Burghley through the decades

While the finishing touches are being applied to the 2019 Land Rover Burghley showground, Kate Green takes a look back through the decades at the event's rich history.

50 years ago

Gill Watson, who is now best known as the highly successful trainer of Britain’s Young Rider teams for many years, was herself in the limelight in 1969, towards the end of Burghley’s first decade as the sport of eventing was continuing to expand and become more competitive.

Gill was training to be a PE teacher and had only the one main horse, Shaitan, an Arab-hunter cross that she broke in herself. In 1968, the pair were sixth at their first attempt at Burghley and, when Sheila Willcox controversially declined her place as travelling reserve to the Mexico Olympics, Gill and Shaitan went instead.

Their Burghley the following year had been preceded by an unsuccessful trip to Punchestown, so expectations were not high, but such was the influence of the cross-country that Shaitan’s speed propelled her from third after dressage into a commanding lead with four show jumps in hand over Mike Tucker, who finished runner-up on Skyborn.

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