The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Louisa looks forward to Burghley Horse Trials
Kinross-shire eventer relishes having King Eider back in action
Kinross-shire eventer Louisa Milne Home has her sights set on prizes at next month’s Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials after missing out on the four-star event for the past two years.
The 37-year-old first competed at Burghley, one of just six four-star events in the world, in 2011 but has been absent in recent years because her horse, King Eider, sustained an injury.
Now Milne Home, who runs her own eventing yard in Milnathort, has high hopes for the prestigious three-day event near Stamford after failing to qualify for the Badminton Horse Trials.
“The main aim is that King Eider jumps a good double clear and at the moment he’s going really nicely, he’s done some really good tests so hopefully he’ll pull that out of the bag,” she said.
“He’s jumped double clear at Burghley before and hopefully that will bring us into prizes.
“We went to Bramham and Burgham and he’s been showjumping a bit in between, so the main aim after not getting into Badminton was to gear him up towards Burghley.
“He’s had an injury, which is why we haven’t been at Burghley since 2014 and it’s been very frustrating to be missing out so it’s a big relief to have him feeling great and able to give it another go.”
Appearing at Burghley is all the more significant as, at 17 years old, King Eider may soon be too old for such competitive, international competitions.
Milna Home has ridden younger horses Ballylarkin Bouncer, Carrow Iroko and Future Plans in many lowerlevel events this year and is looking forward to competing on a more experienced gelding.
She added: “He’s getting older, so it will be great to have him back at a fourstar because he may not get another opportunity to reach that level.
“We’ve got about nine horses in, and the majority are young, he’s the only one at that level so it’s great for me to keep my hand in at that standard,” she added.
“You get used to riding the young ones and forget what the big shows are like, so it’s great to have him.”
The multi-award winning Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials from August 31 – September 3 has been established as a major international equestrian and social event in the autumn sporting calendar for more than 50 years.