AUSTIN O’Connor is among three Irish riders entered for the five-star Defender Burghley Horse Trials which begin next Thursday and run through to Sunday, September 2nd.

O’Connor and his Tokyo Olympic mount Colorado Blue come into the competition off the back of a third place finish at Badminton back in May.

The Irish-bred grey gelding by Jaguar Mail out of the Rock King mare Rock Me Baby was bred by Kate Jarvey at the Mellon Stud in Co Limerick and stormed around Badminton in difficult conditions to help O’Connor become the first Irish rider in 40 years to make the podium.

The pair have been drawn as number 20 for next week’s five-star, their second of the year. Drawn 46th is Sam Watson with Ballybolger Talisman (Puissance x Ali-Royal), the 12-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding owned by his wife Hannah and mother Julia, and bred by Rosemary Ponsonby. It will be a five-star debut for the pair who competed at last summer’s World Championships at Pratoni.

The third Irish rider entered on an Irish horse is Padraig McCarthy with the 12-year-old Anne Hughes-bred gelding HHS Noble Call (Heritage Fortunus x Cavalier Royale) who is owned by the rider, Alan Chaffe and James Chaffe. The pair ran at the venue last year, finishing 19th.

Harry Meade – with three horses entered – will be the pathfinder and Britain dominate the entries. Oliver Townend will also ride three horses. British riders will be favourites to take the crown again; last year’s winner Piggy March returns to the fore with Brookfield Inocent (ISH) who is back to the level after an injury lay-off.

Olympic silver medallists Tom McEwen and Toledo de Kerser start near the end of the field, drawn 66th to go, while newly crowned European champion Ros Canter will ride her Badminton top 10 finisher Pencos Crown Jewel. There are 27 Irish-bred horses on the entries list.

McCarthy win

Padraig McCarthy recently scored a good CCI2*-L win at Hartpury International riding Diane Brunsden and Peter Cattell’s seven-year-old gelding MGH Zabaione. The pair scored an impressive 26.5 in the dressage arena and added nothing further to finish on that score and win by less than a mark ahead of Britain’s Bubby Upton and the Michael Walsh-bred Shannondale Bertie (Shannondale Sarco St Ghyvan x Lux Z).

In his final prep run for Burghley, the aforementioned Brookfield Inocent (Inocent x Kings Servant), bred by John Mulvey, won the CCI4*-S under Piggy March. The pair finished on their dressage score of 28.3 to take the title in style.