‘I am incredibly excited’: Olympic rider named new course-designer for British four-star
Olympic rider Andrew Heffernan has been appointed cross-country course-designer for the Burgham International Horse Trials CCI4*-S (29 July – 2 August).
Andrew, who represented the Netherlands at the London 2012 Olympics, takes over from David Evans and will give the 2026 track “a new layout and look”. David will continue to design Burgham’s CCI3*-S, CCI2*-S and national courses.
Andrew is coach and chef d’equipe of the Dutch eventing team and is course-designer at events including Bramham Horse Trials and Loch Moy in the US.
“I am incredibly excited to be joining Burgham as the new designer for the CCI4*-S track in 2026. My thanks go to David Evans for the opportunity to take this on, and to the organising committee for their confidence in me and for the chance to work closely with their team,” said Andrew.
“Burgham is such an important and well supported event with a reputation for being truly top-class. I’m really looking forward to the future; to making plenty of changes and developing new ideas while respecting everything that makes this event so special. I really can’t wait to get started.”
Event director Craig Anderson added that the Burgham team is “delighted to have Andrew, who is clearly on his way to becoming one of the world’s top cross-country course-designers, involved”.
“I have no doubt that he will bring an innovative and fresh feel to Burgham while maintaining the characteristics of the courses that have helped make the event such a popular and established part of the calendar for owners and riders,” said Craig.
“I know that Andrew and David have great respect for each other and will be a terrific team together here at Burgham.”
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