Walk the 2016 Burghley cross-country course

This year’s Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials (1-4 September) promises to be as challenging as ever for competitors.

Designed by Captain Mark Phillips and built by Philip Herbert and his team, the provisional total length of the course is 6,400m with a provisional optimum time of 11 minutes 15 secs.

We take a look at what the course has in store for the horses and riders who will tackle it on Saturday 3 September.

Fence 1: Olympic Legacy

Fence 2: Lambert’s Sofa

Fence 3: Garden Table

Fence 4ab: Lion Bridge

View over 4a

Fence 4b (jumped coming towards the camera)

Fence 5abc: Anniversary Splash

Fence 5b

Fence 5c

Fence 6abc: Lakeside Hedges — riders have the option of a step up bounce on the right to another hedge on one stride, or a double of angled hedges on one stride (billed as the faster route) on the left

Fence 7: Collyweston Slate Mine

Fence 7: side view

Fence 8 and 9: Capability’s Cutting

Fence 10: Rolex Grand Slam Vault

Fence 11: Winners’ Avenue Wood Pile

Fence 12 and 13: Cottesmore Leap

Side view of 12 with 13 in the background

Alternative 12

Fence 13 (alternative coming towards camera)

Fence 14abc: Land Rover Dairy Farm

View from fence 14a to 14b (on the right) on the fast route

View from fence 14b to 14c

Fence 14c

Alternative 14a

Alternative 14b (on the left)

Alternative 14c

Fence 15abc: Rolex Combination — direct 15ab with c in the background

Alternative 15ab

There are two alternative fence 15c corners

Fence 16: Maltings Village Green

Fence 17ab: Malting’s Village Green

Alternative 17a

View from alternative 17a to 17b

Fence 18: Malting’s Village Green

Side view of fence 18

Fence 19: Captain’s Log

Fence 20 and 21abcd: Land Rover Trout Hatchery (fast route)

Fence 20 and 21abcd: Land Rover Trout Hatchery (long route)

21b alternative is the step up around where the Land Rover banner is sited

Fence 22: Herbert’s Hollow

Alternative fence 22

Fence 23: Thomson’s Wall

Fence 24abc: Discovery Valley

Fence 25: Cross Rails

Fence 26ab: FEI Classics Leaf Pit

Alternative 26b

Fence 27ab: Discovery Valley

Fence 28 and 29: Return From Rio

Fence 30: Picnic Table

Fence 31: Land Rover Finale

You can keep up-to-date with all the action from Burghley with H&H Live every day this week on horseandhound.co.uk.

Don’t miss H&H’s Burghley preview, including a

full form guide and a scorecard to fill in for every rider, on sale now (Thursday 25 August), and you can read the full report in next week’s magazine (Thursday 8 September).

Gemma Redrup

Former H&H features, racing and point-to-point editor

Gemma is an experienced journalist, who was a member of H&H staff from 2014 to September 2025. She is passionate about all equestrian sports, including racing and point-to-pointing. She has enjoyed riding out for top trainers Nicky Henderson and Charlie Appleby and took part in a charity Flat race at Epsom in August 2018. Gemma’s has reported from numerous five-star events around Britain and Europe, as well as European championships.