THE DEFENDER Burghley Horse Trials is an institution, this year running from Thursday, 31 August until Sunday, 3 September. It started almost by accident in 1961, following the last-minute transfer of a three-day event from Harewood after a suspected foot-and-mouth outbreak. Today, the competition is one of only seven prestigious CCI5* events in the world. Burghley also boasts the biggest first prize in the sport of eventing, as this year’s winner will take home £110,000. It is heaven for the horsey and hound crowd (the event tends to herald the start of the hunting year, as stubbles are cut and hounds begin their early mornings) and just as essential as a high point on the social calendar.
Find great larks in the beer tent, cardmelting shopping and, for serious eventing fans, a chance to get the inside track on the competition in the Celebrity Talk Area. All of this takes place in the incomparable setting of Burghley House and its splendid parkland. One day at the event is never enough but luckily you can catch up on the action with Burghley TV, as it’s impossible not to get distracted while you’re there. We wish all the riders luck.
FOUR-LEGGED ATTRACTIONS TEA & THE TROT-UP (30 August)
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Denne historien er fra September 2023-utgaven av The Field.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Rory Stewart - The former Cabinet minister and hit podcast host talks to Alec Marsh about the parlous state of British politics, land management and his deep love of the countryside
The gently spoken 51-year-old former Conservative Cabinet minister is a countryman at heart. That's clear: he even changes into a tweed waistcoat for the interview, which takes place at his London home and begins with a question about his precise career status. Having resigned from the Commons and the Conservative Party in 2019, the former diplomat and soldier has reinvented himself, first with an unconventional but promising run as an independent for the London mayoralty (abandoned because of COVID19 in 2020) and then as a media figure, co-hosting one of the country's most popular podcasts, The Rest Is Politics, alongside Alastair Campbell, the former Labour spin doctor.
Fodder
Local fare with the feel-good factor.
Celebrating the game changers
Once served only in the traditional manner, the fruits of our forays now find their way into all manner of diverse and delicious dishes, say Neil and Serena Cross
The first civil engineer
John Smeaton left an indelible mark on the field of engineering and, three centuries after his birth, his legacy remains as strong as ever
School spirits
From grey ladies and ghostly gardeners to more malign entities, public schools are a rich repository of unnatural phenomena
'A long way from Piccadilly or Pall Mall'
Marking 150 years since the birth of Sir Winston Churchill, Dr Conor Farrington explores this eminent statesman’s often-overlooked 1907 tour of British East Africa: a journey rich with enchanting natural beauty and sporting adventure
Top of the pups
Canines in all their guises were celebrated at The Field Top Dog Awards lunch at Defender Burghley Horse Trials whether eager on the peg, patient at home or perpetually making mischief
Angling for success
It’s never too early to shape up for next season’s salmon and trout, and these top fishing schools are here to help
Talking scents
The canine nose is an astonishingly complex piece of biotechnology that man has harnessed for sustenance and sport for thousands of years
Wall-to-wall excitement
Criss-crossed by formidable drystone walls, the High Peak Harriers’ scenic country provides a day out with an exhilarating difference