With football and cricket fever set to grip Britain in the coming days, the 50th anniversary Defender Bramham Horse Trials provides the perfect alternative sporting experience for all. Running 6–9 June at Bramham Park in Yorkshire, the event features top-flight eventing, entertainment for the whole family and a fantastic day out in a stunning setting. It’s our birthday year and the Paris 2024 Olympic Games are just a matter of weeks away, so the excitement level – otherwise known as the ‘Bramham buzz’ – is higher than ever.
The organisers of the Defender Bramham Horse Trials are delighted to announce that HRH The Princess Royal will attend the final day and present the awards to the CCI-L 4 competition on the occasion of the event’s 50th anniversary. The Princess Royal, who competed at Bramham in its inaugural year in 1974, will join the celebrations on Sunday 9 June to watch the final showjumping phase of the competition before awarding the prizes. The Princess Royal is vice president of the event’s chosen charity for 2024, The British Horse Society, and we are honoured to have her in attendance.
With over 130 entries from an international roster of 10 country flags, it’s a truly quality field this year, with riders from China, South Africa, Ireland, France, The Netherlands, Japan, Canada, Italy, the USA and, of course, Great Britain. The three sections of CCI4* eventing competition – the showcase Defender CCI-L 4*, the Defender CCI-S 4* and the CCI-L U25 4* are littered with riders who class Bramham as a happy hunting ground, with no less than 10 previous winners back for more.
The entry list also contains seven of the nine British riders currently in line for Olympic selection so it’s a fantastic chance to see these combinations in action before the final team selection is announced in late June. Three of those hopefuls bring forward their potential Games mounts – reigning European Champion Ros Canter has Lordships Graffalo, Olympic gold and silver medallist Tom McEwen rides JL Dublin and European silver medallist Kitty King partners Vendredi Biats. The latter pair were winners at Bramham in 2019, while both Ros and Tom have topped the podium in the past. Reigning U25 British Champion Bubby Upton also features on both the Bramham entry list and the Paris 2024 nominated entry list, as do Emily King, Tom Jackson and Bramham regular Oliver Townend, who originally hails from Huddersfield.
There’s particularly strong Dutch, Japanese and Irish contingents heading to Yorkshire, who look to have chosen Bramham as a good test ahead of their selection for the Games.
Other previous winners making a welcome return include Zara Tindall, Izzy Taylor, Alex Hua Tian and Yoshiaki Oiwa. Last year’s CCI4*-S victors, Selina Miles and Cooley Snapchat, are also back, but this time around will be looking for top honours in the CCI-L 4* section.
Local riders bidding for success at Bramham include Scarborough’s Phil Brown riding Harry Robinson in the CCI-S 4*, Dewsbury’s Kristina Hall-Jackson with hopes to better last year’s 18th place in the CCI-L 4* with Hawk Eye, and Bramham debutant Yarm-based Harrison Colling with Trevi Fountain.
Alongside the international classes, Bramham is once again delighted to host over 60 of Britian’s ambitious amateurs as they bid to become the NAF Five Star BE80 Champion. The competition has its own dedicated area of the park, while still being an integral feature of the event site, and gives riders from all over the country their very own stage on which to shine. They start with two days of dressage on Tuesday 4 June, before the showjumping and cross-country action – which makes up part of a packed Thursday programme– decides the final placings and crowns a new champion..
While 2024 will be very much an event of anniversary celebrations, there will be another huge milestone to mark – the swansong year for course designer Ian Stark, who is retiring after 15 years of masterminding the feature fences and routes for which Bramham is renowned. Anyone that knows Ian will be aware that he wouldn’t want to leave without giving riders and spectators something memorable – and he hasn’t disappointed. Working with skillful course builder David Evans, Ian has set a fantastic test befitting of a birthday year and the perfect sign-off. The route and fences are currently being kept under wraps, but all will be revealed shortly on the CrossCountry App – download the app or visit the website and keep checking!
As ever, Bramham isn’t just all about eventing. There’s a host of additional equestrian action, shopping galore, delicious eateries – including a dedicated Food Hall – and entertainment for all the family around the site and across our two competition arenas supported by Defender and Top Spec.
Lunchtime on Thursday shines the spotlight on dressage, with Melissa Chapman and her team doing a dazzling display showcasing all the moves, while Friday will feature a stallion display. The fantastic Kirkborne Spaniels will be in action on Saturday and Sunday with their working dog display, as well as holding scurry and agility sessions for our canine visitors.
Bramham’s 2024 charity partner, The British Horse Society, will host a road safety demo on Friday. Keeping riders and horses safe on Britain’s roads is a fundamental part of their work, including the ‘Dead Slow’ campaign, so this is a not-to-be-missed session for riders, cyclists and motorists alike. You can also visit them all week on stand 117 to learn more about all the work they do around lobbying, education, welfare and safety. With safety in mind, the on-event St John’s Ambulance team will be running first aid sessions at noon, 13.00 and 14.00 on both Saturday and Sunday – they’re stationed in the first aid area, behind the Secretary’s tent.
The young-hearted amongst the crowd will want to head to the area below the Top Spec arena, where Fantastic Faces will be offering face painting and rosette making, alongside the trend sweeping the nation, Hobby Horse Adventures.
Our bustling tradestand village features over 120 outlets for you to browse, sample and buy. There’s something for all tastes, wants and desires – from chutney to china, saddles to scarves, shoes to safaris, there’s plenty of choice. Our clothing partner Joules has created a range to mark our 50th anniversary, which will feature on their stand, number 79, or you can view and order online. Friday night is late shopping evening and you can join us for FREE from 4pm, with shops staying open until 20:00 – what better way to end the working week and get the weekend off to the perfect start.
NEW for this year is the app, which is the perfect way to have the Defender Bramham Horse Trials lowdown in one place. There’s a version for both iOS and Android and it’s free to download. You can find out what’s on and when, build your own itinerary, navigate the tradestands and receive notifications. The top tip is to download before you arrive!
Event Director Nicholas Pritchard commented; “The Park has been coming to life over the last few weeks and the Bramham team is currently putting the final touches in place to welcome everyone to our 50th anniversary celebrations. We’ve had good drying weather mixed with showers, with a reasonably dry forecast on the cards, so we’re anticipating the ground to be good. We have a world-class entry, the course is looking superb and the tented village is taking shape, so we’re ready for you!”
For those who haven’t secured their Bramham tickets yet, prices will rise on Monday 3 June, so there’s only a matter of hours to secure the discount – and don’t forget, British Horse Society members get 25% off on Thursday, Friday and Sunday, too. Make your arrival smooth and simple by buying your tickets online before you arrive on site.
There’s a range of ticket options, starting from just £16 – rising to £19 on Monday – for the over-12s. There are weekend and season saver packages, as well as an upgrade to access our arena-side Members’ Area. Don’t forget to pop a commemorative 50th anniversary mug in your online basket, too – they’re limited edition, so don’t miss out!
If you can’t join us on Saturday for the showcase cross-country, when the riders will tackle Ian Stark’s signature courses, worry not – you can livestream all the action with a subscription via Horse & Country TV. It’s just £5.99 per month, with a discount for British Eventing members, and no contract is required.
Our website hosts the latest news and ticketing information or follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also sign up to the ‘Bramham Buzz’ digital newsletter – a daily update from the event with news, views and info – completely free! While you can opt out at any time, there will also be post-event news throughout the year and you can get ahead with planning your 2025 Bramham adventure!
