Armathwaite Hall to host new Masters event

The Armathwaite Hall Strongid-P event has been confirmed as the new venue for the PERA Global Masters competition, which will run at this year’s event over the weekend of 20-22 July .

Previously hosted just once at Burghley, the Global Masters competition, open to all full members of the Professional Event Riders Association (PERA), will run as part of the Armathwaite Hall’s Strongid-P Classic section.

The Classic section, which offers a specially commissioned bronze trophy anda first prize of £4,000, will also be open to non-PERA members.

PERA will also add around £3,000 to the prize fund, with this amount – together with the impressive PERA Global Masters Trophy – going to the top placed riders in the Global Masters.

Speaking at a press conference hosted by the Lake District venue’s on-site four-star country house hotel, acting president of PERA, Eddy Stibbe also announced a further significant new international initiative from PERA, also to be centredon the Armathwaite Hall venue.

Eddy, who is also a member of the CIC World Cup Committee chaired by Jack Le Goff, revealed exciting plans for the prestigious Cumbrian venue to host the first of the new World Cup Western European League competitions at this year’s event, plus the final at the 2002 fixture.

Eddy said: “I am working extremely hard to put everything in place to allow this new series to start at Armathwaite Hall in July, with the Final of the World Cup Western European League also at Armathwaite Hall in 2002.”

The event’s joint organisers Charles Graves and Frank Hewett-Smith confirmed the event was delighted to host the PERA competitions.

“We have worked very hard for two years to establish a top-class event that offers the best possible competition opportunities,” said Charles. “We are obviously delighted with today’s announcement by PERA – it’s a tremendous boost for the sport of eventing, an endorsement of our efforts and confirmation that we are getting things right!”