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Britain’s Bellissimo Takes the CCI4*-L Lead at MARS Bromont CCI

written by Katie Neat

BROMONT, QC – June 7, 2024  – At the end of two days of competition at the MARS Bromont CCI4*, the number two ranked eventing rider in the world, America’s Boyd Martin, sits first or second in exactly 50% of the divisions offered. And in the CCI2*-L, he’s in first AND second.

But it’s Great Britain’s Lucienne Bellissimo with the leggy and elegant Dyri who sits atop the coveted CCI4*-L, laying down a beautiful test to score 26.0, a full five points ahead of her closest rival (Boyd with Miss LuLu Herself on 31.5). Allison Springer (USA) with No May Moon are just half a point behind in third (32.1) going into what will most certainly be an influential cross-country day Saturday. 

Bellissimo, who competed in the 4*-S at the 2023 event with Tremanton, is hoping this weekend at Bromont will serve as the perfect preparation, or at least stepping stone, for the next phase in Dyri’s career.

“I love (Bromont), it actually reminds me a lot of being back at home in Europe or England,” she said. “It’s just a beautiful track and a typical Derek [di Grazia] course. You just keep riding, and if you’re riding well and your horses are trusting you, it’s fantastic. And I figured if (Dyri) jumps around this well, then I’m hoping he’s kind of maybe ready to have a bash at Maryland [5 Star in October]. And if not then we’ll keep coming out until he is.

“The goals today were to try and improve a little bit with his canter work, both the changes and the canter half-pass, and I felt we did that. We’ve got a bit of a different system now with the way I’m asking him for his changes. He’s a sensitive horse and can sometimes be a bit of a slow-thinking horse, and the canter’s very big. So luckily today I think it was better, a bit more reactive at the right time. His canter work, again, in the half-pass felt a bit more supple and just a little bit more letting me ride him once he hits the centre line. I genuinely think that we can get this test a lot better by this time next year, hopefully.”

Canada is well represented in the CCI4*-S, holding four of the top five placings at the end of Friday with just fractions of points separating the leaders. 

Long-time Canadian team member Jessica Phoenix sits in the lead with Watson GS, on 27.4 penalties, with teammate Karl Slezak and his 2023 Lexington CCI4*-S winner Hot Bobo just behind on 27.6. America’s Hannah Sue Hollberg and Capitol H I M are sandwiched between two more Canadians (Dunham, QC’s Colleen Loach and FE Golden Eye) and Phoenix again with her second of four mounts in the division —Tugce.

Her efforts to produce Watson the right way were rewarded today; despite the opening of the heavens during their test, they scored a personal best to take the lead.

“We’ve just kind of slowly produced him up the levels,” Phoenix remarked. “He’s done four four-star Longs now and a lot of Grand Prix show jumping as well. He’s obviously a bigger boy, so it took him longer to really get his strength on the flat, but boy what a weekend for him to come out and do his personal best. He’s kind of been knocking at the door for a while now, but it’s just so rewarding to bring a horse along and to have them for that long and feel them come in and be so confident and reliable in the ring.”

Boyd Bests Himself with Another Low Score of the Day

After posting the low score of the day Thursday, Boyd Martin tapped out another Friday in the CCI2*-L division with Fetiche de Rouges, a 9-year-old Selle Francais gelding of whom Martin is quite excited. The horse was formerly campaigned through the CCI3* level with British rider Laura Collett and Ireland’s Aoife Clark, before joining Martin’s program at the start of 2024.

“He’s a real blood horse,” Martin said. “He gallops like the wind and is an incredible jumper, and he’s still young. It felt like he was a perfect horse to bring a large group of people around. He’s a beautiful mover and he’s one of those horses that lifts a gear and gets better once you go into the ring and he starts sort of strutting around and showing off for the judges. He’s lovely and calm, but when he gets a little excited he puffs up and shows off a bit.”

Martin also sits in second with Thursday’s ride Kolbeinn, on their score of 21.7 penalties.

The leaders of the CCI3*-L, U25 CCI3*-L and U25 CCI2*-L remain unchanged ahead of Saturday. Cross country will begin at 9 a.m. with the CCI3*-L divisions, followed by the CCI4*-L at 11:11 a.m., the CCI4*-S at 12:35 p.m., and the CCI2*-L at 2:40 p.m. 

IMAGES © Cealy Tetley Photo

08/06/2024 0 comment
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EventingInternationalNews

Shannon Lilley and Eindhoven Garette Take Charge at the MARS Bromont CCI4*

written by Katie Neat

BROMONT, QC – June 6, 2024  – The first half of the CCI4*-L division completed their dressage tests Thursday at MARS Bromont CCI. Shannon Lilley (USA) and her own Eindhoven Garette earned a mark of 33.8 from judges Peter Gray (CAN), Bea Di Grazia (USA), Christian Steiner (AUT) and sit in the lead, with the second half of the field yet to ride. 

Lilley prepped for MARS Bromont, which has always been her goal for the spring season with this horse, with a trip to the Lexington CCI4*-S, which is run alongside the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event CCI5*. Her plan was to just practice dressage in Kentucky, taking advantage of the atmospheric Rolex Stadium.

“He took a while to develop in the beginning, over the first couple of years,” Lilley remarked. She originally sourced Eindhoven Garette from JP Sheffield and Dirk Schrade in Europe and purchased him on the recommendation of longtime coach Buck Davidson. “He’s come a very long way in the last six, seven months, since Morven Park. He went around the four-long at Morven really well, and he’s now come so far in the dressage, it’s really incredible.”

“He was super in that atmosphere and that was sort of the plan: to go and to get him in that ring and feel good about it, and he was great. Today I thought he was even better; the parts that were good were better and then there were a couple parts that need improvement, but we always need that.”

Lilley explained the changes in her horse have extended to cross-country as much as in the dressage arena: “He looks like an overgrown pony and he’s not; he’s so athletic, he’s like riding a little sports car,” she said. “He’s quite sharp. And he’s settled a lot in his brain and in his body over the last six months, but he is sharp and very quick. He’s got a huge amount of jump and gallop, and so to be able to get him to relax and move through his back in [the dressage] has been challenging. But he’s really brave, and he’s fast and he’s quite accurate. I’m excited to do the cross country on him.”

Martin Scores Best of the Day in the CCI2*-L

While a few pairs managed to squeeze into the 20s on Thursday, Boyd Martin posted the best score of the day in the CCI2*-L with Malmo Mob and Sherry Pound’s Kolbeinn, an exciting 7-year-old Swedish Warmblood gelding who’s been in Martin’s program for about 18 months. 

Kolbeinn has show jumping in his pedigree and had jumped through 1.40m in Sweden before switching careers. Martin remarks that sometimes taking on a show jumper can mean some challenges in the dressage phase of eventing, but that hasn’t been the case with this horse, who Martin calls “a laidback champion”. 

“Full credit to the family that had him in Sweden, they really did a superb job educating him on the flat and he clicked right onto gear,” Martin said. “He’s just very willing and he just loves his job, and to get a 21 in dressage with only 18 months under his belt – I think it’s his character, he just loves doing everything.”

Martin says he loves bringing horses at all levels here to Bromont each year, commenting that the challenge of the cross country is proper education for them. “You can expose them to what it feels like to jump a big track on undulating country, and push them over a longer distance,” he explained. “It’s a great education between this and Morven Park – it’s the two real hardcore three-day events.”

Additional Quotes Following Thursday Dressage

Sara Schulman – CCI3*-L Thursday Leader with Cooley Chromatic 

“I’m super pleased with [my test] today. He’s honestly always quite reliable in the dressage phase, so it’s a nice feeling to go into the ring with. We’ve been this spring working a bit on bringing up some more power and exuberance that we know is in there. He’s only 8 this year, so there’s still a lot more to bring out and that’s led to some inconsistent tests actually leading up to this competition because we’ve been playing around with what works, what doesn’t work, so I actually backed off the pressure a little bit and went in wanting to have a nice, positive, confident test and I think it paid off.”

Claire Strehlow – U25 CCI2*-L Thursday Leader with Seabanks Theygo

“A lot of the things that [Bettina Hoy, guest coach for the MARS Bromont Rising program] talked about was making sure that I was keeping my hands lower and steady, so that [my horse] has the best balance in the bridle. And basically, being brave, she told me to be brave today, and confident that we can do it. I wanted to give him the best opportunity to have good quality gaits, and he certainly delivered that.”

Find full results on EventEntries.com 

IMAGES © Cealy Tetley Photo

07/06/2024 0 comment
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EventingNews

Defender Bramham: Day One

written by Katie Neat

Defender Bramham day one: a new champion crowned and dressage underway 

It’s billed as Thrilling Thursday and today duly lived up to the name here at the at the Defender Bramham International Horse Trials. The sun shone bright, but a keen northerly wind kept the temperatures down to provide perfect conditions for horses and spectators alike.  

NAF Five Star BE80 Championships 

After two days in between the white boards, we crowned our new NAF Five Star BE80 champions after a day of change on the leaderboard that saw well-judged rounds rewarded.  

IMAGE: FIRST CLASS IMAGES

A faultless day of jumping for Leicestershire-based rider Rachel Littlewood and her bay mare Fiancee promoted them one step up to the top of the podium and the 2024 championship accolade, adding nothing to their dressage score of 29.9. An emotional Rachel punched the air as she crossed the finish line of Ian Stark’s cross-country course, before giving her steed a big kiss after realising they’d taken the lead.   

The original plan for ‘Lottie’ this year was to qualify for the Badminton Grassroots Championships, but a slight injury meant Bramham became the focus in order to give the duo the best chance to get back to full fitness. However, coming to Yorkshire with no expectations of doing well made today’s win even more special.  

“It’s been absolutely fantastic, but incredibly nail-biting!” said Rachel after the prize-giving in the Defender Main Arena. “Dressage isn’t our strong point, so when we were second on day one I was overwhelmed with that! I was a little nervous going into today – the showjumps were a little on the small side for us and she’s prone to leaving a leg, but she was absolutely amazing! We had a few hairy moments cross-country, but she was still full of running at the end – I think she could have done it again! To do the lap of honour here has been something out of this world – I was in tears!” 

Second place went to 18-year-old Beth Jones riding Fantasy Chilli, who added nothing to their dressage penalty score of 32.3. It was Deborah Burrell and her own Imperial Tangle who completed the top three on a score of 32.6. 

Defender CCI4*-L 

Reigning European champion Ros Canter heads the leaderboard in the showcase Defender CCI4*-L section, with Lady Milnes Coates and Deirdre Johnston’s MHS Seventeen achieving the only sub-30 score of the day.  The athletic bay, known as Vinnie, was previously piloted by Sara Bowe and Nicola Wilson, but Ros has partnered him for two years. After a slow start to their relationship due to inclement weather and an unsuccessful four-star debut here last year, they’re beginning to forge a true partnership. 

A delighted Ros said; “I’m delighted with MHS Seventeen today. He did a personal best at Bicton and has come out and performed to that quality again. He’s a lovely horse who’s growing in confidence all of the time.” 

In second, it’s last year’s CCI4*-S victors, Selina Miles and the Rucker’s Cooley Snapchat. They were ever-consistent to impress the judges, who all landed on a 67% plus score to give the pair 32.2 penalties. The top three is completed by Olympic-nominated rider Tom Jackson with Plot Twist B, owned by Mary Harris and Ruth McMullen, on 33.5. 

Defender CCI4*-S 

There’s a truly international feel to the top placings in the 83 runner-strong Defender CCI4*-S, with Japan leading and a pair of Irish flags to follow. 

Bramham is being used as a key selection trial for the Japanese team ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games – today marks 50 days until the Opening Ceremony – and there are a selection of leading combinations here to fight for their place. New pairing Ryuzo Kitajima from Japan and Be My Daisy, owned by Riding Club Crane, put in a late challenge to take the lead with a stunning display that featured a number of nines from the judges and a score of 24.7. They dislodged Ireland’s Josephy Murphy, riding his own Calmaro, who stole the lead before lunch with a 27.3. Countryman Austin O’Connor is half a penalty behind on 27.8 with Lesley Rose’s Isazsa. 

An elated Ryuzo commented: “I’m so pleased, so happy! I’ve just started riding her this year and I still have to know more about her. I was relaxed and she was relaxed, so it was good. To build our partnership, I started early this year and took her to Portugal so we could get qualified for Paris. She’s a mare, which can be good or bad, but today she was a princess!” 

Bramham U25 CCI4*-L  

The small but quality field in the Under-25 CCI4*-L got their campaign underway and it’s Britain’s Isabel White who paves the way riding her own Icarus. Their solid performance yielded a penalty score of 36.3 from the Ground Jury of Nick Burton, Angela Tucker and Xavier Le Sauce, who’s officiating at Paris this summer. Second spot is taken by Emma Thomas and The Buzz Factor for owners Pippa Williams and Rebecca Velarde, while Cassie Sanger from the USA sits third with her own Redfield Fyre on 42.4. 

Join us for Fantastic Friday, when the CCI4* dressage reaches its conclusion and we discover who holds the cards ahead of the decisive jumping phases.  

Results and start times on via  www.bit.ly/DefenderBIHT2024timesandresults and full details, including info downloading on the Bramham app, from www.bramham-horse.co.uk  

Keep up to date with us on social media – we’re on, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook so you won’t miss any of the news, updates and event info. 

07/06/2024 0 comment
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EventingInternationalNews

BROMONT GETS UNDERWAY

written by Editor

BROMONT, QC – June 5, 2024  – A total of 82 horses were presented to their respective ground juries across three levels and five divisions at the 2024 MARS Bromont CCI on Wednesday afternoon. All were accepted to move forward to competition, which kicks off in earnest Thursday morning. In true Canadian fashion, there will be 99 horses in total to start, as the CCI4*-S division were not required to present.

Competitors representing five nations (Canada, United States, Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand) have made the journey to Bromont, contesting levels from CCI2*-L through CCI4*-L, with U25 sub-divisions for the CCI2*-L and CCI3*-L. Dressage competition will take place on Thursday and Friday; the exciting cross-country and new this year canine activities will take place Saturday and the final phase stadium jumping will take place Sunday to decide who will take home the trophies.

In the CCI3*-L, Diana Burnett (CAN) was briefly sent to the holding area with her own Magic Mint for observation, but was subsequently accepted to move on to competition. No other pairs were held. 

Hayley Frielick (NZL) and Sportsfield Lumiere will contest the CCI3*-L © Michelle Dunn Photo

06/06/2024 0 comment
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EventingInternationalNews

TAMIE SMITH AND MAI BAUM AIMING FOR AUTUMN RETURN

written by Katie Neat

In a statement made via her social media page, Tamie Smith announced that Mai Baum will sadly not be in contention for this years Olympic Games but that his progress and return to form has been moving in a positive direction; with the hope of a return to competition in the Autumn.

“Leading into a much anticipated Olympic Team Selection next week and after deliberating with our team and Mai Baum’s owners, we have decided to withdraw him from team consideration. This was a difficult decision because we have felt Mai Baum would have contributed positively to the Team had he been selected. Since his setback leading into Kentucky, there is not adequate time remaining for preparation and conditioning for him to be in top form for the team mandatory outing in a few short weeks. We are obviously disappointed, but always have his best interest at heart and will be looking to aim him for an exciting fall competition.”

Tamra “Tamie” Smith is a prominent U.S. eventer. She won Gold with the U.S. Eventing Team at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima with Ellen and Alexandra Ahearn and Eric Markell’s German Sport Horse, Mai Baum. In 2021, Smith took Mai Baum to a top-10 finish in his CCI5*-L debut at the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event and were later named as reserves for the Tokyo Olympics.

Smith has represented the U.S. in FEI Nations Cup competitions, including the CCIO4*-S at CHIO Aachen with Mai Baum and the CCIO4*-L at Boekelo, both in 2021.

In 2022, she finished ninth at the Badminton Horse Trials, contributed to a U.S. team silver at the FEI Eventing World Championships, and won the Morven Park CCI4*-L.

The following year Tamie and Mai Baum achieved a historic win at the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event, marking the first U.S. win since 2008.

Representing your country is an honour achieved by very few, but one thing will always take precedence over team selection: the team of you and your horse. We wish Tamie and Mai Baum all the best. Team USA just gained one heck of a cheer squad!

04/06/2024 0 comment
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EventingNews

The Bramham Birthday Buzz builds… 

written by Editor

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! 

03/06/2024 0 comment
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EventingNews

CHATSWORTH

written by Katie Neat

Late-night musings, lamenting another cancellation and a huge loss to our Eventing season.

It’s truly heartbreaking to see such a beloved event like Chatsworth International Horse Trials face repeated setbacks due to weather, particularly after the disruptions from COVID-19. The dedication of both organisers and participants is evident, and the potential loss of this event would leave a significant void in the equestrian community.

Considering the challenges of organising the British Eventing (BE) calendar, we know that there won’t be a simple solution but perhaps there may be the opportunity to move Chatsworth to a later date on the calender. There may be some scope for a “rejig” from next season, with the gap left by Blair over the August bank holiday weekend, we assume there are likely to be some scheduling changes. Running Chatsworth during summer months (but not clashing with their Country Fair) could mitigate the risks posed by early-season weather conditions and offer a prime slot for an event of such stature.

We understand that rescheduling is complex and involves multiple logistical considerations, qualification impacts, etc. We also understand that Chatsworth was not the only weather affected event this season, so the calender needs consideration in its entirety so all events have the best shot at running. We also know that we don’t have control over the weather, but with back to back washouts it’s fairly safe to say that mid-May is not the opportune time for Chatsworth to run.

We hope the importance of preserving the legacy and continuity of Chatsworth will be a significant factor in the decision-making process. We can only hope that all possible options to ensure that Chatsworth continues to be a highlight in the eventing calendar for years to come will be explored.

18/05/2024 0 comment
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EventingNews

WILLIAM FOX-PITT TO RETIRE FROM TOP LEVEL COMPETITION

written by Katie Neat

“That’s it for this level. I’m going to do young ones and carry on for a bit, but this is my last Badminton, for sure. There’s no tears and sobbing, I’m very matter of fact about it – it’s the right thing to do.”

We have so much to bring you from this year’s Badminton Horse Trials, including more on Caroline Powell’s sensational win, but we would be remiss not to immediately doff our cap to a one William Fox-Pitt

WILLIAM THE CONQUERER

The first British rider to become Eventing World No 1, Williams’ achievements in our sport cement him as one of the most successful event riders of all time

Representing his country at 5 Olympic Games – winning team Silver at London 2012, team Silver at Athens 2004 and team Bronze at Beijing 2008. Achieving seven team Gold, two individual Silvers and one individual Bronze at European Championships and winner of the HSBC FEI Classics four times (2008, 2010, 2012 and 2014)

The only rider to have won five out of the six CCI5* events worldwide (before the inclusion of Maryland in 2021), having won Burghley (1994, 2002, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2011), Badminton (2004 & 2015), Luhmuhlen (2008), Kentucky (2010, 2012, 2014) and Pau (2011, 2013)

In 2011 William became the first rider to win a record six Burghley titles (on six different horses) and became one of the first riders to ever win a CCI*, CCI** and CCI*** at the same event on the same day – a feat achieved at Tattersalls

He is the record-man at CCI5*, with 14 grand slam titles and 64 CCI three-day event wins

To you, William Fox-Pitt Eventing

For so many years, you have been at the pinnacle of our sport. Your horsemanship is unparalleled, and it has been a privilege to support and watch you compete. You are the embodiment of discipline, perseverance, and teamwork and the epitome of determination and resilience

Watching you and Grafennacht on course yesterday was to watch a man still very much at the top of his game and a memory we will not forget

We wish you nothing but health and happiness, hoping we may see you out and about with the youngsters and never too far away from our sport, a sport in which you leave a lasting and formidable legacy

With great respect and admiration, Team ET x

12/05/2024 0 comment
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EventingNews

Leading Contender withdraws from the MARS Badminton Horse Trials

written by Katie Neat

News from Badminton leading contender Oliver Townend (Official)

“Absolutely gutted to withdraw Ballaghmor Class from this week’s MARS Badminton Horse Trials. He had a abscess earlier in the season and consequently missed a couple of runs and gallops. This morning he went for his final gallop and with the 11.5 mins cross country course combined with the possible soft ground we don’t feel he’s at his normal 5* fitness right now. This is the first time in his career he’s missed a 5* and with the ROLEX Grand Slam of Eventing being at stake (for the 3rd time for me!) and Thomas’s record with 10 top-5 placings at 5*, 4 of which are from Badminton including twice 2nd place, and his 3 wins at Burghley and Kentucky, we really hoped he would finally get the Badminton trophy he so badly deserves.

He’s fit and well, and knowing his huge heart he’d give us his all, but it’s simply not in his best interest to run this week and his welfare is our top priority.

Thomas will be rerouted to plan B but for now we’d like to give a huge thanks to his owners, our sponsors and our team who are all equally gutted but support us to make this call to look after our superstar.”

Event Director Jane Tuckwell commented “we are all devastated for Oliver and highly respect his decision not to run. We look forward to welcoming Oliver and Thomas back to Badminton in 2025.”

07/05/2024 0 comment
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EventingNews

DARE TO DREAM

written by Katie Neat

Celebrating 75 years, we are gearing up for a truly prestigious Badminton Horse Trials presented by Mars Equestrian

With anticipation and excitement swirling there was only one way we could begin our coverage, because it’s going to cross the mind of every person who walks through those gates and those watching at home. Can they do it? Can they win the Grand Slam?

We are of course talking about Oliver Townend (Official) and Ballaghmor Class.

This past weekend, Oliver and Cooley Rosalent won a hotly contested Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event and Oliver achieved his milestone 100th five-star start (achieved only by Andrew Nicholson and William Fox-Pitt). The World Number One has since withdrawn Tregilder from Badminton, leaving him to pilot the 17yr old grey owned by Karyn Shuter, Angela Hislop and Val Ryan in their fifth trip to Badminton together.

The Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing has only been achieved twice since its conception in 1999, with Pippa Funnell (GBR) winning in 2003 and Michael Jung (GER) in 2015/16. It is an accolade given to any event rider who can win Badminton, Burghley and Kentucky consecutively, in any order.

We are cautious of adding to the pressure, no doubt Oliver will be aware that all eyes are on him and Thomas. We do, however, want them both to know that we are supporting them and will be riding every step with them and that, irrespective of the final results, they are and have always been a champion team and have already cemented their legacy in our sport.

The pair have twice won Burghley (2017 & 2023), won Kentucky (2021) and brought home Team Gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. They have never finished outside of the top five at Badminton (twice runner up and twice fifth) and what a dream it would be to see them take the win!

In the immortal words of Julia Roberts ~ “We want the fairy tale”

30/04/2024 0 comment
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