To be known as the Burghley Loddon Young Event Horse Series, the classes are for four- and five-year-old potential event horses, and are held in high regard as a showcase for identifying our promising stars of the future.
This year, 20 qualifiers from Scotland to Cornwall will take place from May through to August culminating in the Burghley Loddon Young Event Horse Championships, to be held at The Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials on Friday September 5.
This is the first foray into sponsorship for Loddon, which builds stables and horse walkers, and includes The Hong Kong Jockey Club, The Singapore Turf Club, The Japanese Racing Association and the Queen among its clients.
Roger Widdowson, managing director of Loddon, said: "We feel that the Burghley Loddon Young Event Horse Series allows us to put something back into the sport and invest in its future."
The competition format for four- and five-year-old horses looks at the horses under saddle in dressage and jumping while the outlook, movement and conformation are examined in-hand. After the three preliminary sections, the top 10 are finally asked to show their paces and demonstrate "star quality and presence".
Previous finalists have included Pippa Funnell's Primmore's Pride, William Fox-Pitt's Tamarillo, Leslie Law's Shear H2O and Tina Cook's Miners Frolic, who won the Burghley Young Event Horse Five-year-old Championship in 2003.
Many of those competing are faces that could be set to compete in London 2012 in four years time.
Elizabeth Inman, event director of The Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials said: "The fit between Loddon and this popular series to find the stars of the future couldn't be better as excellence and quality are synonymous with both Burghley and Loddon. I know that this partnership will be extremely beneficial for both of us."
A full list of 2008 qualifiers and full rules will shortly be available on The Land Rover Burghley .