A popular grassroots British Eventing fixture has been cancelled due to the “unprecedented weather”.
Horseheath Horse Trials in Cambridgeshire has pulled the plug on its second 2018 fixture, which was set to take place from 11 to 12 August.
“It is with great regret that the organisers of Horseheath Horse Trials (2), in consultation with British Eventing (BE), have had to make the difficult decision today to cancel the event due to the unprecedented weather which has sadly impacted on the running of the event,” said a statement from BE.
“British Eventing would like to thank Tim and the team at Horseheath for all their hard work that has gone in to the preparation for Horseheath and hope that the advanced notice of the cancellation means members can redirect their entries.”
The event hosts BE80(T), BE90 and BE100-level tracks, designed by Tina Ure and built by David Carpenter, and its August fixture had attracted more than 280 entries across the two days.
The venue, which is on well-draining chalk subsoil, is also home to several point-to-point fixtures each year.
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“It is with a heavy heart that are we have made this decision,” said organiser Tim Barling on behalf of Thurlow Estate, which owns the land.
“With the long spell of dry weather it has been an unusually challenging time for both competitors and organisers.
“We appreciate that this has made it hard for riders to prepare for and now plan their season, however with less than three weeks to go before Horseheath (2) we have had to make the hard decision to not run Horseheath (2) this year.
“After a hugely successful event here in April we look forward to welcoming horses and riders in future.
“We will refund all entries and hope that competitors, owners, tradestands and volunteers understand at this difficult time.”
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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.
