Lauren Innes forced herself to put a lid on her nerves and dig deep to produce a gutsy cross country performance at the Defender Burghley Horse Trials.

The New Zealand-born eventer could all but look on from the sidelines for much of a grey day at the Stamord venue but her successful completion of the endurance test eventually proved worth the wait.

“I hate the waiting,” she said, speaking after she crossed the finish line with Global Fision M. “Once I’m out there and doing it and the adrenaline is going, it’s such a thrilling experience.

“It’s such an intense 10 minutes, it flies by and you get to the end and even when you’ve done it a couple of times that thrill is still there. When you get it right, it gives you an amazing feeling.”

This year’s Burghley is Innes’ fourth 5* start but despite this being just her second trip to the prestigious Lincolnshire competition, she proved experience is not a prerequisite to success.

“He’s [Global Fision M] just so experienced,” she added. “He knows his own mind and as long as I don’t interfere, he’ll sort me out. 

“He knows where the flags are, he’s been round here once but it wouldn’t even matter if he hadn’t because he loves his job so much and gives it everything all of the time. He’s such a fighter.

“There were a couple of hairy moments. I think at 5* you never have a perfect round - I thought I was going out the side door - but he said ‘hold on tight’. That’s where he is so experienced, he helps me out whenever I need it and I’m proud of him.” 

Innes’ well-executed run saw her jump the standings to 27th position - a vast improvement from her position this time last year which saw her down in 58th - but the Kiwi would take no credit for her role.

“Global Fision M is just so consistent now,” she said, batting away compliments for how she handled one of the world’s toughest courses.

“I took him to Hartpury for his final practice run and he didn’t back off anything. I thought he better not back off at Burghley, there are some big fences out there, but he gave me a fantastic ride. 

“When I bought him as a five-year-old, I’d never ridden a 5* horse and I thought ‘This must be what it feels like’. He just eats up places like Burghley and I’m along for the ride.”

Despite putting in a determined shift to complete the second phase of three with a +17.2 time penalty, there’s no rest for the weekend as Innes will step out for a third and final time for the show jumping.

“He’s a really good show-jumper,” she said. “As long as he pulls up fine we can maybe go clear. I don’t think I’ll ever sit on another horse like him.”

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