Burghley clerk of the course

Philip Herbert on the wizardry of Burghley's irrigation system, the challenges of creating the illusion of a "big" course - and the time the team dog disgraced himself

- Lucy Elder

I grew up with horses and both my parents rode. I was in the Grafton branch of the Pony Club, competed on teams and went to the Pony Club championships, and was master of the Stowe Beagles while at school. I did some novice eventing and a lot of hunting in my youth, as one could at that age without any other responsibilities in life.

My father and I tried to farm pigs for a few years. Then my parents converted the pig buildings into hunter livery stables, which was great fun.

I went to New Zealand on the Inter-Pacific Pony Club exchange, involving teams from the UK, Japan, Canada, Australia and Hong Kong. That was wonderful. When the month was up, I stayed for five more.

We lived in Warwickshire and my father and I would help Noel Palmer build the course at Wellesbourne Horse Trials. When Noel’s job with the British Horse Society changed, the organisers asked me to build. Noel gave my name to many others he’d worked for, so I went from zero to it being a full-time job.

I met designer Colonel Henry Nicoll, who was on the Burghley committee, when I was building the Pony Club championships course at Stoneleigh. Burghley was looking for someone to help Bill Thomson, so I came for a week in 1980, started building in 1981 and gradually took over.