Boost for international horse trial
Mike Etherington-Smith, director of Blenheim International Horse Trials and Chatsworth International Horse Trials, will be bringing his technical expertise to another British international event when he joins the team responsible for the Kilmington Horse Trials.
Richard Lissack QC, and his wife Carolyn, a former advanced event rider, established Kilmington on their Wiltshire property in 1997 as a novice and pre-novice event running across two days. Extensive investment has since seen Kilmington develop to run its first international event in July last year.
“We have big plans for the future and certainly wish to move on from hosting our first two-star. Depending on how the sport of eventing develops, and where the demand is, we could either run a three-star one-day event or a short-format three-day event on our 250 acres,” Richard told HHO.
Following a successful CIC** in 2003, Kilmington will not run this year, using the time to improve facilities instead. It will return bigger and better than before in 2005. This decision was not taken lightly, according to Richard, who says the break is necessary for extensive site developments to be undertaken.
“We felt that to run the event this year would compromise the extremely high standards we set ourselves, especially with Mike’s other commitments, which include being technical delegate at the Athens Olympics,” he explains. “The break is giving us time to make big physical changes, which would have been impossible if the event had taken place.”
The Lissacks are delighted that Mike Etherington-Smith has joined the organising team and believe his presence offers a “seal of approval” to their highly successful event.
“Mike’s presence is a guarantee of a quality event, and therefore, is extremely important. We are thrilled to have him on board,” says Richard.
Never miss out on the latest happenings in the equestrian world
Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now
Carol is an experienced journalist and editor, who is also a passionate amateur rider and dedicated horse owner, having ridden since childhood. She has a particular interest in the emotional well-being and ethical training of horses, alongside veterinary matters, having garnered extensive first-hand experience of numerous equine health conditions through more than 30 years of horse ownership.