Competing at the prestigious Burghley Horse Trials is a huge undertaking for any rider.

For Chippenham-based Harry Meade, the task is even tougher with five horses prepared for competition rather than just one.

The 41-year-old, who runs a stables in West Littleton with wife Rosie, has had a storied eventing career and first competed at Burghley 19 years ago.

“It’s obviously quite full-on preparing this number of horses for such a big event. Each has a bespoke training and competition programme, but they’ve been on great form and I’m really happy with the prep leading up to Burghley,” he said.

“This is probably the culmination of twenty years [of] work, to find and produce horses, a lot from three, four, five year-olds, to then be in a position to get a strong hand [at events like this]. It’s really rewarding but it’s been a fairly full-on summer for the whole of our team.”

The maximum number of horses an eventer can ride at Burghley is three, which Meade has done before – but it’s a rare feat.

There is stiff competition between each of his five horses entered: Superstition was fifth at the Kentucky five-star event in 2021, Annaghmore Valoner won at Bramham this spring, while Cavalier Crystal was third at Burghley last year. Away Cruising and Et Hop du Matz complete the quintet of Meade’s horses that may get a run-out on the famous course this week.

But rather than aiming for specific results, Meade said his primary goal was “to get the best performance out of each horse I can, just try and focus on the horses and help each one of them realise their potential.”

Meade first competed at Burghley in 2005 and always considers it one of the highlights of the year.

“My first impression was arriving and feeling like the entire event and estate and everything had been waiting for this one week, and it felt so special,” he said.

“The welcome from everybody was so friendly, it’s a very happy event and I’ve always really enjoyed Burghley and looked forward to it.

“It’s obviously right up there as one of the biggest cross-country courses in the world on one of the biggest stages. But also there’s a really positive vibe that I really enjoy every year and can’t wait to count down the weeks until the next Burghley.”

Meade, who is the son of multiple Olympic eventing gold medallist Richard Meade, was riding as soon as he could walk and has passed that love for horses down to his two children.

Lily, 12, and Charlie, 10, have both even been given permission to come out of school to watch their dad compete at Burghley. 

“That’s part of what is so exciting about the big events,” Meade said. “It’s the sense of history and being in awe of the annals of the sport and the event, and hoping to be able to in some way, however big or small, write your own name into that wonderful story that is Burghley Horse Trials.”

Defender Burghley Horse Trials (5-8 September 2024) 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