Snow causes chaos at BSPS Winter Championships

Arctic weather wreaked havoc at the British Show Pony Society Winter Championships (21-23 March) at Arena UK in Lincolnshire, where 3ins of snow greeted competitors and officials on the final day (Easter Sunday).

Classes due to take place on grass were re-scheduled onto all-weather surfaces and into the two indoor arenas. In the end only five classes were lost. The final evening championship performance was also canceled in the interests of safety, although The Winter Open Supreme and Overall Supreme of Show did take place.

Show chairman, Tony Asplin, said: “We were concerned about the going, and rearranged the whole of Sunday’s schedule to bring the classes indoors or on to all-weather surfaces. This was a tremendous achievement, which has been appreciated by competitors.

“To aid a safer journey home for exhibitors, it was thought better to bring championships forward [to follow the classes as they were completed], and cancel the evening performance.”

Eight of the temporary stables lost their roofs in the wind during the show, which also caused chaos in the working hunter ring where stands were heavily sandbagged to keep them upright. Meanwhile heavy showers of sleet during the show’s opening day forced some classes to come to a halt while the worst of the weather passed.

Read H&H’s full report on the BSPS winter championships, on sale 3 April ’08

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