The Princess Royal said she is delighted to be able to welcome grassroots eventers to her home, Gatcombe Park, for the final of a new unaffiliated eventing series.
The 2021 Cotswold Cup Championships will run at Gatcombe on 11 and 12 September, in what organisers describe as an “exciting, never seen before opportunity”. Each winner, of classes from 80 to 100cm, will take home a minimum of £1,000 in prize money.
This is the first unaffiliated event to be held at the home of the princess and Admiral Sir Tim Lawrence, where the Festival of British Eventing has run since 1984.
“I am delighted that there will be horse trials over this part of the estate again, and especially to support this enterprising new grassroots competition,” the princess said.
“I hope competitors will be inspired by the setting and that it will give them something fun and challenging to aim at as sport gets going again after lockdown.”
The Cotswold Cup is a new series for this year, comprising a number of “big occasion” events across the area, and a “thrilling and prestigious championship with big money prizes”.
The main championships run from 80 to 100cm, with an under-18s’ section in each class. The youth winners will be awarded training bursaries with top eventers Laura Collett, Harry Meade and Tom McEwen, who have all signed up to train the up-and-coming riders.
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Riders will accrue points throughout the series to qualify for the finals.
A 70cm class has since been added, with a separate championships at Waverton House (2) in July.
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Eleanor is an experienced journalist who spent over eight years working for local and national newspapers before joining H&H as news editor in March 2016. Passionate about equine welfare and exposing the truth, Eleanor has reported on all aspects of the industry, from Brexit to anti-bullying campaigns, and from dressage rules to mules. Her sport of choice is showjumping, in which she competes her own horses, and she also enjoys reporting at local jumping shows through to international championships.
