British event rider Harry Mead and his mare Annaghmore Valoner have proved a formidable double act this summer and have no signs of stopping short at the Defender Burghley Horse Trials. 

The pair handily won the CC14* long at Bramham - the toughest competition of its level - earlier this year, and after their first outing in Lincolnshire it seems that was not a one-off success.

The 41-year-old guided his mare to a respectable 31.5 dressage score in front of a lively crowd, proving he was right to believe the mare could perform under pressure at her first 5* event.

“I was really pleased with her, I love that horse,” he said. “She’s an absolute trooper, very sensitive but a real athlete and there’s not an ounce of malice in her. 

“She’s a lovely person and it’s nice to try and give her confidence, keep her happy and for her to go in on a Friday afternoon with a reasonably big atmosphere and hold that together, produce a really nice test at her first 5*, I’m just thrilled with her.” 

Despite Annaghmore Valoner’s Bramham win she remains an entirely inexperienced mare at the 5* level, but Meade is certain she has the inner strength to confront the cross country head-on even if the pair can’t pull off a mistake-free run. 

“I think Bramham is about the only 4* event in the world that sets you up for a 5* so I’m very happy with her, but when I dismounted at the end of Bramham I didn’t necessarily think she was up for Burghley, I thought I would have to hold her hand. 

“She’s potentially not emotionally resilient for cross-country, so it’s about trying to enable her to enjoy every fence. If there’s a moment of imperfection anywhere, it really affects her breathing and slightly rattles her, so I’ve tried to give her a nice run into it and hopefully she can feel really confident in herself. I will look after her.”

The cross country course at Burghley is notorious across the international scene for its undulating and unrelenting terrain, but Meade has two other horses to think about as he prepares for the next stage. 

“Superstition has hardly run, he gets a bit stressed competing so I don’t run him. He’s run once in the last year but he’s been to some good cross country schools - he’s a brave horse. 

“Cavalier Crystal is my most straightforward out of the three. She came here last year for her first 5* and she is very game, really up for it. 

“The key is keeping each horse as an individual and being able to flip flop in your mentality from one to the other when you’re jumping from horse to horse.”

Defender Burghley Horse Trials (5-8 September 2024) has been a major international sporting and social event for over 50 years. It attracts the world's top equestrians and is attended by vast and enthusiastic crowds. For more information visit www.burghley-horse.co.uk