EquiRatings Eventing Podcast

Fresh from a CCI4*-L win at Scone Palace, Piggy March joins Nicole Brown to reflect on a season of ups and downs, a special victory with Truly Anything, and a big new chapter on the horizon for Team March.

Piggy shares the story of bringing Truly Anything back into her string after his time with Harry Meade, the emotions behind their Scone win, and why sometimes getting the job done means adapting your riding to the horse in front of you.

With a yard move on the horizon and a coaching trip with Team Hong Kong ahead, there's plenty to catch up on!

Highlights

• The story behind Piggy and Truly Anything's CCI4*-L victory at Scone.
• Why not every horse needs to fit the textbook picture.
• The emotions, pressure and people behind a special win.
• A new yard, new opportunities and what could be next for Team March.
• Why good stable management starts with understanding your horse's environment.

Guest

Piggy March is one of Britain's leading event riders, a Badminton and Burghley winner, and a Bedmax Education Ambassador.

Back to School with Bedmax

This episode is brought to you in partnership with Bedmax, who are inviting horse owners to brush up on their stable management knowledge with their Back to School with Bedmax campaign.

From ventilation and air quality to bedding choices and stable hygiene, small changes can make a big difference to your horse's comfort and wellbeing.

Read their educational article and take the short 10-question quiz to receive a free gift and be entered into a prize draw, where four lucky winners will each receive 10 bales of their preferred Bedmax bedding.

• Back to School with Bedmax: Horse Health and Hygiene in the Stable Environment
• Take the Back to School with Bedmax Quiz

Free gifts available while stocks last. Prize draw terms and conditions apply.

Listen now wherever you get your podcasts, and follow the Eventing Podcast for more conversations from across the sport.

The first-ever Blenheim Challenge is in the books, and the Stars & Stripes have plenty to celebrate!

Nicole, Diarmuid and Annie are back to unpack a weekend that saw the Stars & Stripes defeat the Rising Lions 12.5–4, with head-to-head battles, Joker tactics and £50,000 in prize money bringing a whole new dimension to Blenheim.

From Oliver Barrett's brilliant week with Sandhills Briar to the pressure of jumping for £5,000 on the final day, the team reflects on the performances, personalities and moments that made the inaugural Challenge such a success.

Highlights

• How the Stars & Stripes secured their Blenheim Challenge victory.
• Oliver Barrett's career-best dressage and top-10 finish.
• The £5,000 show jumping head-to-heads and the pressure of delivering a clear.
• The young horses and riders who caught the team's attention.
• Jess Rimmer's Team Spirit Award and what the Challenge meant beyond the scoreboard.
• Why the team format, prize money and involvement of the grooms made this weekend feel different.

Plus, Nicole shares a few stories from behind the scenes, including Philip Dutton's Joker discussions, Tom McEwen's involvement with the Rising Lions and the live draws that kept everyone guessing.

Was this the start of something special for eventing?

Listen now wherever you get your podcasts, and follow the EquiRatings Eventing Podcast for more from across the sport.

The Blenheim Challenge is well and truly underway, and after dressage, the Stars & Stripes have the early advantage.

Nicole and Annie break down a brilliant first phase, with 21-year-old Oliver Barrett producing a career-best test to lead both the Stars & Stripes and the entire CCI4*-L aboard Sandhills Briar.

With £50,000 on the line, attention now turns to cross country and four head-to-head matchups that could completely change the scoreboard.

Highlights

• Oliver Barrett's career-best dressage test puts him at the top of Blenheim.
• The Stars & Stripes lead the Rising Lions 5–2 after the opening phase.
• The cross-country head-to-heads and where the key points could be won.
• Why the Rising Lions have played their final Joker on Izzy Cook.
• The numbers behind the combinations who could make the difference on Saturday.

Plus, we hear from Oliver Barrett and Barnie Brotherton ahead of cross country as both teams prepare for the next round of the Blenheim Challenge.

Can the Rising Lions fight their way back, or will the Stars & Stripes extend their lead? Game on at Blenheim

Two four-star classes, some serious names and plenty of decisions to make as we head to Blenheim.

Nicole, Diarm and Sam preview both the CCI4*-L and the eight and nine-year-old CCI4*-S, digging into the favourites, the form and the combinations they think could make their mark this week.

Brookfield Quality heads the Prediction Centre in the four-star long, but with Jesse Campbell, Oliver Barrett, Gemma Stevens and plenty more in the mix, there is a lot to consider. Then it's onto the future stars of the eight and nine-year-old class, a division with a pretty impressive record of producing horses we hear a lot more from. And, of course, they're building their Eventing Manager teams along the way.

Highlights

• Why Tom McEwen and Brookfield Quality set such a high standard in the CCI4*-L
• The riders and horses who could challenge at the top
• Where the Eventing Manager value might be hiding
• Gemma Stevens looking to continue a brilliant run of form
• Oliver Townend and an intriguing catch ride
• The young horses to know in the eight and nine-year-old class
• Who makes the team when £10 million suddenly doesn't feel like very much
• A few under-the-radar combinations worth keeping an eye on

This episode is brought to you in partnership with Connolly's RED MILLS. If you're heading to Blenheim this week, make sure you stop by the RED MILLS trade stand and chat to their team. Whether you have a feeding question, want to learn more about their range or just want some expert advice, they'll be there to help throughout the event.

Find out more about Connolly's RED MILLS and their equine nutrition range at redmillshorse.com.

Rising Lions vs Stars and Stripes. The first ever Blenheim Challenge is here, and things are already getting competitive.

Nicole is firmly flying the flag for Britain, while Diarm and Annie are backing the US team, with a very handy Australian thrown into the mix. With head-to-head matchups in every phase, joker cards to play and £50,000 in prize money on the line, there is plenty to get stuck into.

Who has the strongest team on paper? Where could the points be won and lost? And, most importantly, who are we backing to come out on top?

Highlights

• How the new Blenheim Challenge actually works
• Rising Lions vs Stars and Stripes across all three phases
• Why Oliver Barrett and Sandhills Briar could be the pair to beat
• The joker cards we would play and when
• Why Saturday could be the Rising Lions' chance to take control
• The serious show jumping strength on the Stars and Stripes side
• Our picks to win the first ever Blenheim Challenge

Guests

Nicole Brown Nicole takes up the Rising Lions cause and makes the case for why a big Saturday could put the British team in the driving seat.

Diarmuid Byrne Diarm is very firmly Team Stars and Stripes and is already putting himself forward for the team manager job.

Annie Bishop Annie brings the US perspective, digging into the form of the Stars and Stripes combinations and where they could have the edge.

The Blenheim Challenge gets underway this week. Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.

Nicole is joined by Catherine Austen from Cornbury House International for a look at a week that feels like an important one for the event's future.

The brand-new Advanced Under 25 class brings together an international field as Cornbury starts learning, testing and preparing ahead of hosting the FEI Eventing World Championships for Under 25s in 2027. And they'll face a new challenge, with the courses reversed for the first time and a brand-new Advanced track ready to be tested.

There's plenty happening beyond the U25s too. The British Eventing Young Horse Championships bring some of the country's best five, six and seven-year-olds together, the £45,000 Racehorse to Eventer Challenge Cup returns, and there are seriously good horses and riders to follow right across the sections.

Highlights

• Cornbury's first step towards the 2027 U25 World Championships
• The international names to watch in the Advanced U25
• A brand-new Advanced cross-country track
• Five, six and seven-year-olds chasing national titles
• £45,000 on the line for the Thoroughbreds
• The combinations to follow across a packed week

Guest Catherine Austen – on site at Cornbury with the inside track on the competition, the horses and what's ahead.

Gemma Stevens and Chilli Knight are your 2026 Defender Burghley champions, and they did it in some style.

Nicole, Diarm and Ali are back to debrief a brilliant weekend of sport, from Gemma's record-breaking performance and Katie Magee's superb second place to the stories, surprises and standout performances across the leaderboard.

Plus, the HPRs land mid-recording, giving us the first chance to put some numbers around what we just watched.

Highlights

• Gemma and Chilli Knight finishing on their dressage score and joining Burghley's 1% Club
• Putting that huge winning margin into context
• How Katie Magee and Treworra climbed from 19th after dressage to second
• The HPRs are in, and we find out how Gemma's performance stacks up against the other big five-star performances of 2026
• Global Quest, Hawk Eye and the combinations who exceeded expectations
• The moments that completely changed the shape of the competition
• A very deserved Nicola Wilson appreciation moment

Guests

Nicole Brown Nicole looks back at the performances, people and stories that made Burghley 2026 one to remember.

Diarm Byrne Diarm gets into the numbers and what they tell us about how this year's Burghley was won and lost.

Ali Barrett Ali brings the freshly landed HPRs, her standout performances and plenty from a busy week on the ground at Burghley. Katie Magee show: https://open.spotify.com/episode/03oBSF12G8beXOa1ow1DJr

Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.

Saturday at Burghley was everything we thought it might be, and then some. 🎙️

Nicole, D and Ali settle in with a Pimms and an incredible Burghley sunset to unpack a rollercoaster of a cross-country day. Gemma Stevens and Chilli Knight are out in front with a rail in hand, Tim Price and Global Quest deliver a hugely emotional round, and Holly Richardson rockets from 28th to third after one of the performances of the day.

There's plenty more to unpack, from Caroline Pamukcu proving the Blake doubters wrong to the heartbreak of Sarah Bullimore and Corimiro, plus Andrew Hoy and Derek di Grazia get unexpectedly pulled into the debrief along the way.

Highlights

• Gemma and Chilli Knight take control
• The incredible Global Quest story
• Holly Richardson's 25-place climb
• HSH Blake proves he's a Burghley horse
• Heartbreak for Sarah and Corimiro
• Derek's verdict on his cross-country day
• Who wins Burghley tomorrow?

🎧 Defender Burghley Diaries: Saturday is out now.

We're live from the Media Centre at Defender Burghley! Diarmuid Byrne is joined by Catherine Austen and Ali Barrett to preview the wide open field. From Holly Richardson's speed, to crushes on Will Coleman, and naming Lucy Latta the Pirate Queen, this episode has it all. 🎥 Watch every moment on Burghley TV: exclusive live coverage, replays, and behind-the-scenes access all week.

EquiRatings Eventing Podcast: Don't forget to follow us on Instagram and Facebook.

Friday at Burghley and the dressage is done.

Nicole is live from the Insights Stage with Sam Watson, Diarm Byrne and EquiRatings analyst Ali Barrett to unpack two days of dressage that didn't quite play out as anyone expected. Nadja Minder and 19-year-old Toblerone are still out in front, the judging has everyone talking and there is everything still to play for.

Then the leaders join us. Nadja Minder, Gemma Stevens and Tim Price take their places on the sofa to talk about their horses, their tests and what it feels like to head out of the dressage phase sitting first, second and third at Burghley. There's plenty of cross-country chat too, as they give us the rider's view of Derek di Grazia's track.

And to finish, we go straight to the man who built it. Derek di Grazia gives us his take on the course, the ground, that 11 minute 20 second optimum time and just how many combinations he'd like to see beat the clock. Spoiler: he isn't giving much away.

Highlights

• Nadja Minder makes Burghley history
• The dressage judging debate
• Sam, D and Ali break down the leaderboard
• Nadja, Gemma and Tim join us live
• The riders give their verdict on the cross-country
• Derek di Grazia has the final word

Guests

Nadja Minder Burghley dressage leader with Toblerone.

Gemma Stevens Sitting second with Chilli Knight after dressage.

Tim Price Former Burghley winner and third with Falco.

Derek di Grazia Defender Burghley cross-country course designer.

🎥 Watch every moment on Burghley TV: exclusive live coverage, replays, and behind-the-scenes access all week.

EquiRatings Eventing Podcast: Don't forget to follow us on Instagram and Facebook.