BEVERLEY eventer Gary Parsonage admitted Burghley had lost none of its bite after ending his 10-year exile from top level competition by finishing inside the top 50 in Lincolnshire.

The 47-year-old, who represented Great Britain at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, last competed at the Burghley Horse Trials in 2000 – finishing ninth on Just So II.

After concentrating most of his time producing young horses and training, Parsonage returned to the prestigious four-star event – which doubled up as the penultimate leg of the HSBC FEI Classics series – with 10-year-old Fernhill O'Dea.

And after incurring 61.2 points in the dressage, 52.4 in the cross-country and just six in the show jump finale to finish 49th, Parsonage insisted the famous event posed as stiff a test as ever.

"I've enjoyed Burghley and have had a really good event," said Parsonage.

"I know you're here for three days but there is always a course to walk or a horse to ride or something else to do, so it is very busy.

"It's a better and harder event than Badminton due to the undulations whereas Badminton is very flat. You know you are in for a real test of horse and rider here."

THE HSBC FEI Classics™ unites the top end of the international eventing circuit - namely the five four-star competitions across the world. The Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials is the penultimate event in the HSBC FEI Classics™.