Home Tags Posts tagged with "Belsay International"
Tag:

Belsay International

EventingNews

TAYLOR IS IN CHARGE AT BELSAY

written by Editor

British rider Izzy Taylor has the Hambro Sport Horses CCI3*-S at Belsay International Horse Trials under control: her three rides in the class occupy first, third and fourth places after the first day of dressage.

In the lead at the Northumbrian event with a score of 26.2 is the former racehorse Bayaanaat, a nine-year-old by the Derby winner New Approach owned by Izzy, Lavinia Taylor and Caroline Goodwin. Dassett Showman is third with 28.2 penalties, and Barrington Boy is fourth on 28.6.

“All three horses tried incredibly hard in tricky windy conditions,” said Izzy. “Bayaanaat is a massive trier who did me proud today. He’s really learning that he’s a good horse and is getting confident in himself. Dassett Showman is a relatively new ride and I was delighted with how his brain stayed with me throughout. Barrington Boy is a young horse and there were some great highlights of his test day, but he struggled the most of the three in the conditions.”

Scotland’s Wills Oakden slotted into second with 28.1 on Geoff and Elspeth Adam’s Mile Beach.

Indian rider Shashank Kanamuri delivered a cool performance in windy weather that meant the letters surrounding the dressage arena were blowing down as he rode his test. The 20-year-old, a second-year economics student at Loughborough University, scored 29 on Wellfields Casino Royale to lead the NIS Group Ltd/Encon CCI2*-S.

“This is only my third-ever ride on him – he’s very new to me – and I’m still getting used to him,” said Shashank. “He’s really scopey, and I think there is a lot of potential for us as a partnership.

“I was going across the diagonal in long-rein walk and some of the letters flipped down and we had to pick our way through them, but he was really focused. He’s got a super-positive mentality and he just gets on with whatever he is asked to do.”

Shashank has only 0.3 of a penalty in hand over Japan’s Yuya Segawa, second on Vegas De L’Elfe JRA with 30.2.

North Yorkshire-based Lucinda Atkinson is in pole position in the Barbour CCI2*-L on PRF Made In England with a mark of 27.4, ahead of Eliza Bell (Macgyver, 29.6).

In the British Junior Championships, sponsored by Lycetts, Lucy Standish is in first place on Global H with a dressage mark of 25.9. Second is Ella Howard (Marchwood, 27.8), with Oscar Fitzgerald third with 28 on Super Cillious.

Annabel Ridgway tops the Project Pony British Pony Championships after scoring 24.6 on Akim De L’Arquerie, ahead of Maisie Greening (28.1, Kilnaspic Lily) and Chloe Chan (28.3, Blennerville Rua).

While dressage for the CCI3*-S continues tomorrow (Friday, 30 May), cross-country for the junior and pony championships, the CCI2*-S and the CCI2*-L starts at Belsay at 9am. There is also a National Schools Equestrian Association (NSEA) show, and other activities and entertainment include a fun dog show. British Eventing national classes also start on Friday.

To purchase tickets for Belsay and to find out more information, please visit www.belsayhorsetrials.com.

All the cross-country at Belsay on Friday, Saturday and Sunday will be shown on Horse & Country TV’s livestreaming platform H&C+.

IMAGES: IZZY TAYLOR ON BAYAANAAT AND SHASHANK KANAMURI ON WELLFIELDS CASINO ROYALE © ATHALENS

29/05/2025 0 comment
0 Facebook Twitter Google + Pinterest
Editor's PicksEventingNews

BELSAY SETS THE STAGE FOR THE FUTURE

written by Editor

After a much needed night’s sleep and a little time to process following the conclusion of Belsay (1) last night, we wanted to say how overwhelmed we have been by the response to this event – it really has been an incredible three days.

We are so proud to have built the event to the point that we can facilitate a brilliant CCI4* and attract many of the biggest names in the sport to Northumberland. We are delighted at how well-received the event has been by riders at all levels, owners and spectators alike. Belsay stayed true to it’s reputation of being a true cross-country test which was gratefully received by riders heading on to Bramham and beyond, and we felt that this was important given the fixture’s position in the calendar and the role that Chatsworth has played in that to date.

We knew when it was confirmed in November that we would be hosting the Chatsworth replacement fixture a mere six months later that it would be a significant undertaking. Building an entirely new course over a different area of the land and running two international fixtures within two weeks, on separate event sites, was going to be no mean feat, but, we knew that we had the team to pull it off and so we approached it, like we do everything, with energy and excitement.

Add to that logistical coordination, the driest spring in decades and all the additional work required across the site to ensure the very best going for horses and rider – a vast task in the circumstances. It was exceptionally important that we got this right – and fortunately, we did.

Since its inception in 2013, Laura de Wesselow has been a driving force behind the growth and success of eventing in the northeast of England. Her unwavering dedication, combined with the tireless efforts of her exceptional team, has transformed Belsay Horse Trials into one of the most prestigious fixtures on the British eventing calendar. What began as a passionate endeavor has evolved into a standout event, known for its ambition, innovation, and sense of community.

Each year, Laura and her team push the boundaries to enhance every aspect of the competition — from course design and infrastructure to the spectator experience — all while nurturing a warm, inclusive atmosphere that welcomes competitors, families, and fans alike.

This season marked a particularly exciting chapter, as Belsay was chosen to host the replacement fixture for the esteemed Chatsworth International Horse Trials — and it absolutely delivered. A brand-new international track was unveiled, showcasing the team’s skill and vision, and setting the stage for what many are hoping will be a future 4* event.

With competitors hailing from more than 14 nations, including Olympians and 5* winners, Belsay rose to the occasion with flair and professionalism. It was a true celebration of top-tier sport, and a proud moment not just for the organisers, but for everyone who supports and believes in the future of this incredible venue.

Laura and her team have made their intentions clear — Belsay is ready for the next level. We wholeheartedly back their bid for 4* status and have our fingers firmly crossed. Judging by this year’s success, they’re more than ready to take that next step.

21/05/2025 0 comment
0 Facebook Twitter Google + Pinterest
EventingNews

MARCH’S HALO SHINES BRIGHT AT BELSAY

written by Editor

Piggy March was a very worthy winner of Belsay’s inaugural CCI4*-S, taking the RBC Brewin Dolphin-sponsored class on Jayne McGivern’s grey stallion Halo.

Piggy, a former winner of both Badminton and Burghley, was second after dressage with a score of 22.1, just behind 2025 Badminton heroine Ros Canter, who scored 21.6 on Izilot DHI. Both showjumped clear, but Piggy was faster across country for just 2.8 time-penalties. Ros’s 8.8 time-faults dropped her to sixth in the 96-strong class.

“He’s such a cool little horse,” said Piggy. “This is an amazing event and definitely one to come back to. Fair play to [cross-country course-designer] Adrian Ditcham; he’s given us a track we’ve all had to think about – it’s opened our eyes and we’ve had to ride at it.

“Halo is beautiful to ride. He was quite keen across country today – I gave him a kick at the start and he was like, ‘OK, we’re off!’ He’s a super little character. He’s brave and he’s hungry and he flies around.”

Piggy has entered the 12-year-old Holsteiner for the CCI5* at Luhmühlen and also for the prestigious CCI4*-S at Aachen, and will make a decision when she sees how Halo has come out of his adventure in Northumberland. Her Belsay victory will have strengthened her chances of being part of Britain’s team for the European Championships at Blenheim Palace this September.

“I’d love to go to the Europeans. I think he was put on this planet for championships – he’s exactly that type of horse – and I’d love to give it a go,” she said.

Izzy Taylor rose up the order with an excellent speedy cross-country round to take second place on Jane Timmis’s SBH Big Wall.

Izzy said: “He’s been super. He did a lovely dressage test; a few little fresh mistakes, but that’s fine – hopefully he’s going to Bramham for the CCI4*-L, so he’s very fit. He did a lovely clear round showjumping and then a very cool round cross-country.”

Izzy echoed other riders when she congratulated the Belsay team, led by organiser Laura de Wesselow, on a very successful first event at four-star level.

“It’s a beautiful venue,” she said. “The work that has gone into it is unbelievable.  As riders, I don’t think we could be more grateful for what they have managed to produce. The going is second to none – you really can’t fault it – and from my perspective, as a preparation run for events such as Bramham and Luhmühlen, it has been perfect.”

Sarah Bullimore celebrated her birthday by finishing third on her homebred Corimiro, while Bubby Upton was fourth on It’s Cooley Time. As well as sixth place on Izilot DHI, 2024 Burghley winner Ros Canter filled fifth with MHS Seventeen.

New Zealand’s Samantha Lissington won the Chaser Communications Advanced class on Quantas R, owned by The High Flyers.

The nine-year-old grey, by Qualito, led after dressage with a score of 29.6, showjumped clear, and even 18.4 time-faults weren’t enough to knock the pair off the top spot. They finished 1.3 penalties ahead of Emily King and Jackpot.

Samantha said: “We’re here preparing for the four-star at Royal Jump in France in a couple of weeks’ time. I was really pleased with his dressage; he was very rideable and easy and stayed with me. He did a lovely showjumping around quite a tough, technical track with a tight time, and I went out on the cross-country just wanting to put the tools in place for our next outing and didn’t particularly worry about the clock. 

“He’s pretty phenomenally talented and has been from the get-go. We really rate him as a championship horse for the future.”

This was the first of two events at Belsay in May. When Chatsworth decided not to run in 2025, Laura de Wesselow stepped in to run “Chatsworth at Belsay” and a first four-star for the popular Northumberland venue, and it will be followed by Belsay’s well-established annual fixture from 28 May-1 June, featuring international classes from CCI1*-CCI3* and the Pony and Junior National Championships.

Laura said: “I’m absolutely thrilled and actually incredibly proud. I think it’s something about being up north – we always worry about the fact that we aren’t as good as the southerns, but we smashed it! It was a challenge. We only found out in late November that we’d got it, and it’s only a ‘one-year wonder’ as far as we know at the moment, but I hope it’s not. We’ve thrown everything at it, everyone’s loved it, I think Adrian Ditcham has been a genius with the track, Rob McSkimming has worked really hard building the course – everyone has worked so hard to pull off today, and all we’ve had is great feedback, so I’m thrilled for everyone who has worked so hard.”

Tickets for Belsay (2) and a full programme of events are on the event website, www.belsayhorsetrials.com

All the cross-country at Belsay (2) will be shown on Horse & Country TV’s livestreaming platform H&C+.

IMAGES © ATHALENS

18/05/2025 0 comment
0 Facebook Twitter Google + Pinterest
EventingNews

A FIRST BIG WIN FOR WESTMORE AT BELSAY

written by Editor

Amateur rider John Westmore scored his first-ever international eventing victory in the Forsters LLP CCI2*-S at Belsay today.

Riding his father Michael’s Oughterard Quality, John was third after dressage with a mark of 29.1. He added nothing to that in the jumping phases to finish 0.2 of a penalty ahead of second-placed Belgian rider Jade van der Meerschen (Impuls).

“It’s gone great!” said John, who lives near Stroud in Gloucestershire. “I felt he could have had a little more energy in the dressage yesterday, but he didn’t make any mistakes and he jumped very well today. 

“This is my first visit to Belsay and it definitely won’t be my last. The organisers have done a lot of work to the ground, and it rode so well. I had a lovely ride across country – it was a really flowing track.”

John works in his family business running care homes in Cornwall.

“I have three horses on the go at the moment, which is quite a lot for me – I normally just have one. We bought this horse as a five-year-old – he was sourced for me by Ginnie Wellings, who helps me with my dressage – and he’s a bit cheeky, but incredibly talented. He was very successful earlier in his career – I think he was advanced as an eight-year-old with me – and we’ve just hit a few bumps in the road. We had a fall in the water in the CCI4*-S at Hartpury a couple of years ago and it knocked our confidence a bit, so we are trying to rebuild and it was great to win here.”

John trains with Rowland Fernyhough for showjumping and has just started to go to Capt Mark Phillips for cross-country help. He is now aiming Oughterard Quality for the CCI3*-S at Nunney in Somerset next month.

Runner-up Jade van der Meerschen works for Bubby Upton, who led the CCI2*-S after dressage and showjumping on Auckland 7, but collected 2.4 time-penalties across country for eventual fifth place. 

Third was Australia’s Isabel English, riding Cil Dara Dynamic, and Hector Payne took fourth aboard N-Icsibalia.

British Olympic team gold medallist and former world champion Ros Canter, fresh from her second Badminton CCI5* victory last weekend, is in the lead in Belsay’s inaugural RBC Brewin Dolphin-sponsored CCI4*-S after dressage on her own and Alex Moody’s Izilot DHI. Ros’s excellent mark of 21.6 on the 2023 Pau CCI5* winner gives her half a penalty in hand over Piggy March (Halo, 22.1), with Sarah Bullimore in third aboard Corimiro on 24.4.

Local rider Katie Magee won the Falcons Events novice section B with Margaret Sunter’s Springhead Jupiter, while Lucy Stimson took Cussins Homes section B riding her own Tilly.

Samantha Lissington is currently on top in the Chaser Communications advanced class on Quantas R with a dressage mark of 29.6. Showjumping for the advanced starts at 9am tomorrow (Sunday, 18 May), followed by cross-country at 11am. Showjumping for the feature CCI4*-S commences at 11am, while the riders will tackle Adrian Ditcham’s “big, bold and flowing” cross-country track from 12 noon.

To purchase tickets for Belsay and to find out more information, please visit www.belsayhorsetrials.com.

All the cross-country at Belsay will be shown on Horse & Country TV’s livestreaming platform H&C+.

IMAGES OF JOHN WESTMORE AND ROS CANTER © ATHALENS

17/05/2025 0 comment
0 Facebook Twitter Google + Pinterest
EventingNews

MILLAR AND ‘A REAL SHOWMAN’ TOP THE BILL AT BELSAY

written by Editor

Aaron Millar and KEC Deakon are in pole position in Belsay’s inaugural RBC Brewin Dolphin-sponsored CCI4*-S after the first day of dressage at the Northumberland horse trials.

Cirencester-based Aaron, who is making his first trip north to Belsay, scored 25 on Heidi Bates’ 15-year-old, a son of Chacoa.

Aaron said: “He was really good. He’s an older horse; he’s used to working at these big events, and we are hoping to use this as a final prep for the CCI5* at Luhmühlen in Germany next month. I always think that in their calendar running up to CCI5* they need one significant run, and this is it.

“He’s quite a character. He loves an atmosphere; he’s a real showman. Out of all the horses on the yard, he’s the one that watches the lorry go out and wants to be on it and to go to events. He genuinely lives for it. He’s a real businessman – he comes in and gets the job done. 

“This is the first time I have been to Belsay, and I love it. It has got atmosphere, but there’s also a really nice vibe about it – I think it’s amazing. The cross-country is a proper track, a proper test.” 

Second in the CCI4*-S on a score of 27.5 are Izzy Taylor and SBS Big Wall, while Hayden Hankey is in third with 28 penalties on Fools In Love.

Suffolk’s Bubby Upton is in the lead after day one in the Forsters LLP CCI2*-S with a dressage mark of 27.5 on her own Auckland 7, an eight-year-old by A La Carte. Australian rider Isabel English is second on 28.6 with Cil Dara Dynamic, while John Westmore is third on Oughterard Quality with a score of 29.1.

Two qualifiers for the Dubarry Burghley Young Event Horse Finals at Defender Burghley Horse Trials took place today at Belsay. 

Local rider Jack Mantel, fresh from a successful CCI5* debut at Badminton Horse Trials last week, won the five-year-old class on Krista Brown’s Adonis Couture, a son of Joris Couture.

“I had him last year as a four-year-old and he won the Burghley Young Event Horse class at Bramham and went to the final at Burghley,” said Jack. “He’s been back with his owner over the winter and only came back to me two days ago. But he hasn’t forgotten much and he was brilliant. He’s got such good movement, is a real showman and I think he’s an exciting horse for the future.

“It was a very good track today and it’s a great series. It’s great to get these young horses out and about without putting too much pressure on them.”

North Yorkshire-based Storm Straker won the Dubarry Burghley Young Event Horse qualifier for four-year-olds on her own Temeraire, who is by Timolin.

Storm said: “I’ve had ‘Thor’ since he was a two-year-old, and have produced him myself. I really like bringing young horses to Burghley Young Event Horse qualifiers; I think it is a great introduction to their competitive career. This is his first competition, and it has been such a great atmosphere for young horses. I’m delighted to have brought him here. To have such a great result was unexpected, but I couldn’t have asked for anything more from him.”

Dressage for both international classes continues tomorrow (Saturday, 17 May), and the showjumping and cross-country phases of the Forsters LLP CCI2*-S also take place. Showjumping and cross-country for the feature RBC Brewin Dolphin CCI4*-S will take place on Sunday (18 May).

To purchase tickets for Belsay and to find out more information, please visit www.belsayhorsetrials.com.

All the cross-country at Belsay (1, 16-18 May) and Belsay (2, 28 May-1 June) will be shown on Horse & Country TV’s livestreaming platform H&C+.

IMAGE: Aaron Millar and KEC Deakon © ATHALENS

16/05/2025 0 comment
0 Facebook Twitter Google + Pinterest