Daniel Alderson ready to see Burghley Horse Trials come true

County Durham eventer Daniel Alderson will see his sporting dreams come true as he makes his 5* debut at the world-renowned Defender Burghley Horse Trials.

Alderson, 31, grew up in Barnard Castle and dreamed of one day making it to the top ranks of the sport.

An acclaimed athlete at the 4* level, including a fourth place finish at the recent Bramham event in June, Alderson will now journey to Lincoln to take part in his maiden competition at the highest level.

"Burghley is everyone's dream, so I feel very fortunate that I have the opportunity to compete there," he said.

"I'm hoping I can do the horse justice because it is the horse's first five star and my first five star, so we are just hoping for a safe completion."

Alderson, who now lives in County Waterford, Ireland, will compete on Blarney Monbeg Pepper at Burghley after two years of being together.

The horse and rider qualified for Burghley last season but Alderson was keen to make sure his mare had more experience under her belt before taking on the world's best riders.

And with a 100% cross country record under their belt, the eventer is bubbling full of excitement and confidence.

"She loves her jumping. She loves her cross country," he said.

"She gives me a lot of confidence, because she allows me to ride bravely. I trust her 100%.

"We've had very good preparation.

"We were qualified to go last year, but I didn't want to go with a nine-year-old, and I wanted to make sure that she was fully confident and knew what her job was.

"So we decided to wait till this year.

"We did Bramham four star where she came fourth and once we did that, and I felt how amazing she felt around the cross country, that gave me the confidence to know that we were ready to go."

The Defender Burghley Horse Trials will take place from 4-7 September, with the world's best eventers ready to descend on Lincolnshire.

It's an event that has long been in Alderson's ambitions, having previously attended the event alongside Olympian Jeanette Brakewell.

Now with glimpses of what his future could be in the sport, Alderson is now excited to get going and prove himself amongst the top ranks.

"I started riding when I was four, and then I started doing British eventing when I was 14," he said.

"I worked for Jeanette for four years, and then I moved over to Ireland, and I've been here for nine years.

"It's just something that I've always lived for and loved.

"If I wasn't competing at the weekend, I don't know what I'd be doing.

"I just love how the horses have to be so agile to do the three different disciplines, and I love the training behind it all, the dedication and the hard work.

I just hope that we can just put up performance for ourselves, and then we can build for the future."

Defender Burghley Horse Trials (4-7 September 2025) has been a major international sporting and social event for over 50 years. It attracts the world's top equestrians and is attended by vast and enthusiastic crowds. For more information visit www.burghley-horse.co.uk