan Booth and Meg Pellegrini kept the horses in work at home while he was away in Germany for 10 days.[Very Dignified] was on that list for the worlds, so she was kind of going through all the same sort of galloping and training that my other two horses were going through.In some ways, I think [being away] was maybe a good thing, a chance to take a breath and relax, and settle her brain before she made the trip over here.I dont know how the preparation is going to turn out, were going to find out at the end of the weekend, but shes in good condition, and shes as ready as I could make her. Sometimes that just has to be good enough. We have to see how it works out.Images by Tim WilkinsonRelated contentI am old!: 52-year-old rider fulfils five-star ambition at BurghleyTeacher knows best!: Sam Watsons approach to riding a horse with oodles of energyHe was her favourite horse: Tim Price pilots Global Quest at Burghley in memory of Georgie CampbellHow to watch this weeks Defender BurghleyThe post Why Will Colemans alpha female mare is wearing a nosenet for her five-star debut appeared first on Your Horse.

I am old! exclaimed Defender Burghley first-timer Anthony Clark after his dressage test aboard Ballinaguikey Fortunus today (4 September).At 52, this is a milestone moment in his lengthy riding career. He has produced and sold 11 horses that have gone on to compete at the very top level, including the Olympics, but this is the first time he has ridden at five-star himself.Ive done loads of four stars, but never gone five-star because Ive sold the horses to pay my mortgage and pay my bills, said Anthony. But hes one thats just managed to stay with me, and I feel privileged to have him in my yard.Fortune first arrived at Anthonys yard aged nine, with the intention of producing and selling him on.A great friend of mine bought him from Vere Phillips, and she had a life change and had to sell the horse, so he came to me to be sold and I really liked him.He was only jumping 80cm, but I liked his cheeky nature, so I got a group of friends to buy him and we produced him up to three-star. Then he was worth quite a lot of money and a lady was going to buy him, but she was put off because hes got a slight arthritic change in the knee.In the end, I said Ill run him as mine. In two years hes been clear around all his four-stars, and just made things quite easy. I always said hed be a five-star horse and Im very old, so I thought nows my chance to maybe try it.A five-star that almost didnt happenAnthony has represented Great Britain twice at the FEI Jumping European Championship for Veterans for riders aged over 45 winning bronze on both occasions with another horse.Hed [Fortune] probably be quite good at that because hes very careful, but his job is this at the moment, said Anthony.Burghley is famed for being a particularly tough five-star, and it wasnt originally the plan for Anthony to make his five-star debut here.He entered Fortune for Pau last year, but a boot rub that required antibiotics ruled them out. Badminton in the spring was next on the list, only for the horse to develop cellulitis three weeks before the event.I was showjumping in Belgium four weeks ago, and I spoke to my vet and I said, What do you think? Do you think hes ready to go? And she said, Suck it up and see. Just enter him and see how he is. So we entered him, and look, by chance, Im here now.Its probably the hardest five-star. I think the terrain makes it really hard, added Anthony, who has sought advice from Caroline Powell and Louise Bell.Hes a really good jumper, so if it doesnt pan out, Ill just have to pull up, go home, and then rethink things. I only live in Cambridge, so its not very far. At least I havent travelled a million miles to get here.The one who stayedAmong the horses Anthony has sourced and produced are Jolly Bo, who competed at the 2018 World Equestrian Games with Canadian rider Hawley Bennett-Awad, and Figaro Van Het Broekxhof, who won the Lycetts Grantham Cup at Belton in March 2019.It takes me a lot of pride, you know, because I sourced them, I bought them on, I loved them, said Anthony.It was never that I didnt want to do a five-star myself, I just needed to buy horses to sell on to pay bills because it costs money to keep afloat, doesnt it? Life gets in the way.Ive got some lovely horses at home. Its just a stock production line I like buying horses. Ive got 40!Image by Tim WilkinsonRelated contentTeacher knows best!: Sam Watsons approach to riding a horse with oodles of energyChronic bucker once facing a bullet takes on Burghley with Aussie first timerHe was her favourite horse: Tim Price pilots Global Quest at Burghley in memory of Georgie CampbellHow to watch this weeks Defender BurghleyThe post I am old!: 52-year-old rider fulfils five-star ambition at Burghley appeared first on Your Horse.