• The Cornbury Racehorses Eventing Challenge will be run at British Eventing Open Novice level but using an FEI CCI2*-S dressage test in a long arena and with the showjumping phase last and in reverse order. The aim for subsequent years will be to run the class at British Eventing Intermediate level.
• Entrants must have achieved two Minimum Eligibility Requirements (MERs) as a combination at novice in the current season (2025 and by the point of entry.)
• The class is open to all grades of horses.
• Riders will be restricted to two entries each, and horses do not need to have raced or to have been in training but must be registered with Weatherbys or the appropriate thoroughbred studbook of their country of origin.
• The schedule for the class is as follows with timings to be confirmed:
  • Thursday 11 – Dressage
  • Friday 12 – Cross-country
  • Saturday 13 – Showjumping
• Entries for all classes open on 11 August 2025. In the event that the class is oversubscribed, there will be a ballot.
• For any further enquiries, please email enquiries@cornburyhousehorsetrials.co.uk

British eventing has so far enjoyed an uninterrupted spring, blessed with good weather, and the human and equine heroes of last year’s Cornbury House International Horse Trials have blossomed.

The Howden Way Youth classes at Cornbury House are every under-21 rider’s end-of-season destination, and rising star Oscar Fitzgerald, 17, followed up his 2024 Cornbury House CCI2*-J victory on Super Cillious with a win in the CCI2*-S at Osberton recently.

“He was a superstar from start to finish,” said Oscar. “He jumped two really nice rounds. The ground was perfect, so he had a nice competitive run, which was brilliant. Hopefully we’ll now head to Belsay for the Junior Championships.”

Anna Price, 20, and Blakeney Surprise, winners of the 2024 CCI3*-YR at Cornbury House, has had a good beginning to the season with placings in the under-21 Open Intermediates at Barbury, Burnham Market and Thoresby, and the pair successfully completed their first Advanced class at Cirencester recently. 

The 2024 Cornbury House Pony Trial victors, Maisie Greening and Kilnaspic Lily, have made a strong start with victory at Epworth and Forgandenny and third place in the CCIP2*-S at Osberton behind Florence Drewitt and Alice Fraser.

The Howden Way Power Average Leagues for March and April have been published, and two of the 2024 Cornbury House winners top their respective age groups.

Barrington Boy, ridden by Izzy Taylor, won the British Eventing Young Horse Championships for six-year-olds at Cornbury House in 2024, and are going from strength to strength in 2025. Their seven-year-old Power Average is currently an outstanding 27.1. They recently took second place in the CCI2*-L at Ballindenisk in Ireland, and since then have also won the seven-year-old class at Tweseldown.

“Barrington Boy is a hugely exciting horse with a brilliant record — one that has been in the Barrington Sport Horses team since he was a foal, so is a great testament to them,” said Izzy.

Earl Dorado and Max Warburton – five-year-old champions at Cornbury House last year – top The Howden Way Power Averages for six-year-olds.

It’s not just the 2024 Cornbury House champions who have made excellent starts to 2025; those who made the top-10 in each class are looking good.

Mike Jackson and Oscar, eighth in the Cornbury House five-year-old final, won their first start of the season, the six-year-old novice class at Cirencester Park. They were both four- and five-year-old Dubarry Burghley Young Event Horse champions, and are definitely ones to watch.

Poynstown Venture, third in last year’s five-year-old championships, made a winning debut at Oasby at the start of the season in a novice section with Imogen Murray.

And second to Barrington Boy and Izzy at Cornbury House in the national six-year-old championships were Bubby Upton and Sancerre De Tiji. The pair took the seven-year-old class at Kelsall Hill on their intermediate debut in April. Guinduno, third with Bubby at Cornbury House 2024, won his first two outings – at Poplar Park and Horseheath – this spring.

Kinda Corvette, on whom Dani Evans was seventh in the seven-year-old championships at Cornbury House, has been sold to reigning world champion Yasmin Ingham, and the pair took the CCI3*-S at Kelsall Hill recently.

Come and celebrate the very best the Cotswolds has to offer at Cornbury House Horse Trials, Oxfordshire (10-14 September) – tickets are now on sale and start at just £10.

At the heart of Cornbury House Horse Trials is world-class equestrianism, featuring Britain’s best-known event riders and horses and the rising stars of this thrilling sport on their paths to future glory, in a bewitchingly beautiful setting.

But the sport itself is just part of an exceptional day out. Visitors can enjoy:

• Exquisite hospitality – the Endless Lunch at Cornbury by Mirabeau was an outstanding success last year, and this feast of delicious food and wine overlooking the main arena returns at the incredible price of £75 per adult, including event entrance

• Browsing the hand-picked, curated selection of independent retailers that comprise the Cornbury Village

• Sampling exceptional, locally sourced food and drink at our “From the Farm” initiative, which will bring together some of the region’s finest producers, including Cornbury Farm, Bruern Farm and Honeydale Farm

• Free interactive children’s activities in the Wildings area on Saturday, 13 and Sunday, 14 September – and, even better, children 12 and under attend for FREE

Event founder and president David Howden and his family, who live in Cornbury House, are passionate about all forms of equestrian sport, and in particular eventing and racing. As a result, David and fellow event horse and racehorse owner Jayne McGivern have launched the Cornbury Thoroughbred Eventing Challenge, which will take place for the first time at Cornbury House Horse Trials 2025. This eventing class for former racehorses and thoroughbreds carries an unprecedented first prize of £45,000, and its climax will be a highlight on Saturday, 13 September. The day will be a “Celebration of the Thoroughbred”, with details of further plans and activities to be announced shortly.

This will be the third year that Cornbury House has held the prestigious British Eventing Young Horse Championships, sponsored by The Howden Way, for the country’s most promising five-, six- and seven-year-old horses. These run alongside open and under-21 CCI3*-S and CCI2*-S classes, a pony trial and British eventing national classes at open intermediate and intermediate level. The Leading Rider over the event will win £2,500 and a magnificent silver trophy.

David Howden said: “I can’t wait for this year’s Cornbury House Horse Trials. It’s going to be spectacular!

“It will be a fiesta of sport with British Olympians and international competitors vying for the title of Leading Rider while the next generation of eventers showcase their skills. It will be a feast of the senses with exceptional food and drink on the menu for all our visitors to savour.

“And it will be a festival of the thoroughbred. We’re going to show how these incredible athletes can have meaningful careers far beyond racing.

“Set against the beautiful backdrop of the Oxfordshire countryside, this year’s event will once again raise the bar and firmly put Cornbury House Horse Trials on the map.” 

 Visit www.cornburyhousehorsetrials.co.uk for more information and to buy tickets..

Cornbury House Horse Trials’ supported charity for 2025 is the British Eventing Support Trust, and donations can be made at the point of ticket purchase.

The British Eventing Support Trust will be Cornbury House Horse Trials’ supported charity for the 2025 event, which runs from 10-14 September at Cornbury House, Oxfordshire.

Founded in 2021 with the aim of helping British Eventing competing members going through difficult times, the British Eventing (BE) Support Trust has grown into a recognised charity in the equestrian world and an organisation that event riders, no matter what level they compete at, can apply to for support. It is committed to helping them get back to what they love – riding and being around horses, as well as supporting the research, development and implementation of initiatives to maintain the safety and welfare of riders.

At the 2024 Cornbury House Horse Trials, the charity raised more than £17,000 via a special silent auction, which will take place again this year. Additionally, purchasers of tickets to the event can donate at the point of sale. The BEST buggy service, which takes visitors from the main event site to the dressage arenas in front of Cornbury House, returns for 2025, operated by the British Eventing Support Trust, and there will be an opportunity to donate to the charity as spectators are ferried around the Cornbury parkland .

“It is a great honour for the British Eventing Support Trust to have been selected as the charity partner for Cornbury House Horse Trials,” said Ian Stark, OBE, Chair of the Board of Trustees. “This distinguished event exemplifies excellence within our sport, and we are deeply grateful for the opportunity to raise awareness of and support for our work. The Trust plays a vital role in assisting British Eventing competing members during times of hardship, and this partnership will enable us to continue and expand that essential support.”

Jane Hunter-Walsh, the charity’s General Manager, added: “We’re incredibly grateful to be part of such a world-class celebration of eventing and are looking forward to working with the team at Cornbury for the second year running. It’s a brilliant event that’s always so well attended by competitors and spectators, which means it is the perfect place to raise awareness of our work. We’re busy planning some great fundraising events, so keep an eye on our social media for more information.”

Tickets for Cornbury House Horse Trials go on sale on Thursday, 1 May at 12 noon. Visit www.cornburyhousehorsetrials.co.uk for more information and to buy tickets.

As well as a feast of equestrian sport, featuring many of the world’s most famous riders, Cornbury Horse Horse Trials is an innovative and exciting blend of local, sustainable food and drink from our neighbouring farms, premium hospitality, and interactive children’s activities in the stunning setting of Cornbury Park.

To buy tickets and for more information, visit cornburyhousehorsetrials.co.uk.

The central philosophy of Cornbury House Horse Trials is to encourage young talent and give it the best possible conditions to flourish. It is very rewarding, therefore, to see so many of the top horses from last year’s British Eventing Young Horse Championships, sponsored by The Howden Way, making an impact in the early part of the season.

The 2024 five-year-old champion Earl Dorado, owned by Nicky and Robin Salmon and rider Max Warburton, won The Howden Way six-year-old class at Barbury (21-23 March). Max was also second on Karla Wheatcroft’s Monbeg Condor.

Max said: “I’m thrilled to have these two very nice six-year-olds in the class that is kindly supported by The Howden Way. The whole idea of the young horse classes is brilliant, as it allows us to highlight the nice six-year-olds that we’ve got.

“Earl Dorado will do a CCI2*-S at Kelsall Hill next and then aim for this year’s six-year-old championships Cornbury House, and hopefully the world young horse championships at Le Lion d’Angers.”

Barrington Boy, winner of The Howden Way British Eventing National Six-Year-Old Championships at Cornbury House last September for owner (and Cornbury sponsor through his Hawkestone drinks company) Johnny Hornby and rider Izzy Taylor, has had a brilliant start to 2025. He won his first three events – Poplar Park, Tweseldown and Barbury, and finished sixth at his first attempt at a CCI3*-S at Thoresby, all with double clear rounds.

Oxfordshire-based Izzy said: “He’s cool. He has no idea he’s a giant and he’s beautiful to ride. I don’t know how he’s so balanced and controlled – he has a beautiful brain, he’s light on his feet, careful and scopey.”

Izzy will be aiming to take the national seven-year-old title at Cornbury House in September on her way to a shot at Le Lion d’Angers in France.

Double Olympic gold medallist Tom McEwen scored in The Howden Way British Eventing National Seven-Year-Old Championship at Cornbury House in 2024 with Maestro, owned by Fred and Penny Barker. The pair were placed at both Tweseldown and Barbury recently, and are consolidating at CCI3* level this year.

And Kantango, winner of the six-year-old class at the inaugural running of The Howden British Eventing Young Horse Championships at Cornbury House in 2023 with European individual silver medallist Kitty King, is going from strength to strength. The now-eight-year-old old, owned by Jane Tolley, Kitty’s mother Jane Boggis, Joanna Jones and Penelope Holley, was runner-up in the seven-year-old championships at both Cornbury House Horse Trials and Le Lion d’Angers in 2024, and won the advanced intermediate class at Lincoln on 14 March.

Cornbury House Horse Trials founder and president David Howden’s week came to the perfect climax when his daughter Jemima won the final CCI2*-S class of the event, which has run from 11-15 September at the Howden family home in Oxfordshire.

Jemima, 20, rode Monbeg Whisper, owned by her father, to victory, and also took third place on his Van Kaunitz.

An emotional David Howden said: “I was bursting into tears. It’s much worse watching than it is actually being on a horse! I followed Jemima’s cross-country round on my bicycle – that is why I asked our course-designer David Evans to lay the cross-country course out as it is, so that you could see as much of it as possible as a spectator – but I get really nervous watching her.

“I’m passionate about eventing, and to see Jemima riding so well and coping with being under a huge amount of pressure at her home event is amazing. I am so proud of her.”

Jemima said: “I’ve had Whisper for two seasons now, and it has been a real confidence-building journey with him. I’m so happy that it has all come together at Cornbury, because I just knew he had it in him all this time. He was mega, and he flew round today.”

She added: “Last year we had a stop across country and three fences down in the showjumping, so this is a real improvement. My amazing trainers, Laura Collett, Jay Halim and Gareth Hughes, have just all been fantastic. Laura was in the warm-up with me, walking the course with me and just really training me and helping me get that relationship with him because then horses start to trust you, you really start to build that bond and that’s when the magic happens.”

Cornbury House Horse Trials 2024 concluded with the presentation of the Leading Rider trophy – with its accompanying specially designed Pragnell pin, a magnum of Pol Roger and a cheque for £2,500 – to dual British Olympic team gold medallist Tom McEwen. Tom won three classes at Cornbury – the British Eventing Young Horse Championship for seven-year-olds, a CCI3*-S section and a national intermediate section, giving him enough points to hold off New Zealand Olympians Tim Price and Clarke Johnstone.

As well as a feast of equestrian sport, featuring many of the world’s most famous riders, Cornbury Horse Horse Trials is an innovative and exciting blend of local, sustainable food and drink from our neighbouring farms, premium hospitality, and interactive children’s activities in the stunning setting of Cornbury Park.

There could have been no more appropriate winner at Cornbury House Horse Trials in the British Eventing Young Horse Championship for six-year-olds, supported by The Howden Way, than Izzy Taylor on Johnny Hornby’s Barrington Boy.

Johnny Hornby, who lives locally to Cornbury, has supported the Oxfordshire event by sponsoring the popular owners’ marquee through his Barrington Sport Horses operation. He also gave each winning rider throughout the event (over the age of 18) their weight in Hawkestone beer or cider – Johnny owns Hawkestone alongside fellow Cornbury local Jeremy Clarkson.

Izzy and the Sligo Candy Boy-sired Barrington Boy completed on their dressage score of 25.1, ahead of Bubby Upton (Sancerre De Tiji), who had led going into the final showjumping phase but dropped one pole to give way at the top of the podium to Izzy.

“I’m really pleased for Johnny because he’s put so much into this sport and he’s put in a lot here at Cornbury, and it’s nice to feel like he’s got something back,” said Izzy.

“These six-year-olds, they’re babies. He’s very smart, but very big and apprehensive in his brain, which is good, because he looks to me [for reassurance], but if he gets a scare, it’s a big deal for him. I’ve had him for about a year now and he’s beginning to trust me. He’s lovely on the flat, he’s still growing, and he’s a very, very good cross-country horse and a careful jumper.

A delighted Johnny said: “Ever since Izzy’s been riding for me, wonderful things keep happening. We were six-year-old world champions [at Le Lion d’Angers] last year with Barrington Alice and today we’re the six-year-old national champions with Barrington Boy.

“We breed a lot of horses, but I want to get to a place where Izzy only rides the very best, because then I think we get back to where Izzy belongs, which is at the top of the sport.”

Bubby Upton also finished third on Guinduno, whom she owns with Millie Brenninkmeyer, Nick Wentworth-Stanley and Joanna Ritblat.

Tom McEwen – winner of two Olympic team gold medals for Britain, including this summer in Paris – topped the British Eventing Young Horse Championship, supported by The Howden Way, for seven-year-olds. His mount was Fred and Penny Barker’s Maestro, a son of Hampshire VDL, and the pair added nothing to their dressage mark of 25.8.

Tom said: “He jumped at the [showjumping] World Breeding Championships as a five-year-old with Michelle Kenny, so this should be easy for him. He‘s so cute and such a lovely horse. He’s easy, snaffle-mouthed and maybe a bit too much of a pet! He’s got a great brain, as have all three of them [Tom also finished fifth on Quintus and 17th on Shannondale Arnold].

Kitty King finished second on Penelope Holley, Joanna Jones, Kitty’s mother Jane Boggis and Jane Tolley’s Kantango, with whom she took the six-year-old championship here at Cornbury House last year. Third was Lizzie Baugh on her own and The Spice Syndicate’s Calida Spice.

As well as a feast of equestrian sport, featuring many of the world’s most famous riders, Cornbury Horse Horse Trials is an innovative and exciting blend of local, sustainable food and drink from our neighbouring farms, premium hospitality, and interactive children’s activities in the stunning setting of Cornbury Park.

Under-21 riders impressed at Cornbury House Horse Trials (11-15 September) today.

Anna Price, 19, won The Howden Way CCI-S 3*YR riding her parents Tricia and Tim’s 11-year-old Ars Vivendi mare Blakeney Surprise. The pair only added two showjumping time-faults to her dressage mark of 27.9.

Anna said: “She had a good result at Hartpury [fourth in the CCI3*-L] so I was quietly feeling fairly confident. This was the best dressage test she’s ever done and she tends to be a good jumper. I thought the cross-country track here was so good – it was such a flowing course, with enough questions, the ground was perfect, every fence was dressed so well and it really feels like a very special event.”

Second was Finn Healy, riding Caroline Jenks’ Ramiro Wannabe.

Oscar Fitzgerald, 16, topped The Howden Way CCI-S 2*J on Super Cillious, owned by Deborah Bevan, Juliet Donald, Lucy Allison and Italian Olympic rider Vittoria Panizzon. Oscar took on the ride on the British-bred 15-year-old a few months ago.

Oscar, whose father is former top National Hunt jockey turned ITV Racing presenter Mick Fitzgerald, said: “He’s a lovely horse and it’s a great opportunity for me to ride a horse with that kind of power. He’s quite quirky in that he likes to motorbike away after a fence, and he’s careful and you have to ride him in a certain way – basically I have to ride him as Vittoria did, as he was with her his whole life.

“It’s always been eventing for me – I enjoy the racing but it wouldn’t be for me – I’m too tall. Dad comes to watch and give his little opinion, but I wouldn’t like him as a trainer! I train with Richard Waygood, Ian Woodhead and Tina Fletcher, so I’m very lucky. I’d love to do this as a career – I know it’s extremely hard, but I’d love to make it happen.”

Second was Irish rider Tom Nestor riding Jessica McKie’s Coolafancy.

The Project Pony-sponsored Pony Trial went to Cumbria’s Maisie Greening, 15, and her 11-year-old Irish-bred dun mare Kilnaspic Lily.

Maisie and Kilnaspic Lily recently represented Britain as individuals at the Pony European Championships.

Maisie said: “I just really wanted to have a nice run on her after the Europeans, which was such an amazing experience. This is my first season on her; I got her around Christmas time and we just clicked. She’s really funny and a big character in the stable. She loves cross-country – she just looks for the flags.

“She did a really sweet dressage test – it was our best score in a two-star test – and then showjumping and across country she was foot-perfect.”

Second was Ireland’s Tadgh O’Haire riding Ballinagore Hero.

As well as a feast of equestrian sport, featuring many of the world’s most famous riders, Cornbury Horse Horse Trials is an innovative and exciting blend of local, sustainable food and drink from our neighbouring farms, premium hospitality, and interactive children’s activities in the stunning setting of Cornbury Park.

Rising British star Max Warburton won the British Eventing Young Horse Championship class for five-year-olds, supported by The Howden Way, at Cornbury House Horse Trials (11-15 September) today.

Max, 26, rode Earl Dorado, a Diarado gelding owned by Max himself and Nicky and Robin Salmon. The Salmons are long-standing supporters of eventing who have owned top horses such as Lord Killinghurst and Mr Cruise Control with Andrew Nicholson.

Max completed on his dressage score of 27.5, and said: “The young horses are a massive part of the sport and if we don’t have them coming along, we don’t have the future top ones. It’s great that Cornbury House Horse Trials and [event founder and president] David Howden host these important championships – they’ve really looked after us.

“My partner [Irish Olympian] Susie Berry and I first saw Earl Dorado as a three-year-old and we didn’t buy him then – he was quite a big horse. We ended up seeing him again as a four-year-old, though, and bought him and managed to sell him to Nicky and Robin. Nicky in particular has been a great, great supporter of the sport so it’s lovely for her to have a very special five-year-old.”

Tom Grant finished second on his own Tinkerbell Van De Molenbeek on 27.6, and Imogen Murray was third on Arabella Henderson’s Poynstown Venture on a score of 27.9.

Cornbury House Horse Trials comes to an exciting conclusion tomorrow (Sunday, 11 September) with the final showjumping phase of the British Eventing Young Horse Championships, supported by The Howden Way, for six- and seven-year-old horses, The Howden Way CCI3*-S and CCI2*-S for under-21 riders, the Project Pony Pony Trial and a final CCI2*-S.

Double Olympic team gold medallist Tom McEwen is in the lead in the seven-year-old championships on Fred and Penny Barker’s Maestro, while Bubby Upton tops the six-year-old final on her own Sancerre De Tiji.

As well as a feast of equestrian sport, featuring many of the world’s most famous riders, Cornbury Horse Horse Trials is an innovative and exciting blend of local, sustainable food and drink from our neighbouring farms, premium hospitality, and interactive children’s activities in the stunning setting of Cornbury Park.

New Zealand Olympian Tim Price added a third win at Cornbury House Horse Trials (11-15 September) to his tally so far by taking CCI2*-S section G today on The Highlander, his prize for which was presented to him by HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh.

And Tim’s wife Jonelle – herself an Olympic bronze medallist for New Zealand – got off the mark with her first victory of Cornbury House Horse Trials 2024, in intermediate section J on Full Monty De Lacense.

“This place is incredible,” said Tim. “I’ve brought a lot of nice horses here, so I’m very lucky to have those, and it just fits in with their season plans to be able to run them a bit quicker round great courses and on perfect ground. And the prizes are fantastic!”

The Highlander is a seven-year-old gelding by Diacontinus, owned by Ginny Rusher, Glynn Norcutt and Gillian and Stephen Brooker.

“He’s a great dressage horse, a super jumper – he’s a bit of a ‘wow’ horse to watch jumping – and cross-country, he’s getting braver all the time. He’s one for the future,” said Tim.

Jonelle Price will take Full Monty De Lacense, owned by Jackie Olivier, Kate Holmes and Jo Pidduck, to Blenheim next week for the eight- and nine-year-old CCI4*-S.

“He’s quite a plain horse, but he’s a real athlete,” said Jonelle. “He’s been a bit of a slow burner, but he’s now able to show his work off a bit better. He’s always been a lovely galloper and jumper.”

She added: “We’ve had a lot of trouble with ulcers with him and it has taken a lot of figuring out – we didn’t know for such a long time, because from the outside he isn’t your typical candidate for ulcers. He’s a very good doer, very normal on the outside and very quiet to do things with. But it turned out he was riddled with them – he’s obviously a worrier internally. Now we are able to manage him better and he is starting to show his ability. I think he’s a five-star horse.”

While Paris and Tokyo Olympic gold medallist Tom McEwen struck again in intermediate section with Kilcannon Mischief, who is owned by Hilary Kennedy, Tom’s mother Ali, Jacqui Erskine-Crum and Phillippa Knight, two less familiar faces scored their first international wins in the remaining CCI2*-S classes.

Tom Sloper, who is based with Jason Hobbs near Bristol, took section F on Helen Cobb’s Jaldo, finishing on his dressage score of 28.6.

“I sold Jaldo to his owner Helen about three years ago, and since then I have been riding him on and off alongside her son Oscar Governo, but he’s off to university at the moment and I’ve bene riding him a bit more. He’s super – really lovely on the flat, a great jumper and just the best cross-country horse. He’s so straightforward. Unfortunately, he’s for sale – I’d love to keep the ride as I think he’s a superstar.”

East Sussex-based Lucy Wheeler won section H on 14-year-old King Creole VD N Ranch, who is owned by Graham Jack.

“I’ve had this horse since he was four – he’s a bit opinionated, but he’s been brilliant,” said Lucy. “We dropped down a level after pulling up across country at Hartpury in the CCI3*-L, and I couldn’t fault him here. He did a beautiful dressage test and then jumped two lovely rounds.”

Cornbury House Horse Trials continues until Sunday (11 September) with the British Eventing Young Horse Championships for five-, six- and seven-year-olds, The Howden Way and Project Pony Youth classes and a further CCI2*-S section.

As well as a feast of equestrian sport, featuring many of the world’s most famous riders, Cornbury Horse Horse Trials is an innovative and exciting blend of local, sustainable food and drink from our neighbouring farms, premium hospitality, and interactive children’s activities in the stunning setting of Cornbury Park.