Event riders eager for the eventing season to begin faced disappointment this morning when Stilemans, the first fixture in the eventing calendar, was cancelled.
Excessive rainfall at the Surrey venue prompted British Eventing to call off the event which was scheduled for this weekend (3-4 March).
According to a British Eventing spokesperson heavy rain has waterlogged the lorry parking area. “Horses wouldn’t be able to get in out,” said the spokesperson, “and neither would emergency vehicles.”
As yet there are no plans to reinstate the event at a later date. The remaining opening event of the season, Isleham in Cambridgeshire, is currently still going ahead.
