Derek di Grazia is preparing his fifth cross-country course at the Defender Burghley Horse Trials, saying he has struck a balance of risk and reward for the 2026 event.
A challenging but fair course
The Californian, who designed the Tokyo 2020 Olympic course, has finalised his fifth course for Burghley, regarded as one of the toughest cross-country tracks in eventing due to its rolling terrain. Di Grazia faces the task of creating a course that is challenging but not dangerous for riders and horses.
He said: “When you design a course, right from the start, in your head thinking about managing risk. We never try to put anything out there that is dangerous. Everything you put out there has to be fair to both horse and rider, and the construction of the fences must be in such a way that you believe it is not going to cause issues nor hurt a horse.”
Designing on Burghley's terrain
Di Grazia explained that Burghley's track is prescribed, so the main flexibility lies in the direction of travel and the placement of jumps. He said: “You're trying to create a track that has good flow, and then once you find that — you're not finding a track, because you have the track, but actually within the track, you're finding a track, if that makes sense.”
He highlighted the importance of using the ground, noting that Burghley's terrain is varied with many “lumps and bumps, ups and downs.” He described the process as “like putting together a big puzzle,” which is challenging but rewarding.
Evolution of course design
Di Grazia noted that course design has evolved significantly since the removal of the steeplechase on roads and tracks. He said: “The riders and horses were so good that they had to come up with ways of giving the horse and riders exercises that more challenging because the training of these horses and riders is getting such that they can do all those exercises quite easily.”
He added that while the size of jumps has not changed in 30 years, courses have become more technical in terms of jump placement and terrain use, making courses on flat ground and those like Burghley quite different.
The Defender Burghley Horse Trials (3-6 September 2025) has been a major international sporting and social event for over 50 years, attracting the world's top equestrians and vast crowds.
