Burghley Horse Trials Limited

Name

Burghley Horse Trials Limited

Legal name

Burghley Horse Trials Limited

Website

https://burghley-horse.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1961

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Equestrian Event Management

NAICS

Racetracks (711212)

SIC

Services-Racing, Including Track Operation (7948), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Equestrian & Rodeo Facilities (MPAKAEAM)

Keywords

• Equestrian event management
• Horse trials competition
• Event ticketing services
• Corporate hospitality events
• Live sporting events

Headquarters

HQ city

Stamford

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Primary revenue stream from admission tickets sold across multiple categories: single day tickets (Thursday-Sunday), Season/Membership passes, Grandstand seating, and add-on experiences. Direct online sales via owned box office platform.
2. Sponsorship: Title sponsorship (Defender), Event Partners, and Supporting Sponsors. Sponsorship packages include Cross Country Fence Sponsorship, advertising throughout showground, social media promotion, website advertising, giant screen advertising, and programme acknowledgement.
3. Hospitality and VIP Experiences: Members' Restaurant dining experiences, Avebury Restaurant fine dining, Tea and the Trot Up exclusive experience, Lakeside Chalets private entertaining, course walks with expert guides, and reserved course-side parking spots.
4. Tradestand and Exhibitor Fees: Revenue from the Shopping Village with 600+ exhibitors, Country Living Pavilion, Eden Crafts, World of the Horse pavilion, and Food & Drink outlets.
5. Gift Vouchers: Prepaid gift vouchers available in denominations of £10, £20, £30, £50, £100 and custom amounts, redeemable for event tickets.
6. Glamping (Burghley Boutique): Glamping accommodation at Burghley Boutique, established 2019, offering premium camping experience adjacent to the event.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Burghley Horse Trials Limited organizes and runs the annual Defender Burghley Horse Trials, a CCI5* three-day equestrian eventing competition held over four days at Burghley Park, Stamford. The event combines elite international Dressage, Cross Country, and Show Jumping competition with on-site hospitality (Members' Restaurant, Avebury Restaurant, Tea & the Trot Up), retail (Shopping Village with 600+ exhibitors), glamping (Burghley Boutique), ticketing, sponsorship, and live streaming coverage via Burghley TV.

Product overview

Defender Burghley Horse Trials is a single major event (CCI5* three-day equestrian eventing competition) with a portfolio of ticketing and hospitality add-on products. The core offering is the world-renowned annual horse trials held 3-6 September, comprising Dressage (Thursday), Cross Country (Saturday), and Jumping (Sunday) phases. Supporting products include: ticket admissions (daily and season passes), Burghley TV streaming service, various hospitality experiences (Members' Restaurant, Avebury Restaurant, Tea & the Trot Up), accommodation (Burghley Boutique glamping), entertainment (Insights Stage, Masterclasses), premium parking, course walks, and the Shopping Village with retail exhibitors. The company also organizes the Dubarry Burghley Young Event Horse Finals for young horses and LeMieux Pony Club Team Jumping.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Defender Burghley Horse Trials The annual CCI5* three-day equestrian eventing competition held over four days at Burghley Park, Stamford, comprising Dressage (Thursday/Friday), Cross Country (Saturday, over four miles with 30 fences), and Show Jumping (Sunday). Attracts over 173,000 visitors and approximately 80 of the world's top competitors, with a prize fund exceeding £300,000.
• CCI5* Competition The premier equestrian three-day eventing competition at Burghley, testing the all-round ability of horse and rider through Dressage, Cross Country, and Jumping phases. Open to elite international event riders.
• Dubarry Burghley Young Event Horse Finals Prestigious young horse championships for four- and five-year-olds, considered the most significant young horse championships in the UK, held during the event with a total prize fund of £8,000 in 2026.
• LeMieux Pony Club Team Jumping Pony Club team jumping competition held during the Defender Burghley Horse Trials, open to Pony Club teams.
• Burghley TV Live and on-demand streaming coverage of the CCI5* event, providing uninterrupted access to all competition phases and behind-the-scenes content for remote audiences.
• Event Tickets Various ticket options sold via the online box office, including Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday day admissions, Season Admissions (full four-day access), Membership passes, Grandstand Seating for the Sunday showjumping final, Caravan & Horsebox Membership, and Reserved Course-Side Parking.
• Gift Vouchers Prepaid gift vouchers available in £10, £20, £30, £50, £100 denominations and custom amounts, redeemable online for Defender Burghley Horse Trials event tickets. Non-refundable and cannot be exchanged for cash.
• Members' Restaurant On-site fine dining restaurant at the event offering breakfast and a full à la carte lunch menu daily as part of the hospitality experience for ticketed guests.
• The Avebury Restaurant Fine dining restaurant at the event serving breakfast and a full à la carte lunch menu daily during the four-day event.
• Tea & the Trot Up Experience Exclusive Champagne afternoon tea experience with special access to the trot-up viewing, including a talk with former course designer Capt Mark Phillips. Hosted by Pol Roger.
• Burghley Boutique Glamping Luxury glamping accommodation at the event, including Emperor Bell Tent Super Deluxe (sleeps 2), established in 2019 as the on-site premium accommodation option adjacent to Burghley Park.
• Masterclasses Educational demonstrations and presentations from Olympic riders and industry experts, including dressage masterclasses and cross-country course design discussions.
• Course Walks

Quantifiable outcome

• 173,000+ visitors attend annually over four days
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship / core and supporting.

• World Horse WelfarecoreOthers · 1 January 2026Official Charity of the Year 2026. Partnership includes themed fence on cross-country course, Shop and Drop facility for donations, voluntary ticket donation option, and presence at Insights Stage. Content creator and patron Esme Higgs launching initiative for centenary celebrations.
• Defender (Land Rover)flagship / coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2005Title Sponsor since 2005 (previously Official Vehicle Supplier since early 1990s). Defender has a strong presence including vehicle display exhibition stand, Defender Experience area near Lion Bridge, Defender Owners' hospitality area, corporate hospitality in bespoke Defender pavilion, vehicles at feature fences on Cross Country course, and provision of vehicles for officials.
• Mars EquestriancoreGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent Partner and Official Veterinary Partner. Provides veterinary expertise and support for the CCI5* event.
• TICKETsrvcoreTechnology or IntegrationOnline ticketing platform provider powering boxoffice.burghley-horse.co.uk. Processes bookings and e-tickets on behalf of Burghley Horse Trials. Handles payment processing, ticket delivery, and customer account management.
• M J ChurchsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerWaste disposal partner with extended sustainability focus. Operates material recovery facility for increased recycling and uses electric vehicles for waste collection. Ensures no event waste goes to landfill.
• Freemans Event PartnerssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCatering partner managing food stalls at the horse trials. Works with food partners to eliminate single-use plastic. Supports waste contractors with recycling solutions. Donates food surplus to local food banks and charities.
• Shop StamfordsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with local Stamford business association for Best Dressed Window competition. Joint promotional activities with combined reach of 380k social followers across Burghley and Shop Stamford channels.
• DubarrycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of Burghley Young Event Horse Championships. 18th year of sponsorship in 2026. Total prize fund of £8,000 with first prize of £1,500 for five-year-old champion and £1,250 for four-year-old champion. 19 qualifiers across Britain and Ireland in 2026.
• Supporting Sponsors (Ariat, Bates Saddles, Bedmax, Boodles, Champion, Dubarry, Equine America, Fairfax & Favor, Holland Cooper, Horseware Ireland, Irish Horse Board, Joules, LeMieux, Mayston Equestrian, NFU Mutual, Pol Roger, Rossdales, The George of Stamford, The Howden Way, Voltaire Design, YETI)supportingGTM or Marketing PartnerMultiple supporting sponsors providing brand visibility, product prizes, and category-specific support. Includes equestrian brands, luxury goods, financial services, and hospitality partners.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Luhmühlen International Horse Trials: German CCI5* event that is one of the seven global five-star three-day events. Directly comparable in scale, format, and international competitor field, and competes for global equestrian sponsorship budgets.
• CHIO Aachen: World Equestrian Festival held annually in Aachen, Germany, combining show jumping, dressage, eventing, and four-in-hand driving at elite level. Comparable as a major multi-discipline equestrian event with similar scale, sponsorship profile, and international audience.
• Adelaide Three Day Event: Australia's CCI5* event and one of only seven worldwide. Operates a comparable four-day format at elite level, drawing international competitors and a similar equestrian enthusiast base, making it a global CCI5* peer.
• Badminton Horse Trials: The other CCI5* event in the UK and Burghley's most direct competitor. Both events sit at the apex of three-day eventing, draw similar elite international fields and affluent audiences, and compete for sponsors, exhibitors, and spectators across the same UK equestrian market.
• Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event: The only CCI5* event in North America, presented by Rolex. Directly comparable as one of the seven global CCI5* events, with similar four-day format, prize fund scale, blue-chip title sponsorship, and high-net-worth spectator demographic.

Broad incumbents

• Olympia London International Horse Show: Premier UK indoor equestrian show held annually at Olympia London. Comparable in targeting UK equestrian enthusiasts and premium sponsors, though focused on show jumping and dressage in an indoor format rather than outdoor three-day eventing.
• Hickstead (All England Jumping Course): Premier UK outdoor show jumping venue hosting international jumping competitions. Comparable as a major UK equestrian venue operator with similar sponsor activation models, though focused on show jumping rather than eventing.
• Horse of the Year Show (HOYS): Major UK indoor equestrian show held annually at the NEC Birmingham. Comparable as a UK equestrian event with strong sponsor and exhibitor economics, though focused on showing, show jumping, and entertainment rather than three-day eventing.
• Dublin Horse Show (RDS): Ireland's premier equestrian show combining international show jumping, showing, and eventing. Comparable as a major international equestrian event with similar sponsor profile (including Aga Khan trophy) and affluent audience, though it spans multiple disciplines in one show.

Emerging players

• Bolesworth International: UK outdoor equestrian event held at Bolesworth Castle, featuring international show jumping and eventing. Comparable in targeting premium UK equestrian audiences and securing equestrian brand sponsorship, though at a smaller scale than Burghley.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Burghley_HT
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/BurghleyHorseTrials
• Facebookfacebook.com/defenderburghleyhorsetrials
• Instagraminstagram.com/burghleyhorsetrials
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/burghley-horse-trials-limited

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Burghley Horse Trials Limited