New Zealand's Samantha Lissington over-the-moon with Defender Burghley return

New Zealand's Samantha Lissington over-the-moon with 'giraffe' horse on first Defender Burghley outing in six years.

The Kiwi rider, who now lives in Hungerford, Wiltshire, scored 39.5 atop of her 13-year-old gelding Billy Alberto on the opening day of competition in Stamford.

However, with her horse known more for his long neck and troublesome demeanour in the dressage ring, Lissington noted her pride in the performance.

"I was pretty pleased with it," she said. "Dressage isn’t his forte as he’d much rather canter around the arena with his head high like a giraffe.

"His mascot is Melman from Madagascar and I feel like we contained most of it and it wasn’t too bad.

"We weren’t expecting great things but it went slightly better than expected so we’re happy."

Lissington made her Burghley debut in 2019 and relocated to the UK the same year.

Her 2025 outing therefore marks her return to the world renowned for the first time in six years.

And with a impressive horse such as Billy Alberto by her side, with the duo claiming second place at 4* Chaumont en Vexin this season, Lissington is excited to see how he will fare at his maiden 5* this week.

"It’s fantastic," she said. "I was first here in 2019 with horses I brought over from New Zealand called Ricker Ridge Sooty GNZ and I’ve not been back since.

"That was six years ago now and it just goes to show what a big deal it is to get a horse to Burghley.

"We’ve had several advanced horses but we’ve not had a Burghley horse and now to come here with two is awesome because it’s the top and the pinnacle for us.

"It’s the biggest, the crowd is the biggest and it’s the most exciting."

Since moving to the UK, Lissington has risen the crest of a wave of success that has seen several selections of the New Zealand national team.

Most recently, she was part of the squad that soared to their second ever Nations Cup victory in Aachen, Germany, in July.

But with tough competition from her fellow countrymen meaning that spaces hard to come by, Lissington admitted that this season has been one to remember after finally feeling that she is a consistent member of the team.

"We’ve had such a great season," she said. "We’re knocking on the door and now I feel like we’re transitioning into a space where I feel I deserve a spot there with those teammates.

"It’s quite a comfortable place to be. The general trajectory for us is upwards and we’ve got several horses that have all been performing well so in a way that puts pressure on because you want to be performing at the top of your game."

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