Pinkney's route to Burghley Horse Trials has been different than most

The 33-year-old from Newbury initially had dreams of becoming a professional rugby player before a job mucking out at a stable changed his plans.

The former winger had never ridden a horse until he responded to a newspaper advert as a 17-year-old, with his sisters' exploits in the sport having never interested him as a youngster.

Fast forward 16 years and Pinkney stepped out on the ground of Burghley House alongside 12-year-old gelding Clargah Olala for his first outing at the iconic Horse Trials.

“I wasn’t really eventing as a child – I didn’t have horses until I was 17,” he said.

“I wanted to be a rugby player, but that failed, so I’d left school, and Mum was like, ‘Well, you need to go get a job..

"My sister did some pony club stuff,  but it was never a thing that I wanted to really get stuck into," he said.

"I've always been an animal lover, and then I went to a team chasing yard and it just kind of got me stuck in, and I thought, 'Wow, this looks really fun.'

"It was a job that was offered in the newspaper at the time, so I went to make some money and that was kind of that.

"Then I watched Badminton Horse Trials on TV and I thought it looked cool. So that was my getting into it."

Unlike most riders who started at a young age and have risen up through the Pony Club ranks, Pinkney has carved his own path in the sport.

It meant adding Clargah Olala to his team four years ago and the pair have come on a long way together since their first outing.

"He came to me as an eight-year-old and had a few issues," he added.

"We had to build him up again and I remember the first novice show I took him to, I'm not one who wears an air jacket, but I remember going round the Lorry Park asking if anyone had an air jacket, because I wasn't so confident with them.

"From then, he just took it all on and got stuck in, and then he's just built up the level.

"He's done 3* and 4* longs now, and he's been very good, so I think he's ready."

Pinkney sits in 13th place after the opening day at Defender Burghley, with a score of 38.0 in the dressage phase.

And with the famed Burghley cross-country course and showjumping still to come, Pinkney is ready to showcase his newfound skills.

"Obviously I wanted it to be better, but to be fair, I think we went in there and we did enough," he said.

"There were just some moments where there were a couple of big mistakes, which are costly at this level.

"The positive is he went in there and he wanted to do the right thing.

"You just got to go along with it. This is eventing. We're through the dressage, let's kick on.

Defender Burghley Horse Trials (3-6 September 2026) 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