Eventer Andrew Heffernan was pleased to have finally completed the Defender Burghley Horse Trials at the fourth time of asking.

Heffernan, 49, who is based out of Somerford Park, was among just 29 entrants to make it through the four-day challenge at the famed 5* event, with several hopes dashed across Saturday’s gruelling cross-country.

Saddling Harthill Phantom for the second Burghley running, Heffernan finished in 39th place and was pleased to have broken his duck having fallen short of the final day in each of his previous two Burghley’s and on debut in 2014.

“It’s nice to finish. The horse deserves that. He’s an incredibly brave cross-country horse and I couldn’t be more pleased with how he approached the course mentally, he was really up for it,” said Heffernan.

“I think we suffered a bit from that in the jumping. That’s just the sport and of course I’m disappointed but I’m not devastated.”

The event in Stamford was only Harthill Phantom’s second 5* and Heffernan hopes his 14-year-old will learn to settle with more experience at the top level.

He added: “He’s a horse that when he’s in a less buzzy environment, at a lower event or lower scale event, is strong and keen but manageable, whereas in this environment I just feel it’s quite impossible to keep on top of him, so that affected us in all three phases.”

Atop the leaderboard was Olympic champion Ros Canter, who put the finishing touches to her spectacular summer by adding a first Burghley crown and third 5* triumph to the team eventing title she captured in Paris.

Canter led from the end of the first round courtesy of Izilot DHI but it was Lordships Graffalo, lovingly nicknamed ‘Walter’, who took control in the cross-country phase before coming through Sunday’s nerve-shredding showjumping finale to take glory.

“It means everything,” Canter told Burghley TV. “I’ve achieved a lot, I’ve been lucky, I’ve achieved some great things and going into this year, the Olympics was this one big box tick and in some ways it's made me a bit flat.

“So I came into this week and I thought:' I don’t need this, but I really want it.' I had a good feeling all week but I didn’t tell anyone.

“I felt really confident, ready to go out there and be more and I’ve stuck to my system and haven’t asked questions about anyone else about how to ride or what strides they're going on. I said to myself: 'you know what you’re doing, believe in yourself', and it’s paid off.”

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