Andrew Nicholson: ‘Let’s have more vertical fences and fewer big, wide spreads’

The five-time Burghley winner and cross-country coach to the Swiss eventing team, Andrew Nicholson, analyses Burghley’s five-star course and shares which riders impressed him

When I walked the Defender Burghley Horse Trials cross-country course early on the Friday morning of the event, I thought it had a smoother feel to it than in 2022. It posed difficult questions, but riders could get into the swing of it a little earlier, which is a sign of designer Derek di Grazia knowing the place better second time around.

I was still fascinated by the way riders jump off the drop at the Holland Cooper Leaf Pit and are in a hurry to get their horse to the next element – the big brush oxer – forgetting they’ve got to line up the skinny third part. I know the drop and the ground encourages horses to run, but it is the rider’s job to say, no, wait a fraction longer here, and get their line right, rather than only thinking about getting over the oxer.

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Article written by: Andrew Nicholson