King taking inspiration from mother's triumph as she bids to follow in her Burghley footsteps

By Ben Hart, Sportsbeat

Emily King evoked memories of her mother Mary’s triumph with a formidable start to the 2024 Defender Burghley Horse Trials.

King Snr triumphed in 1996 when Burghley was still a 4* event - it has subsequently been awarded 5* status and is widely regarded as the best eventing test in the world.

Flintshire-based rider King, 28, made a superb start on her second appearance at Burghley, recording a personal best in the dressage phase for the top level.

“Burghley is absolutely amazing. I’ve been so lucky coming here since I was a kid with mum, so it almost feels like home,” said King.

“I’ve been so much, I know the drill, I know where everything is and it’s just quite nice to know the little ins and outs.

“It’s weird having followed mum around for years and now she’s doing the same for me. When the press are particularly busy I say ‘Do you want to come and do this for me?’”

King and Valmy Biats were first to take to the arena on Friday morning but showed no sign of any nerves, shooting to fourth in the leaderboard ahead of the weekend’s action.

“I was so pleased, he was awesome, he burst in today, I think he quite liked that the atmosphere was a little bit quieter this morning,” said King.

“He was really listening, really cool, really calm. He did a personal best 5* test and there were still places where he could get a little better, there were no big mistakes but there were lots of little half marks where he could get better so it’s nice to know he can still do better.

“I really want to be competitive here but I also want to make sure that he has a really good educational round and he has a great time.

“Ultimately I still want to use this to further him and further how he trusts me and how he listens to me and make sure that is at the forefront of my mind.

“He’s feeling fresh, he’s feeling well, almost opening him up on the gallops and keeping an eye on the clock but ultimately I want to make sure he’s really listening to me and having a good time.”

Looking ahead, Saturday’s cross-country phase will provide a stiffer test and King says she will be picking her mother’s brains to boost her chances of glory.

“Mum and I haven’t walked together yet but I’ve done a few on my own and later today we’re going to go around together, have a really good walk and just go through all the technical lines,” added King.

“We’ll work out the long route options if need be, and yeah she’s a great advice to have mum, she knows how the horses cope with the terrain, where to let them maybe have a bit of a breather, and allow them on a bit more, so I’ll be sponging every bit of info I can out of her.”

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