Three British Showjumping (BS) national championship shows will run at Bolesworth next month.
BS announced this evening (10 July) that the NAF Five Star BS national championships (BSNC) would run at Bolesworth, alongside the BS Academy and Just for Schools championships, supported by NAF Five Star, between 3 and 11 August.
The news follows last week’s announcement from Grandstand Media that the 2020 Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) and the Stoneleigh Horse Show, which would have run alongside the BSNC at Stoneleigh Park and features HOYS qualifiers, were to be cancelled.
“With the understandable cancellation of Stoneleigh Horse Show it goes without saying that the commercial viability of the BSNC, in the time that we find ourselves in, would be in a very different position to the one that it be normally with both shows sharing the existing infrastructure and set-up costs,” a BS spokesman said.
“Having discussed it in depth with Grandstand Media, the decision was made to explore whether a permanent show venue, that could offer the same championship show experience enjoyed at Stoneleigh, would consider hosting the BSNC, the Just For Schools and Academy Show for this year. With this in mind, British Showjumping is delighted to inform members that Nina Barbour and her team at Bolesworth in Cheshire have offered to host all three championship shows.”
The spokesman said the decision, made jointly by BS and Grandstand, was the “sensible one”, and that BS is very grateful for Grandstand’s commitment to support and help the “smooth transition of the show”.
BS chief executive Iain Graham said: “We fully understand the cancelling of the Stoneleigh show and the support we have had from Grandstand Media has been second to none. Their commitment to us as a sport and their offer of ongoing assistance so as to ensure the sport’s commercial viability as much as possible going forward during these unprecedented times is one that we very much appreciate.
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“With the number of competitors reduced and the short window we have been given following UK Government advice in respect of being permitted to run, it would have put an inordinate strain on the financial bearing of the show. By moving it to a permanent venue where the infrastructure is already in place was most definitely the sensible decision and to have secured such a prestigious venue is something we trust our members will see positively.
“To have two of the largest show organisers in the country working together in this way to support our members clearly illustrates why the sport has been able to hit the ground running again in the way that it has. Our thanks and gratitude go to both Grandstand Media and Bolesworth for their ongoing support.”
Further details on the schedule, entries, tradestands and sponsorship will be released in the near future.
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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.
