Get the lowdown on this fixture from Eventing magazine's horse trials guide — including what riders say about the event, plus vital statistics
Date: Saturday 4 – Sunday 5 July 2015
Organisers: The late Bill Allen and Peter Lamont
Contact: 01483 767336; 01608 811070; jandplamont@ntlworld.com
Location: Northamptonshire
Entries open: 29 May
Ballot date: 12 June at 12 noon
Entries close: 24 June
Link to Purston Manor (1) entries: www.britisheventing.com/purstonmanor1
How to get there
The event is signed from the A422 Banbury to Brackley road. We are three miles east of M40 junction 11.
Both events are sponsored by David and Catherine Witt and the Rookery Park Stud.
We run these horse trials because we enjoy making them as good as we can. Our aim is that riders, their supporters and horses get the same buzz.
We are proud of the cross-country courses, which run over old turf in typical Shires hunting country. The terrain is hilly. These are good galloping tracks designed by Andrew Hunter with hedges, ditches and a variety of other fences. Both tracks include a water jump. Andrew is building some new fences for 2015.
There are flat dressage arenas on permanent grass with a large, mainly flat, warm-up area. The showjumping arena is gently sloping. The courses are designed by Mike Benfield.
If the summer is dry, all the competition areas, including warm-ups, will be thoroughly aera-vated.
What the riders say
Dressage & show jumping — “Undulating ground for the dressage but plenty of room for warming up.” “You walk past the showjumping to get to the dressage.” “The going is usually good.” “The showjumping is on a slope but well built and fair.” “The showjumping is always in the same place in a lovely big arena.” “The warm-up is big enough and this is another event that always seems to have a pile up of riders, but they do get through them quickly!”
Cross-country — “Can be firm and a little trappy in places.” “The course flows beautifully in the second half and is really enjoyable, but the ridge and furrow in the last field isn’t so great.” “Runs the same way each event but the courses are educational.” “The water is normally quite strong but has an alternative.” “It is undulating but rides lovely.” “The ground is normally good as it’s old turf.”
Percentage of cross-country clears 2014
IN: 90%
ONU18: 88%
ON: 83%
N: 74%
BE100 Pony: 79%
BE100 Open: 82%
BE100: 75%
Download part one of the horse trials guide for just £1.49: Eventing horse trials guide part one
Buy Eventing magazine’s April issue for our full horse trials guide detailing every event from July to October 2015 or purchase a digital copy of the guide here.