Laura Collett is eagerly anticipating the chance to make a significant impact at this year’s Defender Burghley Horse Trials, held from 3 to 6 September in Lincolnshire.
The two-time Olympic gold medallist will return to the event with her 13-year-old mare, Bling, following their impressive debut at the five-star competition twelve months ago, where they finished in 10th place.
Fresh from securing team eventing gold and individual eventing bronze at the recent FEI World Championships, Collett, who is originally from Cheltenham, is setting her sights on further success on home soil.
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“I’m really excited to return now that I know I’ve got a proper Burghley horse,” Collett said. “I always believed she was capable, but last year she gave me a brilliant ride, so we can build on that.”
Bling’s first run at Burghley presented a challenging and new experience, but she performed admirably on eventing’s most demanding stage. Following a solid 14th-place finish at Badminton earlier this year, Collett remains optimistic about their prospects this year.
“You never quite know if you have a true Burghley horse until you’ve been there once,” she explained. “She was very inexperienced last year but went superbly and then had a brilliant ride at Badminton.”
With experience now under her belt, Collett feels a higher placing than 10th is achievable, though she acknowledges that improvement is still needed in some areas.
“We’ve set realistic ambitions,” Collett added. “She’s not a dressage specialist, so we’ll have to claw back time there. But if the cross-country course is tough and the time tight, hopefully she can move up the leaderboard. At this stage, a top-five finish is a realistic goal.”
Having walked the course several times, Collett highlights the unique nature of Burghley as a true test of horse and rider.
“It’s the cross-country demands that really set Burghley apart, especially the terrain and the use of the hills,” she said. “There’s really no other event like it.”
While aiming for a top-five finish in the immediate term, Collett has even bigger ambitions for the future.
“Winning would be the dream,” she said. “It’s a tough ask but not impossible. Bling is still improving and not the finished article yet. Hopefully, in a few years’ time, that could be a realistic aim.”
The Defender Burghley Horse Trials have been a major international sporting and social event for more than 50 years, drawing the world’s top equestrians alongside large and enthusiastic crowds.