Defending champion Ros Canter and current world number one Harry Meade are among the entries for next months Defender BurghleyHorse Trials (4-7 September).Ros, who recently announced that she is expecting her second child, is entered with her 2024Burghleychampion and Paris Olympics team gold-winning ride Lordships Graffalo.The Lincolnshire pair produced the best-ever finishing score (26.6) inBurghleys history last autumn and took their second Mars Badminton title in May, making them clear favourites for back-to-backBurghleyvictories.Harry is hunting the first CCI5* victory of his career and has Annaghmore Valoner, Cavalier Crystal and Et Hop Du Matz entered this time.Five-star winners in the huntThere are seven CCI5*-winning riders entered.Piggy Marchwill be back atBurghleyfor the first time since her 2022 success, this time with new ride MCS Maverick.Fellow Brit and back-to-back Olympic team gold medallist Laura Collettwill partner Bling.New Zealand also boast two top-level winners in Tim Price andCaroline Powell, the 2011 Burghley winner, who bringsHigh Time V.This will be a 20th Burghley start for Tim, who took the title in 2018, and he will ride Vitali.IrelandsAustin OConnor is entered aboard his 2023 Maryland CCI5* hero Colorado Blue, while SwitzerlandsFelix Voggwill pilot Cartania.The latter triumphed at the Luhmuhlen CCI5* in Germany three years ago, making himthe first Swiss rider to win at the level since Hans Schwarzenbachs Badminton successin 1951.First-timersFourteen riders will be making theirBurghleydebuts.Among them are the newly crowned British Open ChampionsKatie Mageeand Treworra.Katie fulfilled a lifetime ambition when piloting this horse into 11th place at Badminton earlier this year, a feat that earned her the accolade of highest placed first timer.GermanysChristoph Wahler, who was part of Germans gold medal-winning team at the 2022 World Championships, will be competing here for the first time.He will ride DAccord FRH, on whom he was seventh at Badminton this year, and is the first German to compete atBurghleysince Michael Jung in 2018.Irelands Lucy Lattais entered aboard her Badminton 2024 runner-up RCA Patron Saint.Ones to watchOther riders to watch include young British ridersEmily King(riding Valmy Biats) andBubby Upton,who will pilot Magic Roundabout IV.This years entry list is the second-highest rated field in the past 10 years, according to Irish statistics company EquiRatings.Im delighted that once again we have great entries for DefenderBurghley, said event director Martyn Johnson.While there are some clear favourites, I think it is an open field featuring some superb cross-country horses, and Im looking forward to seeing them in the spectacular setting ofBurghleyPark in three weeks time.DefenderBurghleyentries close today, Friday, 15 August, and the draw for the running order will take place early next week.View the full entry list.Find out more about Burghley and book tickets.Main image of the 2024Burghleytop three: Tim Price (left), Ros Canter and Harry Meade. Credit: DBHT/Peter NixonRelated contentWin tickets to Defender Burghley, plus a Champion helmet and body protectorHarry Meade becomes FEI world number one for the first timeHow to watch Defender BurghleyThe post Strong entry field for Defender Burghley led by the reigning champion and current world number one appeared first on Your Horse.