Top class Bramham Horse Trials entries
Bramham Horse Trials entries for 2013 are headed by Britain’s Olympic silver medalists William Fox-Pitt, Zara Phillips and Nicola Wilson. Other leading names entered for the Equi-Trek Bramham International Horse Trials (6 – 9 June) include Pippa Funnell, Oliver Townend, Piggy French and Laura Collett.
Riders will compete across three sections; the Equi-Trek CCI3*, the British Equestrian Trade Association CIC3* and the Bishop Burton College U25 CCI3*.
All three British Olympians have excellent spring form with their Bramham rides and will head to Yorkshire in high spirits. William will be looking for his seventh Bramham victory and brings last year’s winner Chilli Morning (pictured top). The Stones chestnut stallion has been re-routed to Bramham for the Equi-Trek CCI3* after a trip to Kentucky Rolex didn’t quite go according to plan. William also has Running Order, a new addition to his string in the CCI and Before Time in the CIC, both owned by Mandy Gray. Zara has two CCI rides in Lord Lauries and Gledhill Stud’s Black Tuxedo and Nicola makes the short journey with Beltane Queen, owned by Ann Robson and Valerie Robson, and her mum Mary Tweddle’s Annie Clover, also in the CCI.
International Bramham Horse Trials entries
Four of the five Olympic team bronze medallists from the New Zealand team are competing. They include Badminton winner Jonathan Paget with two in the British Equestrian Trade Association CIC3*, Jonelle Richards, Caroline Powell and Sir Mark Todd.
For France, Donatien Schauly makes a welcome return after he claimed the CIC and U25 sections in 2010. He is joined by Sidney Dufresne, Cedric Lyard and young sensation Nicolas Astier, who returns to defend his Bishop Burton College U25 title.
Anna Warnecke (GER), Austin O’Connor (IRL), Andrew Heffernan (NED) and Vittoria Panizzon (ITA) are a few more of the international names to watch out for across the sections.
Dressage for the CCI and CIC sections gets underway on Thursday 6 June, while all three sections will be in the main arena in the white boards on Friday. Saturday starts with CIC show jumping before all the riders head out to tackle Ian Stark’s fabulous cross country course set in the rolling Bramham Park. First off will be the CCI section, then the under 25s before the CIC set off to establish the winner of the £1,500 first prize.
Never miss out on the latest happenings in the equestrian world
Sunday is the day when fortunes are won and lost in the Equi-Trek Arena at the drop of a coloured pole. The U25s are first on before the final CCI section. In addition to prize money of more than £27,000 on offer across the two sections, the CCI riders will be competing for the use of a two-horse Equi-Trek lorry for the year.
A full list of CCI & CIC entries can be found on www.bdwp.co.uk/bra plus the full competition timetable and event news is available on www.bramham-horse.co.uk.
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.