Four days of world-class equestrian sport brought riders, horses and thousands of spectators to Blenheim Palace, culminating in a record-breaking weekend for Britain’s Tom McEwen.

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For four days, from Thursday 17 to Sunday 20 September, Blenheim Palace became the setting for one of Oxfordshire’s most spectacular sporting occasions.

The Agria Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials brought together some of the world’s leading event riders, promising young horses and thousands of spectators, with Dressage, Cross Country and Showjumping unfolding across the Palace’s historic parkland.

There was plenty of competition to follow, but there was also something broader about the occasion. The sport took place alongside demonstrations, grassroots competitions, family activities and a busy gathering of exhibitors, creating an event that extended well beyond the arenas and the Cross Country course.

Against the backdrop of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, the four days offered a succession of very different experiences: the precision of Dressage, the speed and spectacle of Cross Country, the tension of Showjumping and, throughout, the atmosphere of a major country sporting event.

Thursday: the competition begins

The competition began with Dressage on Thursday, as the first riders entered the Palace arenas and the initial leaderboard began to take shape.

Tom McEwen was among the early names to make an impression, scoring 27.2 with Brookfield Danny de Muze in the GFS Saddles CCI4*-S for eight- and nine-year-old horses. In the principal Agria CCI4*-L, Australia’s 22-year-old Oliver Barrett made his mark, moving to the top of the CCI4*-L leaderboard with Sandhills Briar.

Elsewhere, the inaugural Blenheim Challenge introduced a new international dimension. The competition pitted a British Rising Lions team against a Stars and Stripes U25 team in a series of head-to-head contests modelled on the Ryder Cup, with points awarded according to the best performance in each phase.

The event also opened its arenas to a much wider equestrian community. Riding Club and Pony Club competitors took part in the evoke™ Eventer Challenge, while Retraining of Racehorses classes showcased former racehorses competing in Dressage and showing.

It was an early indication of the breadth of the four-day event: alongside Olympic and world-level competitors were riders and horses competing at a range of levels, all sharing the same Blenheim setting.

Friday: the picture begins to take shape

The second day of Dressage continued in the Palace Arena, with Australian rider Oliver Barrett maintaining his lead in the Agria CCI4*-L on Sandhills Briar. New Zealand’s Jesse Campbell moved into second, while Tom McEwen slipped to third on Brookfield Quality and fourth on The Fieldmaster.

In the GFS Saddles 8 & 9 Year Old CCI4*-S, Britain’s Bubby Upton produced a 26.9 with Auckland 7 and matched the score later in the day with Sancerre de Tiji. But it was France’s Astier Nicolas, the 2016 Olympic team gold medallist and individual silver medallist, who ultimately took the lead with a 23.5 on Hitchqote du Coudray.

Away from the four-star competition, Friday showed the broader character of the Blenheim weekend. The Evoke Eventer Challenge brought Pony Club riders into the parkland, while the Retraining of Racehorses Dressage and showing classes gave former racehorses their own stage. Dog Agility and the event’s shopping, food and family attractions added to the atmosphere around the Palace.

With Dressage complete, attention turned towards Saturday’s Cross Country — the first major test of the weekend in which the leaderboard could be transformed.

Saturday: the drama arrives

If the first two days established the competition, Saturday supplied its defining spectacle.

Thousands of spectators gathered across the Capability Brown parkland as riders tackled the Cross Country course, with the Palace providing a distinctive backdrop to one of the most demanding phases of eventing. The clock proved almost as important as the fences. The optimum time of 10 minutes and eight seconds was achieved by only one rider, causing significant movement in the standings.

McEwen emerged as the day’s outstanding performer. Riding The Fieldmaster, a nine-year-old new to his string this season, and Brookfield Quality, the 17-year-old campaigner owned by John and Chloe Perry and Alison Swinburn, he produced two of the fastest rounds to finish the Cross Country in first and second place in the CCI4*-L. The two horses were separated by just 0.1 of a penalty.

McEwen had first noticed The Fieldmaster at Blenheim the previous year, when the horse was competing with his former rider. Now, a year later, the pair were leading one of the world’s most prestigious eventing competitions. “He’s a phenomenal horse,” McEwen said after the round.

There were other dramatic changes further down the leaderboard. Oliver Townend climbed 29 places to third with Sommersby after producing the only round inside the optimum time. Zara Tindall, who won the European title at Blenheim 21 years ago, also enjoyed a significant rise, moving 12 places to seventh with Classicals Euro Star.

The Cross Country course produced movement throughout the field, with young riders, established names and international competitors all facing the same combination of fences, terrain and time.

Away from the main competition, spectators could watch falconry displays, equestrian masterclasses, the Shetland Pony Grand National and dog agility, adding to the sense that Saturday was as much a day out in the Palace parkland as it was a day of elite sport.

Sunday: the final test

Sunday brought the final phase, with the CCI4*-L Showjumping deciding the destination of the title.

McEwen entered the arena with a remarkable position: he already held first and second place, and the result of the final round would determine which of his two horses would take the title.

The Fieldmaster was the last horse to jump. By then, McEwen had already secured victory, but he completed the round to finish the competition with The Fieldmaster in first and Brookfield Quality in second, the pair still separated by only 0.1 of a penalty. The result made McEwen the first rider to win both the Agria CCI4*-L and the GFS Saddles CCI4*-S for eight- and nine-year-old horses at Blenheim in the same year.

It also gave him the first one-two finish in the CCI4*-L at Blenheim since William Fox-Pitt achieved the feat in 2002. “I came here with five very nice horses and no expectations,” McEwen said afterwards. “What a weekend.” His success provided the headline ending to a competition in which the wider field had supplied plenty of its own stories.

Sam Ecroyd finished third and fifth, Jesse Campbell fourth, and Gemma Stevens sixth in the CCI4*-L. Australia’s Oliver Barrett finished 10th and was the highest-placed of the eight young riders competing for the Stars and Stripes team. The Stars and Stripes also took the inaugural Blenheim Challenge, winning 12.5 points to the Rising Lions’ four.

In the GFS Saddles CCI4*-S, McEwen completed his own double by winning with Brookfield Danny de Muze. Bubby Upton finished third with Sancerre de Tiji, following her strong Dressage performances earlier in the week.

More than a competition

The sporting results were only part of the Blenheim experience.

Across the four days, the parkland became a meeting place for spectators, competitors, families and the wider equestrian community. The programme included the evoke™ Eventer Challenge, Retraining of Racehorses competitions, Pony Club Jumping Championship and demonstrations from the European 3* Squad.

Away from the arenas, visitors could watch falconry and dog agility, while exhibitors and food stands added to the country-event atmosphere. More than 200 exhibitors were also recognised through the event’s stand awards.

The presence of dogs was another part of this year’s experience, with the organisers highlighting the event’s ambition to become the UK’s most dog-friendly equestrian event.

For spectators, however, much of the appeal remained in the simple combination of place and occasion: horses moving through the Palace parkland, crowds lining the Cross Country course, riders emerging from the trees and the Palace providing a constant architectural presence beyond the competition.

It is a setting that gives Blenheim an identity beyond the sport itself.

A weekend to remember

By Sunday afternoon, the arenas were quietening and the crowds were beginning to leave the parkland, bringing four days of competition to a close.

There had been the precision of Dressage, the drama of Cross Country and the final tension of Showjumping. There had been established champions and emerging riders, young horses and veteran campaigners, international teams and grassroots competitors.

And there was a record-breaking performance from Tom McEwen, whose remarkable one-two finish and victories in both four-star classes provided the defining sporting moment of the 2026 event.

But the photographs from Blenheim tell a broader story: of horses and riders, spectators and countryside, competition and celebration, all coming together for four days in one of Oxfordshire’s most recognisable landscapes.

The Agria Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials returns from 16 to 19 September 2027.

There is something about the return of The Great British Bake Off that makes the kitchen feel a little more inviting.

The mixing bowls come down from the cupboard. The scales find their place on the worktop. Someone starts talking about sourdough. And, sooner or later, there is usually flour on the floor.

The new series brings another group of amateur bakers into the tent, but part of the pleasure of Bake-Off has always been what happens beyond it. The programme has made baking feel less like a test of technical perfection and more like something to share: a weekend project, an excuse to make a cake, or simply a reason to spend an afternoon in the kitchen.

For anyone feeling inspired, the equipment need not be complicated. A good mixing bowl, accurate scales, a sturdy rolling pin and a reliable cake tin will take you a surprisingly long way. Beyond those basics, there is a certain pleasure in choosing things that make baking feel like an occasion.

Traditional British kitchenware has a particular appeal here. Mason Cash mixing bowls have become almost shorthand for home baking, while patterned cake tins, wooden utensils and gingham textiles bring a more relaxed, country-kitchen feel. Elsewhere, modern design comes through in the form of stand mixers, smart bakeware and neatly considered tools for decorating.

Then there are the things that encourage you to try something different.

A loose-bottom tart tin opens the door to pastry. A Swiss roll tin suggests a slightly more ambitious afternoon. A proving basket makes bread feel within reach, while a piping set can turn a straightforward cake into something considerably more elaborate. None is essential, but each offers another reason to bake.

The visual side of baking matters, too. A cake stand can turn a simple sponge into the centrepiece of a table. A patterned tin can earn its place on an open shelf. Even an oven glove or tea towel can add a little personality to a kitchen.

That is perhaps part of the enduring appeal of Bake Off. It is not really about owning the perfect equipment or producing a technically flawless showstopper. It is about the ritual around baking — measuring, mixing, waiting, decorating and, eventually, sitting down to eat what you have made.

So, as the new series gets under way, we have put together a collection of baking essentials, useful equipment and a few things that are simply lovely to have around the kitchen.

From prep and measuring to mixing, baking, decorating and serving, our Ready for Bake-Off collection brings together some of our favourite pieces for the season ahead.

There is no guarantee they will help you win Star Baker.

But they might make the next bake rather more enjoyable.

Explore our curated Great British Bake Off collection and get your kitchen ready for the new series.

Explore the Bake-Off collection

On the edge of Charlbury, behind stone walls, mature trees and hedges, Broadstone Farm offers an unusual interpretation of the Oxfordshire farmhouse. Rather than simply preserving an old agricultural property, its owners have combined the original buildings with contemporary architecture to create a home that moves deliberately between past and present.

The result is a five-bedroom house set within about 8.6 acres, with a guest cottage, gym, stabling, gardens and land. It is a property shaped as much by ideas about modern family life as by its rural setting.

The present owners bought the farm in 2011, intending to work with the existing footprint of the buildings to create what they describe as an innovative and sustainable family home. Architect Charlie Luxton, known for his approach to sustainable and thoughtful architecture, was involved in the transformation.

The old farmhouse remains an important part of the house. It now contains a welcoming family room and a generous study, with two bedrooms and a family bathroom above. At the rear, an earlier extension was removed and replaced with a replica of the farmhouse, creating a dual-aspect sitting room with three sets of French doors opening towards the terrace. Above it is the principal bedroom suite.

At the centre of the house, however, is a decidedly contemporary intervention. The kitchen connects the farmhouse to the former agricultural buildings and has become the natural hub of the home, with the principal ground-floor rooms arranged around it.

It is also where the contrast between old and new is most apparent. Pale stone worktops sit above bespoke contemporary cabinetry, while limestone and oak floors continue elsewhere through the house. The kitchen includes a five-zone induction hob, two ovens, a warming drawer, Quooker boiling tap, two dishwashers and an American-style fridge freezer, with a large walk-in pantry immediately adjoining it.

Perhaps the most striking feature is not the kitchen itself but the way it connects the house to the landscape. The north and south walls are extensively glazed, with seamless sliding doors opening to the gardens. Natural light travels deep into the interior, while the terraces become an extension of the principal living spaces in warmer weather.

The former tractor barn has taken on an entirely different life as a vaulted games room, complete with a mezzanine sitting area. It connects directly with the hall, kitchen and front garden. Elsewhere, the entrance hall leads to a garden room, which opens onto the rear terrace, as well as the utility and boot rooms.

Upstairs, an oak open-tread staircase leads to a glazed galleried landing. The principal bedroom has a vaulted ceiling, while its bathroom and bedroom look towards the rear garden. The adjoining dressing room could, if required, become a sixth bedroom or nursery.

Two further bedrooms with fitted wardrobes share the family bathroom on this level. A second staircase rises from the garden room to another galleried landing, where two additional bedrooms, both with vaulted ceilings, each have an en suite shower room.

The house’s environmental considerations are woven into the architecture rather than treated as an afterthought. Underfloor heating is supplied by a Windhager biomass pellet system, while heat recovery and double glazing are fitted throughout.

Outside, the sense of enclosure is striking given the property’s proximity to the town. Broadstone Farm sits on a no-through lane, concealed behind high stone walls, mature trees and hedging. The gardens and land extend to about 8.6 acres, wrapping around the northern and eastern sides of the property.

The front garden is centred on a water feature and rill, surrounded by a rose parterre. The walls of the original farmhouse are softened by mature wisteria, adding another layer of age to a house whose architecture otherwise moves comfortably between periods.

At the rear, a stone terrace runs along the kitchen and entrance hall, with flower beds and stone walls giving way to wide steps and a croquet lawn. Beyond it, the garden becomes less formal, divided into a series of informal rooms connected by mown paths and sitting areas.

There is an orchard of apple and pear trees, an enclosed vegetable garden and an abundance of mature trees, yew and evergreen hedging. Two large paddocks have been left to grow long, with paths cut through the grass to create a more informal landscape and provide a haven for wildlife.

Away from the main house, the former pigsty has acquired another identity altogether. Once home to Pippin the pony, it has been converted into The Pip, a self-contained oak-clad cottage.

The ground floor contains a kitchen and living room, bedroom or study and shower room, while a mezzanine bedroom sits above with a freestanding roll-top bath. Outside, a terrace and wood-fired hot tub make the cottage an independent retreat — useful for guests, family or simply a change of scene.

A similarly oak-clad standalone building houses the gym. Its industrial character is concealed behind sliding oak barn doors, echoing the architectural language of The Pip.

Three wooden stables and a tack room are arranged around a concrete yard, completing the property’s connection with its former agricultural use.

What makes Broadstone Farm distinctive is therefore less any single architectural gesture than the way its different elements have been brought together. The original farmhouse, recreated historic fabric, contemporary glazed spaces, agricultural buildings and informal gardens have each been given a new role.

It is an approach that allows the property to retain the character of a rural Oxfordshire farm while accommodating the rhythms of contemporary family life — from kitchen and garden to games room, guest cottage, vegetable garden and paddocks.

Broadstone Farm is offered at a guide price of £5.5 million.