Robyn Gray riding Trebor, winner of the 4 year old Burghley Young Event Horse Championship.

© Burghley Horse Trials/Nixonphoto

By Equestrian Life

While the focus was on the experienced combinations in the four star showdown at Burghley, the up-and-coming stars of the future were also in action in the Burghley Young Event Horse competition.

This year’s event differed from previous years in that a judge - former Olympian Ian Stark - rode the top four horses to determine the final placings.

Horses were scored across five areas prior to ride judge scores: dressage (30 points), showjumping (40 points), conformation (12 points), quality (8 points) and suitability and potential (10 points). The top four after these 5 phases were ridden by Ian, who awarded each a further mark out of 8 points.

In the four-year-old event, Trebor and Robin Gray impressed throughout to take home the top prize, while For Certain and John-Paul Sheffield won the five-year-old event. For Certain was Ian’s pick of the top four and he awarded the horse 7.5 points.

Trebor, who is by German-bred stallion Mighty Magic out of a mare by Sweetwater Opposition, gained high jumping, conformation and type marks - while also impressing Ian with a score of 7 out of 8. Acquired by British based Dutch Olympic rider Andrew Heffernan, Robyn Gray qualified and rode the horse in the event. Andrew plans to ride the horse in the future, and hopes he will be his next four star champion.

John-Paul Sheffield riding For Certain, winner of the 5 year old Burghley Young Event Horse Championship.

© Burghley Horse Trials/Nixonphoto

For Certain was strong through the first few stages of the five-year-old competition, progressing to the final ten in second place. A strong gallop saw him top the leaderboard, before Ian cemented his place as the winner after the ride phase with a near-perfect score.

No doubt we will hear of these future stars in years to come!

Read the latest news.