David Howden and his daughter Jemima in front of Cornbury House. ©:CHHT/Cotswold Film Company.
As the two-month countdown to Cornbury House Horse Trials (9-13 September) starts, the Oxfordshire event has forged further ahead in the front ranks of the British equestrian scene by launching a new Advanced class for under-25 riders for 2026.
Event president and founder David Howden has created a spectacular new dressage arena on the lawn of Cornbury House, where he and his family live, which will be used for the British Eventing Advanced under-25 class this September and for the FEI Eventing World Championships for U25s, hosted here at Cornbury, in 2027.
David said: “We are so excited about this new national Advanced class – the dressage arena in front of the house is just breathtaking, even if I am not sure our gardener agrees! It will give up-and-coming young riders – the Olympians of the future – an incredible atmosphere in which to compete and to develop their skills in the best possible way, which is everything Cornbury House Horse Trials is about.
“We are thrilled to have a new Advanced cross-country track this year, designed by the brilliant Andrew Heffernan, and we’re looking forward to a superb seventh edition of Cornbury House Horse Trials. We have the most amazing group of supportive partners who share our vision for Cornbury House Horse Trials, and we are very grateful to them for helping us grow what we can offer riders, horses, owners and visitors.”
Cornbury House Horse Trials hosts the British Eventing National Young Horse Championships for five-, six- and seven-year-olds, under-21 classes sponsored by The Howden Way, CCI3*-S sections sponsored by Pragnell, and CCI2*-S classes supported by Premier Equine. The incredibly popular £50,000 Arena Racing Company (ARC) Racehorse to Eventer Challenge Cup returns for a second year, too.
New Advanced course-designer Andrew Heffernan, who works in conjunction with Cornbury’s long-standing course-designer David Evans, has introduced major changes to the cross-country tracks for 2026.
Andrew said: “We’ve relocated the start of the courses to a quieter area, which means we can use the ground round the hub of the event site to provide more entertaining and exciting complexes of fences for visitors to watch. The route of the courses has been completely changed, which will give the event a very different look and feel.
“Running an Advanced class is a very exciting step up for Cornbury, and should provide both a terrific test and great viewing.”
Alongside top-class sport, Cornbury offers so much to its visitors:
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Exquisite hospitality – the Endless Lunch at Cornbury by Mirabeau, a feast of delicious food and wine overlooking the spectacular main arena, returns at the fantastic price of £95 per adult, including event entrance, for Saturday, 12 September, along with the Great Cornbury BBQ, which is available on Sunday, 13 September at £45 per head.
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Browsing the hand-picked, curated selection of independent retailers that comprise the Cornbury Village
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Sampling exceptional, locally sourced food and drink at our “From the Farm” initiative, which will bring together some of the region’s finest producers, including Cornbury Farm, Bruern Farm, Honeydale Farm and Diddly Squat
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NEW Artisan Food and Drink Tent, featuring local producers
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NEW Cornbury Chat Stage, featuring local personalities and equestrian heroes
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Entertainment every night after the sport finishes in the Wychwood Inn on-site
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Explore the rest of the site with the return of Variety Wood, along with the Pol Roger Lodge up at the Pragnell Water Feature on the cross-country course overlooking Cornbury House and the surrounding parkland.
Aerial view of the new dressage arena in front of Cornbury House. Photo:CHHT/Cotswold Film Company
Visit www.cornburyhousehorsetrials.
Cornbury House Horse Trials’ supported charity for 2026 is the British Eventing Support Trust (BEST), and donations can be made at the point of ticket purchase.
