Cornbury House Horse Trials to stage advanced class

The new category has been added ahead of the Oxfordshire event in 2026, which runs from September 9 to 13, as the site prepares to host the FEI Under-25 World Eventing Championships in 2027.

The advanced cross-country course will be designed by Dutch Olympic event rider Andrew Heffernan, who also designs tracks at Bramham and Burgham.

Andrew Heffernan, Dutch Olympic event rider, said: “I’m delighted to be given this opportunity; Cornbury is a really lovely event that’s become particularly popular with owners and riders in the six years since its inception.

“David Evans has done a great job with the cross-country tracks, and I’m thoroughly looking forward to working with him and being able to use Cornbury’s park and woods to pose some new challenges for competitors.”

Founder and president David Howden said the event and its new direction are focused on helping young riders progress.

David Howden said: “Hosting the FEI Under-25 World Championships in 2027 is a really exciting development for Cornbury House Horse Trials.

“Right from the start our focus has been on nurturing and promoting young talent – athletes and horses – and we host both the Young Rider and Junior classes for under-21 riders, as well as the British Eventing Young Horse Championships.

“The new FEI Under-25 World Championships are just what the sport needed to help develop and encourage these talented young riders.

“The new Advanced class this year allows us to test the new course and the new layout in advance of running our first CCI4*-S at the World Championships in 2027, and we are delighted to welcome Andrew Heffernan to the Cornbury team.”

Other changes to the 2026 event include a revised start and finish area for cross-country, extended tracks through new sections of the park and woodlands, and a new under-25 dressage arena on the West Terrace lawn of Cornbury House.

To improve ground conditions, organisers will reduce the number of class sections, resulting in around 200 fewer horses competing.

Visitors can expect locally sourced food and drink, an artisan food tent, premium hospitality, and the popular Cornbury Shopping Village.

A new equine stage will also feature Q&A sessions about the sport.

The 2026 event marks the seventh year of Cornbury House Horse Trials.

Tickets for Cornbury House Horse Trials 2026 will go on pre-sale from Thursday, April 30.

More information is available at www.cornburyhousehorsetrials.co.uk.