Holly Richardson misses out on Defender Burghley podium with five fences down in the showjumping
Holly Richardson was left to rue her mistakes after dropping out of podium position on the final day of the 2026 Defender Burghley Horse Trials.
The 32-year-old from Richmond in North Yorkshire was sat in third position coming into the final phase of competition following a clear cross-country performance that saw her as one of only two riders to make the expected time of the course.
But with five fences down in the showjumping alongside 11-year-old gelding Ballyneety Silver Service, it meant that the duo slipped down the rankings to 15th overall with a score of 59.1. Despite the disappointment of missing out on a possible first 5* podium, Richardson was still in high spirits with her horse’s performance over what is a difficult three-day event.
“I am a little bit disappointed, but it’s not as easy as it feels,” she said. “It is not really the end result we would hope for, but equally we understand that that can happen with these horses. He was absolutely amazing yesterday; I just can’t take that away from him and he will get better in this phase.”
Richardson was the only rider on the final day of competition to run two horses, with 16-year-old gelding Bally Louis also in contention. They finished 25th overall on a score of 107.9, with a tough cross-country phase letting them down.
But with zero jump faults and only 1.2 time faults in the showjumping it showed that together, Richardson has two strong jumping horses and will just need to learn from each to form her dream 5* horse.
She said: “My other horse, who is a jumping and galloping horse and quite similar, he’s got better and better as he’s got older, and then he jumped away this morning. He will get there we just have to keep going.”
The Defender Burghley Horse Trials attracts fantastic crowds to witness exhilarating equestrian action as the world’s best eventers compete in a comprehensive test of the all-round ability of the horse and rider, comprising Dressage, Cross-Country and Jumping. It is regarded as the world’s greatest 5* equestrian event.
This year’s three-day event saw a brilliant outing for all involved, with Britain’s Gemma Stevens taking the title to make it six British winners in a row.
Defender Burghley Horse Trials (3-6 September 2026) has been a major international sporting and social event for over 50 years. It attracts the world’s top equestrians and is attended by vast and enthusiastic crowds. For more information visit www.burghley-horse.co.uk