New plans for the grassroots championships at Badminton have been released to keep the dream alive for competitors while facing the reality of what is possible for the host venue.
The 2020 Science Supplements Cup — the BE90 and BE100 championship final — will be held at Badminton in 2021, alongside the CCI5*-L Gloucestershire event.
In May it was announced that this would run as well as the 2021 championships, but these have now been cancelled as running two finals in one year is not logistically possible.
But plans have been put in place so competitors already on course to qualify for the now non-existent 2021 title can carry their qualification forwards to contest regional finals for the 2022 championships, while those who had qualified for the 2020 championships will compete for their title at Badminton 2021.
“This autumn, the only regional finals that will be staged for the ‘2020’ cup will be for competitors previously entered into a regional final that was cancelled or abandoned due to poor weather and then Covid-19,” said a statement from organisers.
“Those that have already qualified for a regional final for a place in the Science Supplements Cup 2021 will be able to roll over their qualification to compete for a place in the Science Supplements Cup 2022.
“Despite Badminton being able to accommodate both the 2012 (which was cancelled due to wet weather) and the 2013 championships in the same year, the increased popularity and numbers qualified this year has made staging two finals in one year not possible.”
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British Eventing chief executive Jude Matthews added that the organisation is “delighted to ensure the dream of competing at Badminton for those who qualified this year has been secured”.
“For those who have already qualified for a regional final for the 2021 championship – as long as they are still eligible – will also now be able to carry this qualification over to the next year, for the 2022 championships,” she added.
“This allows for competitors who will have missed out on the opportunity to qualify for a regional final for the 2021 championships, the opportunity to aim for qualification at the end of this season and early next.”
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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.
