Stockland Lovell calls it a day after 21 years of horse trials

A popular and long-running horse trials in the south-west has held its last fixture.

Stockland Lovell, near Bridgwater, Somerset, has run British Eventing (BE) horse trials for 21 years. This year, it ran 16 sections from BE90 to novice at its May fixture and 12 in July.

It staged its last intermediate in 2010.

Martin Hill of Stockland Lovell told H&H it was a “very sad” decision to make.

“Staging these events costs a lot and the figures haven’t been stacking up,” he said.

“We have also had a lot of our land bought by the Environment Agency [for a flood defences project] so have lost the fields used for dressage, showjumping and parking.”

The cross-country course remains open for private hire.

Chris Farr of BE described the loss of the fixture as a “blow to West Country eventing”.

“Our fixtures team is working hard to provide alternative venues,” he added.

West Buckland will run an additional event in place of Stockland Lovell (1) and Hatherleigh has moved its fixture from August to July to replace Stockland Lovell (2).

Eventer Daisy Trayford told H&H the loss of Stockland Lovell was a “real shame”.

“I cut my teeth there and they sponsored me when I was a teenager,” she said. “It is a really nice course; very inviting, always fair but challenging.

“We are really short of events at intermediate and above around here.”

This news story was first published in the current issue of H&H (15 December 2011)

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