Young stars head for British Open
Twenty of Britain’s top young riders are being given the opportunity to experience the intense atmosphere and large audiences of a major international show at the British Open Show Jumping Championships in Sheffield (15-18 April).
The Whitakers and Stockdales of the future will be lining up to show off their equestrian prowess in two jumping classes exclusively for young riders.
The British Young Riders Classic is a class consisting of two jumping rounds, with the second round being a jump-off, while The British Young Riders Black Ball Challenge is a new addition to the British Open. It consists of 12 fences of which one is labelled with a white ball, five are labelled with a red ball, five are labelled with a yellow ball and one is labelled with a black ball.
Competitors are expected to jump the white fence, followed by either all of the red-ball fences or all of the yellow-ball fences, finishing with the black fence. The red- and yellow- ball fences can be jumped in any direction, although no fence may be jumped more than once. The winner will be the rider who completes the course in the fastest time, including penalties.
Top ranking young riders James Billington from Cheshire, Louise Pavitt (pictured) from Surrey, Ricky Hill from Essex and Gemma Plumley from Gwent will be among the young riders competing at the show alongside household names such as the Whitaker brothers and Nick Skelton.
As well as top class international show jumping action, British Open audiences will be treated to a wide array of equestrian entertainment including Jean Francois Pignon, Heelwork to Music with Mary Ray, the Metropolitan Police’s thrilling activity ride, and the Horseball European Challenge.
To book tickets contact (tel: 0114 256 5656) or visit: www.britishopenshowjumping.com
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