The cross-country course for Blenheim Horse Trials’ CCI4*-S for eight- and nine-year-old horses focuses on testing and educating young equine stars on the rise, compared to the CCI4*-L, which is run over a longer course and is more a test of stamina.
The format is also slightly different. The short format four-star has showjumping on Saturday, while the long format horses tackle the cross-country course. The roles then reverse on Sunday, where the CCI4*-S horses finish their Blenheim campaign with cross-country, and the CCI4*-L competitors come out to showjump on the final day.
The CCI4*-S cross-country phase is held on Sunday (19 September), starting at 11am. It covers a distance of 3860m with an optimum time of 6 minutes 46 seconds, and features 20 questions, made up of approximately 34 jumping efforts. The exact number depends on the routes riders choose to take, as there are options at some fences.
The 2021 running of the event marks David Evans’ fifth year as course designer of the CCI4*-S young horse class at Blenheim Horse Trials. He took over the design of the course for the 2016 event, adding the long-format to his roster in 2017, and has been involved with the event for more than two decades.
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Lucy is an experienced news journalist, reporter and presenter. Since joining the Horse & Hound team in 2015, Lucy has reported from major global sporting events including the Tokyo Paralympic Games and multiple European Championships, as well as Badminton, Burghley and London, to name a few. She has covered current affairs and sports news across the full spectrum of equestrian disciplines and racing, as well as human and equine welfare, industry news and court cases.
