NICKY Hill hopes her trusty partnership with golden gelding MGH Bingo Boy will serve her well for the rest of the 2023 Defender Burghley Horse Trials after completing the dressage phase.
The 31-year-old, who is based near Droitwich in Worcestershire, made her Burghley debut with Bingo Boy in 2019 and this year’s competition is her first five-star event since.
After a few mistakes in the eventing, Hill believes the 14-year-old horse can improve on a score of 36.8.
Hill said: “He’s my pet, he’s an absolute spoilt brat and I absolutely adore him so it’s lovely to have him back at this level.
“He went a bit nervous, he’s not seen a lot of crowds for a while and he does get a bit excited by it so he was fine.
“He made a few mistakes but it’s not his strong phase so it’s fine.”
Acquired in 2016, Bingo Boy and Hill represented Team GB in the European Championship in Belgium the following year where they finished ninth and won team silver.
The famed Burghley course, designed by Derek di Grazia, will stun crowds in Lincolnshire when the cross-country phase gets underway this weekend.
And Hill is using all of her experience to prepare Bingo Boy in the best possible way.
Hill added: “It’s definitely Burghley, it’s big and there is lots to do but it’s fair, if you get your lines right and you read it well, you’ll do well.
“It’s quite clear where you’ve got to go and you’ve just got to ride it well.
“I had him as a seven-year-old so he’d done a couple of intermediates and he’s been with me eight years.”
Defender Burghley Horse Trials (31st August – 3 September 2023) has been a major international sporting and social event for over 50 years. It attracts the world’s top equestrians and over 170,000 visitors. For more information visit www.burghley-horse.co.uk
