Chilton Trinity’s Alex Bragg believes magical mare Quindiva showed plenty of potential for future endeavours in the dressage of the 2023 Defender Burghley Horse Trials.

The skilled Somerset rider last competed at Burghley in 2018 but did not complete on EL Zagreb.

Quindiva posted a score of 39.7 in Thursday’s dressage and, although the atmosphere of the hailed Burghley grounds proved a lot for the Irish-bred Oldenburg’s performance, there is still more to come.

“There were some very good and positive bits and some bits where maybe I overcooked it,” he said.

“The atmosphere got to the mare a little bit and she made a few mistakes which we can’t really afford but we got through the test.

“There were some nice bits in there that I can take on forward into her future competitions.

“It’s really special, not just a little bit but really special, it’s a beautiful setting, a lovely area of the country, the house is spectacular and the fact you can see it from on top of the grounds in its entirety it gives it more of a fairy-tale feel.

“The ground, the going, the turf for the horses is perfect and the course that they’ve designed here at Burghley is magic, you couldn’t have it more beautifully dressed.”

Quindiva competed at her first 5* event in May at Badminton Horse Trials but was retired in the cross-country.

And Bragg, who is a qualified farrier, hopes his mare will put nerves aside and rise up to the challenge of the fabled Burghley course, designed by Derek di Grazia.

“It’s a real challenge and there’s going to be some nervous people,” he said. “If there aren’t then there’s something wrong with them on the Friday night before the Saturday cross-country.

“There’ll also be some elated people afterwards but for us to come here is a real achievement in itself, let alone how well we do here in the competition.

“She was very good at Badminton and I think that’s equally a tough challenge.

“Hopefully we can just stay correct and not make a silly mistake and her talent will really shine through on Saturday.”

Defender Burghley Horse Trials (31st August - 3 September 2023) has been a major international sporting and social event for over 50 years. It attracts the world’s top equestrians and over 170,000 visitors. For more information visit www.burghley-horse.co.uk