Royal Windsor Horse Show prepares for European Championships

This week’s Royal Windsor Horse Show (8-11 May) has attracted the cream of British show jumping, who will compete against riders from Ireland, France, Sweden, Spain, Holland, Portugal, Russia, Jordan and Argentina.

The show is a dress rehearsal for next year’s FEI European Show Jumping and Dressage Championships. This will be the first senior combined continental championships to be held and will bring together two of the three equestrian Olympic disciplines, three years before London 2012.

Simon Brooks-Ward, organiser of Royal Windsor explains: “The FEI strongly recommends staging an international competition in advance of a European Championship and that is why we took the decision to host international show jumping this year. We will add international dressage to the carriage driving and show jumping classes next year.”

As well as a feast of show jumping, showing aficionados will be able to watch packed showing classes with entries up in mountain and moorland and coloured horse classes. The hunter classes at Royal Windsor always prove popular, with all the professionals producing their best young horses to do battle for the prestigious novice hunter class. Last year’s novice hunter winner Masterful went on to stand hunter champion at the Horse of the Year Show.

The Land Rover International Carriage Driving Grand Prix is always a crowd puller particularly on marathon day as the competitors drive at speed round the solid obstacle course that stretches throughout the private grounds of Windsor Castle.

With outstanding shopping, the Land Rover 4×4 ‘experience’, The Royal Windsor Food and Drink Festival, a children’s activity zone, and a host of entertaining displays Royal Windsor has something to entertain young and old. For tickets visit www.rwhs.co.uk or call 0871 2305568.

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