Hope that BE Grassroots Championships can be rescheduled
British Eventing (BE) is trying to reschedule the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Grassroots Championships – due to take place at Badminton from 2-3 May – after the cancellation of the international horse trials due to heavy rain.
Badminton director Hugh Thomas took the decision to cancel the horse trials because of the weather, for the first time in more than 25 years, yesterday morning.
The international competitions cannot be rescheduled but BE hopes the Grassroots Championships can, to lessen the disappointment of the riders hoping to compete there.
BE sport operations manager Chris Farr said: “We understand how important the Grassroots Championship is for everyone involved, particularly the riders who have been preparing for the championships for many months.
“We are currently looking at all available options.”
Badminton final scores
BE has also managed to add extra fixtures to its calendar to make up for those lost to the rain.
Central Scotland Horse Trials has rescheduled to run novice, OI, CIC* and CIC** classes on Friday (4 May).
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Aston le Walls will run an additional day on Tuesday, 8 May, with an intermediate and novice.
The BE100u18 due to run at Bicton has been relocated to West Buckland (12-13 May).
And Tweseldown will host the Charles Owen pony trial, lost from Withington, on Friday, 18 May.
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A self-confessed newshound, farmer’s daughter and journalist of many years' experience, Charlotte worked on regional papers before joining H&H in 2007. A regular rider, she visited Ireland in 2010 to investigate the fate of Irish horses through the recession, to much acclaim, and reported from the FEI General Assembly in Rio de Janeiro in 2011. She left Horse & Hound in March 2013.