The 2025 Defender Burghley Horse Trials will mark a five-star debut for both Tom Strawson and his horse, Public Address.
The 37-year-old rider, who is based in north-east Lincolnshire, has enjoyed a life immersed in horses since day one – his father rode at Bramham and they are a keen hunting family. His family also have links with Burghley in the form of Tom’s aunt, Ginny Rose, who competed here in the 80s and early 90s, finishing fourth one year.
Public Address, or Brian as he is known at home, wasn’t originally destined for five-star eventing. Bred in the purple for racing, by top National Hunt sire Milan, it would be fair to assume that his original connections had high hopes for him on the racecourse. But it wasn’t to be – he ran a couple of times as a five-year-old in Ireland, beaten into fourth by 29 lengths first time out and then pulled up on his second attempt.
“A friend of mine then told me he had a cheap thoroughbred that could jump, and he sent me the video. That was enough for me to get on the plane and go and see him,” explains Tom, who only competes Brian and another horse, The Fieldmaster, alongside working full-time running a property business. He has also just started farming.
“Brian is a jumper with a very good action with his forearm and he has a very chilled temperament, but he doesn’t have a lot going for him after that,” laughs Tom, who paid less than £2,000 for the horse.
“He’s too small, doesn’t have much bone and isn’t typically my type of horse in the sense he needs a slightly better shaped front limb, is a bit long in the back, and is a bit herring gutted, but I thought, well, you’re cheap enough and you can jump, so I bought him.”
Tom says that he he had “no idea” Brian would make it as far as five-star level.
“Because I’ve never done it, so it was just a case of asking him a few questions and then he’d answer and we’d progress – and that’s why we’re here.”
Tom started out in Pony Club and then evented ponies.
“But they didn’t get very far, so I started pointing because it was easier, and I managed to eventually get going and get a few outside rides, and absolutely loved it – I was hooked on it,” explains Tom, who was Midlands Area champion jockey on two occasions.
He rode 47 winners between the Flags from 294 rides, and also three further winners from 12 Hunter Chase runners.
He said: “I’d probably still be doing that now if I wasn’t the size I am, but my natural weight kept increasing, as it does with age, and it just wasn’t particularly fun, so decided it was probably in my best interests to give up.
“But I’m quite competitive and got a bit bored, so I started buying and selling a few horses and then this horse came along. I bought him to sell, but he has a few issues and I struggled to sell him, so I thought I’d take him eventing and he progressed quite quickly and fortunately he’s quite talented.”
Tom Strawson and Public Address get off to a good start at Burghley
Tom and Brian have clocked some good results this year, finishing sixth in the CCI4*-L at Ballindenisk and seventh in the CCI4*-S at Thoresby Park, but their first phase performances have often scored in the 40s, so they can be proud of their score of 39.8 in the dressage at Burghley today (4 September).
“It was pretty nerve-wracking, as that’s the most difficult phase for us both,” states Tom. “Amy Woodhead has been fundamental in improving our dressage and my Great Aunty Pauline has also helped me, alongside Aunty Ginny.”
He also has help from 2024 Burghley champion, Ros Canter.
“I’m very lucky as Ros is four miles down the road from me,” says Tom. “I took Brian for his last cross-country school in preparation for Burghley last week and she had set up some lines and was jumping them on Lordships Graffalo and so I thought if my horse could jump through them, then we’ll be ok!”
In terms of thinking ahead to Saturday’s cross-country, Tom Strawson says it is “going to be a real stamina test”.
“But we’ll see – we’re going to hunt round and just see how we go.”
To stay up-to-date with all the breaking news throughout Burghley and other major shows this year, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website, from £1 a week. Horse & Hound’s 20-page magazine report on Burghley is published in 11 September issue, including full analysis and exclusive comment from six-time Burghley winner William Fox-Pitt.
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