United States Eventing Association

The 2009 Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials kicks off today with the first horse inspection… here are a list of fun links & tidbits so you can follow along with all the American riders! With eight U.S. riders and two Canadians set to compete at one of the world’s most renowned four-star events, you don’t want to miss a second of the action…

(Left: William Fox-Pitt took first and second last year aboard Tamarillo, pictured, and Ballincoola. Could he pull off a one-two finish with Macchiato and Seacookie this year? Not if the Americans have anything to say about it! Photo: StockImageServices.com)

List of Entertaining Links:

The Official Burghley Horse Trials website (click on the course walk! It’s fantastic… plus, it’s fun to hear William Fox-Pitt’s wife, who usually does the radio commentary, share her thoughts with course designer Capt. Mark Phillips)

Complete Entry List (minus three U.S. riders who scratched but will surely be there in spirit, including poor Jan Byyny who broke her foot a few weeks ago)

Allison Springer’s Blog (Allison shares the ups, downs, and all the excitement of competing at the event with her talented Irish Sport Horse gelding Arthur. The photos and commentary are entertaining, and you can sense her own growing anticipation of the event. Also, be sure to dig back through the previous month’s entries…lots of insight into her competitions and views on the sport. One of my favorite eventer blogs!)

Tom Holder’s Blog (Becky Holder’s husband, Tom, will be posting his colorful commentary on Courageous Comet’s big trip ‘cross the pond… unsurprisingly, he’s noted that the weather is “very British”…which I assume is wet, chilly, and windy!)

Jan Byyny’s Blog (Poor Jan Byyny was all set to compete at Burghley this year with the athletic Syd Kent, but sadly she suffered a fall while training with Phillip Dutton and a broken foot left her sidelined. Jan’s blog tops my list of insightful readings – she shares her rollercoaster ride and takes everything in stride, all the while trying to stay positive and be a good role model to her many students and fans. Read this blog, and you’ll see why horses keep us so humble… there’s never a dull moment!)

Max Corcoran’s Blog (Max Corcoran, Karen O’Connor’s highly-travelled and multi-talented groom, has helped the O’Connor Team with their fair share of international competitions. Max’s witty, and often entertaining blog shares a lot of the coveted behind-the-scenes scoop that we all enjoy!)

Stephanie James’ Blog (Stephanie grooms for Canadian eventer Jessica Hampf who is competing at Blenheim, but keeps us filled in on how the Canadians are doing. Also, does anyone know where the Blenheim entry list is posted? Cannot find it on their website, unfortunately…)

Robby Johnson’s Blog (Experience the sights, sounds, tastes, and of course shopping pleasures as writer and eventer Robby Johnson shares his Burghley experience.)

Director’s Blog (Ever wondered what it’s like trying to organizer a four-star event? Burghley Director, Elizabeth Inman, gives us the inside scoop… this one’s a must-read! “Everything is in full swing here now. We still have 87 horses left in the competition. The French arrived over the weekend, but now the others are trickling in. All the flags have been put up and it has a real international feel — we have 10 nations represented.” Ah, the excitement is bubbling!)