Each day begins at 9.00 am and brings international dressage, show jumping and cross country and on Sunday 23rd, there are the juniors, pony club team show jumping and ponies (UK) Burghley Event Pony qualifier. There are acres of countryside in which to walk and picnic, plenty of car parking and well behaved dogs on leads are most welcome.
Entry Fee for spectators is £10 per car (as many as you can squeeze in!)
and includes a free programme
Phoebus means 'shining-one' in Latin and so it was that the horse, and rider Laurence Hunt, dazzled amongst the fifty strong field to win the hotly contested CIC** this year. Laurence, who had a crashing fall in 2007 and broke just about every bone in his right foot, has had a long road to recovery but was in good health and horse and rider went out and attacked Philip Herbert's bold cross-country course.
Clerk of the Course at the world famous Burghley International Horse Trials and one of the best craftsmen of the sport, Philip introduced a new loop to the Brigstock CIC** track this year which he routed through the main arena and in front of the sponsors' marquees. Fences 5 and 6 known as Quantum Leap and Nessies Leap, both into water, were very tough tests and caused a number of run outs but Laurence Hunt and Phoebus jumped brilliantly into the water. Laurence's weekend however didn't end with winning the CIC** - he also won a novice section on Widebay Blush. "This event is beautifully run" he said. "the ground is old turf so it was superb"
Coming up from the ranks into second was Izzy Taylor on Briarlands Matilda which was one of three horses she had competing. Had it not been for the three poles that Briarlands Blackberry rolled in the show jumping, the duo would have finished much higher up in the leaderboard instead of just inside the top twenty.
British Eventing Team Bronze medallist Kristina Cook on Miners Frolic cruised over the poles in the show jumping and followed this with an effortless cross-country clear for just two time penalties. They led the advanced intermediate from start to finish.
"It's a good galloping course here with strong timber" Tina said. "They did the best job with the ground which they aerated. It walked firm underfoot but rode well" She added that "Brigstock used to be part of everyone's spring campaign in the old days and I came here last year with a less experienced horse and thought that it was a good strong course.". Of the cross country she said "The water was quite stiff but most fences were hunting-type questions that required determined riding and a proper 'coffin canter' in places which was a breath of fresh air"
Jo Chipperfield took the honours in the open intermediate on Juila Fonnereau and On Your Marks. Richard Jones won the Intermediate Section N on Highland Ford and Sarah Bullimore clinched Intermediate Section P on My Last One.
Brigstock 2009 saw an 850-strong entry from an amazing sixteen countries, including Russia, South Africa, India, Norway and Poland.
Event joint-organiser David Laing said: "We had some great sponsors and fantastic riders in all classes. Being able to see our Olympians up close and personal was also a great honour. Our thanks go to everyone who made the event such a success, including the huge number of volunteers - over 300 - who all gave their time so willingly. Hopefully the word will get round and everyone will want to come back next year"
