Heath hoping to channel home comforts at Defender Burghley

Heath, 43, first participated at the prestigious event in Lincolnshire in 2013 on board The Lion who served him faithfully through his first six visits and helped him to his best finish to date – 22nd in both 2014 and 2019.

For the previous three years, Heath rode Askari at Burghley (plus Golden Recipe in 2024) but between September 3-6 he will be on board Benedict Radau.

For the 14-year-old gelding, this will be just his second 5* event, having made his debut at that level under Heath at Pau in October last year.

Heath said: “He’s a very big horse – when you see him at the trot-up, he won’t be your standard 5* shape. He’s just a little bit larger than the majority of the horses.

“We would have liked to have gone to Burghley last year, but unfortunately it didn’t quite work out because we had to get quite a lot of qualifications on him and he pulled a muscle up in his neck, running into his shoulder, at Bramham.

“So, we re-routed him and went to Pau last year and he ran a very good cross-country there.

“He’s had good preparation for Burghley, although Burghley is another step up in gear.

“He’s a very kind horse, he tries very hard and the whole year has been geared towards getting him in as good a shape as we could get him in, getting him ready for this competition.”

Cross-country has been Benedict Radau’s strength during competitions as he’s produced several clear rounds during the year, including the 4* events at Burnham Market, Bramham and Burgham.

It is that element of Burghley that Heath most looks forward to, saying: “Cross-country is my thing, it’s what I love.

“Mind you, if you asked me at 11 o’clock in the morning, when we’re all in the marquee watching the first few go round or just waiting to go, you might find I don’t necessarily say that!

“But certainly the cross-country at Burghley is what I most look forward to – I was a huge fan of what Mark Phillips used to go at Burghley and Derek Di Grazia has put a slightly different twist on it.

“It will be interesting to see how the course looks this year.”

Defender Burghley Horse Trials (3-6 September 2025) 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