Land Rover Burghley- Abi Boulton

The annual Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials being this week featuring John Partridge's very own correspondent, Abi Boulton. 

Abi joins a long list of prestigious people who have competed at the event, including Olympic medalist Pippa Funnell, Captain Mark Phillips and daughter Zara Phillips. 

The equestrian event, which takes place from today until this Sunday 6th September is a well regarded event, which started by accident in 1961. When the Marquess of Exeter heard that the three-day horsing event at Harewood had been cancelled due to a suspected breakout of Foot and Mouth disease, he invited all of the guests to his estate, where they held a similar event. It has been running ever since.

The event consists of three different aspects:

Dressage, which tests the basic training of the horse.
Cross Country, which takes the riders around the vast estate. The course this year has been re-designed by Captain Mark Phillips.
Show Jumping, which consists of between fourteen and sixteen different styles of fences.

We here at John Partridge wish Abi and her horse Tic Toc the best of luck this weekend!

Image credit (top- bottom, left- right):
blenheimhorse.co.uk, Tim Wilkinson, Tim Wilkinson, burghley-horse.co.uk, TB Photographic, TB Photographic