06 Feb First showing for Olympic hopefuls at Lincolnshire’s world class equestrian event
For pictures from previous years and of Event Director Charles Hood, click here
The annual Lincolnshire Horse Trials takes place in March at the Lincolnshire Showground at Grange de Lings.
Olympic hopefuls will be heading the line up at this year’s Lincolnshire Horse Trials, with up to 700 competitors expected to take part in the three-day event.
The Lincolnshire Showground hosts the 2012 event from Friday 16th to Sunday 18th March, with competitors taking part in dressage, show jumping and cross country over the three days at pre novice (BE100), novice and intermediate levels.
And selectors for the British team are expected to be on the lookout once again during the pony trials that are also held.
The venue is recognised as an excellent event for early season because the flat, well drained ground is a good proving ground for both horse and rider. The event is open for entries from early February and it’s expected to draw previous participants and Olympic hopefuls such as William Fox-Pitt, Pippa Funnell, Nicola Wilson and Piggy French.
Local riders are also expected to showcase their talents, including Rosalind Canter from Louth and Deborah Doyle from Lincoln, who both had wins in the BE100 sections last year. Helen Scholl from Grantham, who won one of the Novice sections in 2011 and Gina Ruck from Tealby who won the Open Intermediate Under 21 Section.
Also expected is rising star and future Olympic hopeful Emilie Chandler, who secured a win on Douglas, and a second place on Beeswing, in last year’s intermediate sections.
Charles Hood, director of the Horse Trials and the course designer, is predicting an exciting line up of both international and local riders.
He said: “This will be a very exciting year in the run up to the Olympics and we’re expecting to draw an exceptional range of entrants as a result. Because our course gives a good variety of well-built straight forward fences, and is run over extremely well-drained light land, it draws competitors looking to build early season confidence with good going. We have planned some new fences especially for this year.”
Competitors will also find an improved layout, with the day boxes able to get inside the Showground, instead of being located outside the perimeter.
And the management and scoreboard will this year be inside the Showground’s EPIC Centre conferencing venue.
Nearly two thousand visitors attended last year’s event over the three days, and the competitors and their support staff bring the same number again to the Showground site at Grange de Lings, providing a welcome boost to the local economy.
The Horse Trials are organised by Lincolnshire Events Centre on its 200 acre Showground site, which includes a major national conferencing venue and is home to the County Show.
Entry on Saturday and Sunday is £5.00 per car to include all occupants.
Running order:
Each day of this three day event is focussed on a particular class, giving visitors the chance to see all events each day, cross country, dressage and show jumping.
Friday 16th March:
BE100 and Open BE100 class.
8.00am Dressage
8.45am Show jumping
9.30am Cross country
5.00pm Approx finishing time
Saturday 17th March:
Novice and Open Novice plus Pony Trial dressage and show jumping
8.00am Dressage
8.45am Show jumping
9.30am Cross country
5.00pm Approx finishing time
Also taking place on Saturday is Pony Trial dressage and show jumping. The pony cross country is on Sunday at 9.00 am.
Sunday 18th March
Intermediate and Open Intermediate classes plus Pony Trial cross country
8.30am Dressage
8.45am Show jumping
9.00am Cross country plus Pony Trial Cross country
5.00pm Approx finishing time
ENDS
Media enquiries:
Karen Malpass at Lincolnshire Events Centre inc Lincolnshire Agricultural Society
kmalpass@lincs-events.co.uk – 01522 585501
Maggie Taylor at Prima PR
maggie@primapr.co.uk – 01400 251557 / 0797 3767 602
Editor’s Note:
Lincolnshire Events Centre is a major national conferencing venue, home of the Lincolnshire Show and the groundbreaking EPIC project. Just outside the historic city of Lincoln, the Centre hosts events for 10 to 10,000 visitors on its 200 acre showground site and 3000 square metres of indoor exhibition and venue space.
Outdoor events include the flagship Lincolnshire Show, antiques fairs and horse trials, attracting over 200,000 visitors each year. Under cover, there are exhibition halls and conferencing facilities, including the EPIC centre, the second largest purpose-designed showcase for environmental technologies in the UK, it enables event organisers to reduce, monitor and offset their carbon footprint.