Burghley Horse Trials course designer promises different feel as course reversed for first time in eight years
The Californian, who also set the course for the Tokyo 2021 Olympics, made the decision to reverse the cross-country course for the world-renowned CCI5* eventing competition at Burghley House in September. He is anticipating fresh excitement as horse and rider will travel in the direction for the first time since 2017, presenting fresh challenges and approaches to the famous jumps.
'For years it has been run the other way, so it was due for a change,' he explained. 'This is one of the big ways you can make a really significant change that totally gives a really different feel to the course.
'It's really good for the competitors to have something quite different to appeal the ride.'
The cross-country, taking place on the Saturday of the event that runs from 4-7 September, represents the second of three disciplines that will be contested over the three-day event. Alongside show jumping and dressage, the winner will be crowned from their performance in all three disciplines making it the ultimate equestrian event.
And there will be further anticipation for the 2025 iteration owing to Di Grazia's changes.
"For people that have been following Burghley for years, the reversing of the course this year will be exciting because it will show the way the track can be ridden in the opposite direction,' he added. "The terrain will come up differently, you'll have new jumps in different locations and for the riders there definitely is going to be a different strategy in terms of the best way to ride the course because the iconic features that used to be at one end of the course will now be in a different part of the course.
"So how you meet those different features will be different and the fences placed at those locations will be different to if they were placed earlier or later in the course.'
While familiar features like Winner's Avenue ensure Burghley retains its familiar uniqueness, Di Grazia was keen to stress it is the overall feel of a course that makes it special rather than individual jumps.
'Burghley has many iconic fences that have been here for so many years so we always try and include those in the course,' he said. 'To highlight one over the other is not really the case because when you do a course it's not necessarily about one jump, it's about the collection of all the jumps and how they ride as a whole.'
And with the likes of former winners and Olympic gold medallists Oliver Townend and Ros Canter expected to compete come September, the Defender Burghley Horse Trials are set to deliver another memorable occasion. For Di Grazia, it is the remarkable history and setting that keeps Burghley at the pinnacle of the eventing calendar.
'Burghley is special because there is so much history here. It's been a 5* probably the second-longest of any of the 5*s,' he said. 'The setting here at Burghley, the terrain at Burghley is known worldwide for anyone who has ever watched the competition but also the competitors because competitors want to come here and compete because it is one of those very special events on the calendar.
'It takes a special horse to be able to compete here at Burghley.'
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