Tag Archives: eventing Grand Prix

General

Bolesworth Announces Dates for New Summer Tour in 2024

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The Bolesworth International will return in June 2024 as a two-week back-to-back summer festival tour.

Taking place over the 6 – 9 June and the 12 – 16 June 2024, the first weekend of the event will have more of an industry focus, whilst the second will focus on attracting the public with lifestyle and entertainment elements like 2023, as well as an Eventing Grand Prix, Mini Major and Puissance class.

Both weekends will incorporate similar schedules with CSI 3*/CSI 1*/CSI Am/CSI YH (5, 6 & 7yo)/CSICh/CSIP classes, with riders able to take advantage of a total of six Longines Ranking classes over the course of the event, including two 1.55m Grand Prix. 

The Bolesworth Elite Auction will take place on Friday 7 June, with applications taken soon for foals due early in 2024, yearlings and exclusive implanted embryos.

The full schedule will be announced in due course.

The new format for the Bolesworth International means that the Al Shira’aa Bolesworth Young Horse Championships, incorporating the FEI World Breeding Championship qualifiers will unfortunately not take place in 2024.

Nina Barbour, Bolesworth Managing Director said: “We’re hugely excited by this new format and our plans for 2024, as our priority at Bolesworth remains developing equestrian events to a world-class standard now and into the future.

“The decision to not move forward with the Al Shira’aa Bolesworth Young Horse Championships was extremely difficult, and we are hugely grateful for the support we have had from the team at Al Shira’aa and all our other partners to date. All options were investigated to retain the event, but unfortunately, the need to consolidate and use infrastructure for two weeks meant finding a suitable date to run it back-to-back with the International was not possible.

‘We feel strongly that it’s so important for our up-and-coming riders and horses to have opportunities to jump at an international level over more than one week at the same venue; before this, riders have had to travel abroad to find, and look forward to hosting six ranking classes over the 11-day period, including two CSI3* 1.55m Grand Prix’s.”

Iain Graham, CEO of British Showjumping said: “We are very grateful for the backing of Al Shira’aa and the team at Bolesworth in the support and profile they have given to the Young Horse Championships. Next year will see Nina and the team at Bolesworth host two CSI 3* competitions in June, and we as a sport are very fortunate to continue to have the opportunity to compete at this level at this fabulous venue in Cheshire!”

Image courtesy of Bolesworth.

General

Andrew Hoy: Fatherhood has given me a new lease of life On flying form at The Equerry Bolesworth International Horse Show

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“I’ve had a new lease of life since becoming a father” said Andrew Hoy after winning the Eventing Grand Prix at Bolesworth  International Horse Show. This fiercely competitive pairs competition, sponsored by Cazenove Capital involves showjumpers and eventers joining forces in a thrilling dual sport competition. Andrew’s showjumping partner was Beth Vernon, who left all the rails up in in one of the fastest time, before Andrew completed a short course of arena cross-country fences on to three show jumps to finish. The competition attracted a number of prolific showjumpers and eventers including Chris Burton, Tom McEwen, Alex Hua Tian, Matthew Sampson, Joe Clayton and Harriet Nuttall.

 

Andrew a seven time Olympian, belied his 59 years by storming around the challenging course in the fastest clean round, on Cheeky Calimbo, the horse he has ridden at four star level. “He’s cheeky by name and cheeky by nature” he said after his round, with his 10 month old daughter Philippa sitting on his lap. “I picked him for this class as he is a great jumper and I know him so well. It was a really exciting competition but it was really difficult having to show jump at the end after you have galloped across-country.”

 

Having won four Olympic medal- three gold and one silver, Andrew is one of the most successful event riders of all time. Yet we have not seen as much of the Australian rider at top level in recent years. He explained that he has been quietly working away in the background, producing some new horses. “I have a maximum of 15 horses now and a new generation of horses coming through.”

 

There is one in particular that he is excited about. A nine year old called Vassily de Lassos, who he bought from French International rider, Thomas Carlisle. “I’ve only had him 12 months and when Tom told me about him, he explained that he needed a pony (for company) and was a weaver, so I wasn’t particularly keen.” When Andrew sat on him, he still wasn’t particularly impressed. “But I kept looking at his record which was exceptional. Since 2013, he has only had one showjumping rail in FEI events.”

 

Andrew views him as a horse for the World Equestrian Games later this year and is hoping to run him at Aachen this summer to impress selectors. The impressive French bred horse is by the prolific stallion Jaguar Mail and finished 8th at Blenheim CIC 3* for 8 and 9 year olds. “I couldn’t be more excited for the future with this truly once in a lifetime horse” he said.

 

So no sign of hanging up his legendary boots any time soon then.  “I might be getting older but I am enjoying eventing even more” he smiled.

 

Written by Ellie Kelly