The beautiful Devon countryside is to play host, for the first time, to three important CCI4* competitions when the Bicton International Horse Trials, supported by Chedington, take place on June 10-13 at one of the UK’s leading equestrian venues.
Twelve nations with multiple nominated Olympic combinations will be represented across the three competitive sections — CCI4*-L, CCI4*-S and CCI4*-L-u25 — tackling the cross-country tracks designed by Bicton Arena’s manager Helen West under the watchful eye of Captain Mark Phillips who is acting as Course Advisor.
The CCI4*-L will feature such exciting prospects as Ros Canter’s Lordships Gruffalo, a recent international winner at Aston-le-Walls, Laura Collett’s Dacapo and Mr Bass, Alexander Bragg’s King of the Mill plus Gemma Tattersall’s trio of Santiago Bay, Jalapeño lll and Chilli Knight. Among the horses that hit the headlines in 2019 are Piggy March’s Badminton winner Vanir Kamira, Ben Hobday’s National Champion Shadow Man ll and Tom McEwen’s British Intermediate Champion, the grey Dreamaway ll.
An illustrious CCI4*-S entry includes Olympic longlisted combinations Ros Canter and Allstar B, the world champions in 2018, plus Piggy March and Brookfield Inocent, Pippa Funnell and Majas Hope, Kitty King with Vendredi Biats, Tom McEwen and his 2019 Pau winner Toledo de Kerser, Laura Collett with the in-form London 52, also a 4* winner at Aston-le-Walls last month, and world number one Oliver Townend with his dual Kentucky winner Cooley Master Class.
Seven of the world’s top 10 are represented, including Tim and Jonelle Price from New Zealand and Australia’s Christopher Burton and Andrew Hoy. Ireland’s 2019 European bronze medallist Cathal Daniels rides Sammy Davis Junior in a competitive under-25 CCI4*-L.
Nations represented are: Great Britain, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden and USA.
“We are delighted that Bicton will, for four days, be the centre of the eventing world, with such a star-studded line-up of horses and riders making their way down to this lovely part of the country,” said Helen West. “It is going to be a first-class weekend of competition and we are enormously grateful to everyone who has pulled together to make this happen, especially Chedington, whose support has enabled us to put on a competition of this stature.”
A limited number of general public tickets will be on sale from 6.00pm Wednesday 2 June, in line with the latest Government guidelines; please visit www.bicton-arena.co.uk for further information.
Bicton Arena is delighted to welcome Chedington as title sponsor at the Bicton International Horse Trials 10 – 13 June 2021 that replaces Bramham International Horse Trials for this year. This fixture includes the CCI4*-L, U25 & CCI4*-S classes previously scheduled for Bramham and will see Bicton running its first ever four star level of competition.
The Chedington Estate is home to Chedington Equestrian, a World Class equestrian facility providing competition training for elite horses and riders in the heart of Dorset. Bicton Arena Manager, Helen West commented “We are thrilled to welcome Chedington as title sponsor for the event which is now just a month away. Chedington are passionate about horses and providing the very best facilities, as are we here at Bicton which makes them the ideal partner. The course building is well underway here and we can’t wait to share the exciting new track taking in some of Bicton Park Gardens for the very first time, it will be very special.”
“Kate and I are delighted to establish this collaboration with Bicton to run top class events in the West Country,” commented Dr Geoffrey Guy the owner of Chedington.
Although the Horse Trials is set to take place behind closed doors, due to Covid-19 restrictions, the whole weekend is due to be live streamed on Horse & Country so there is no need to miss any of the action.
Bicton International Horse Trials supported by Chedington is thought to be for many UK based riders the last chance to impress the Olympic selectors ahead of the Tokyo Olympics taking place later this summer.
We are excited to announce that Bicton Arena will host the replacement fixture for the Bramham International Horse Trials 2021, running the same classes as originally scheduled for Bramham. The replacement fixture will take place at the leading equestrian venue in Devon, 10 – 13 June 2021.
Helen West, Bicton Arena’s Manager commented, “We feel for the whole team at Bramham but will do our absolute best to put on a much needed alternative in these challenging times. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to run an event of this level and profile at Bicton.
We will be running the classes that were scheduled to run at Bramham which include the CCI4*-L, CCI4*-L U25 & CCI4*-S. I have fond memories of competing in what was the Young Rider National Championship (now the Under 25 Championship) at Bramham in 1999 – 2001. I am delighted to now be able to host this prestigious Championship class and also design the cross-country tracks.
We will be utilising additional land owned by Bicton Park Gardens which for the CCI4*-L course which means we can comfortably get the additional distance without compromising on the flow of the track. Captain Mark Phillips will be acting as course advisor for me, so I am very excited to have this opportunity to work with him to produce a stunning track within the Grade One Listed Parkland. Competitors will also benefit from riding the dressage and showjumping phases in one of our all-weather arenas on a Martin Collins surface.
Whilst this event is set to be run behind close doors, so sadly no spectators will be able to attend due to COVID-19 restrictions, it is our intention to livestream the whole event.”
British and overseas riders based in the UK are highly likely to use this event as a final preparation run before Olympic selection, with its placement in the eventing calendar, and subsequent pathway to the Tokyo. This prestigious fixture offers several unique commercial opportunities for businesses looking to target the equestrian market and Bicton Arena welcomes any sponsorship proposals.
To find out more about Bicton Arena, its Horse Trials and sponsorship opportunities visit the website www.bicton-arena.co.uk
NAF extends its generosity with the South West’s leading equestrian venue Bicton Arena by sponsoring the BE90 and BE100 3 Day Events that will take place at the October International Horse Trials (20-24 October 2021).
2021 will be the fourth consecutive year that Bicton has run the BE100 traditional long format competition across its stunning Grade One Listed Park, which has proved to be an extremely popular class and a highlight in many amateur event rider’s calendars. The BE90 3 Day pilot class, which was recently awarded to Bicton following a competitive tender process, will be the first to run at any British Eventing venue.
“We are so grateful to NAF for extending their support, who already sponsor the NAF Five Star Arena, our fantastic 90m x 50m pro-wax competition arena. The BE90 and BE100 3 Day Events are the perfect opportunity for NAF to reach passionate, grassroots competitors and we look forward to an exciting weekend of competition later in the season,” said Bicton Arena’s Manager, Helen West.
Eloise Chugg-Martin Sponsorship and Events Manager for NAF said, “We are really excited to have been invited to take title sponsorship of the BE90 and BE100 3 Day Events at Bicton. As supporters of riders from Grassroots to Team GB we appreciate just how important it is to provide aspiring amateur riders the chance to experience long format Eventing at a top class venue. After a very difficult year we really look forward to supporting amateur riders and we hope to see you there!”
Find out more about NAF here: www.naf-equine.eu/uk
Following the latest Government announcement, in line with National lockdown restrictions which apply in England, Bicton Arena is now closed until further notice.
All arena hire bookings up until February 22nd will be refunded. Once we have a clearer “post-lockdown” picture, we will look to reschedule some of the cancelled events. In the meantime we will
continue with our exciting plans for the Summer season, including the inaugural Bicton Summer Tour.
Once again, we thank you for your continued support.
Please stay safe everyone.
The Bicton Team
Following a tender process Bicton Arena is pleased to be awarded the rights to host a BE90 3 Day Event. The BE90 level competition will run alongside the very popular BE100 3 Day competition that Bicton has been hosting at its October Horse Trials since 2018.
Helen West, Bicton Arena’s Manager commented, “We are delighted to have been awarded the BE90 3 Day Event pilot class to run alongside our extremely popular BE100 3 Day Event class. We plan to develop this into a Grassroots Festival in the future and are excited about working with British Eventing to establish this fixture, which provides direct qualification to the Science Supplements Cup at Badminton Horse Trials, as a destination event for the Grassroots membership.”
The class will give riders the chance to compete as they would at an international three day event as the competition takes place over multiple days with the showjumping phase being held on the last day, in reverse order of merit. They will also undertake the Road & Tracks and Steeplechase phases as well as a trot up in front of a Ground Jury on the final morning of the competition. The unique format of this event is always popular amongst the grassroots riders finishing the season on a high.
“It is more than just a class,” added Helen West, who is also Cross-Country Course Designer at the venue, “It is about the whole experience. We want to ensure those competitors coming to the glorious Grade One Listed Park at Bicton have the most wonderful few days with us. This is the only opportunity for the BE membership to compete in traditional long format classes and we really want them to have the best experience possible.”
Follow the Bicton Arena social media channels for more information on competition and activities at www.bicton-arena.co.uk.
Having competed and volunteered at Bicton Arena, I thought it would be good to share some of my insight on the BE100 3 Day competition to help those of you who may be thinking of entering next season!
At the Rider Briefing, which is usually held on the evening before competition starts, the optimum times and distances are given for Phase A, B and C so that you have plenty of time to work out your paces and minute markers before starting.
The first two days consist of the Dressage phase which is held in the 20x60m grass arena.
Cross country day is made up of Phase A, B, C and D which seems like a lot but its great fun!
Phase A – Road and tracks: No need to warm up for it (hurrah!) this is your warm-up for Phase B. Phase A is around 15-20mins long and approximately 2-3km. When you finish, you have one minute to get ready for Phase B.
Phase B – The steeplechase: My favourite! At Bicton there are around four fences to jump at 1m. The distances and optimum time will be given at the briefing.
Phase C – Road and tracks: If you can ask your helper to be at the start/finish, they can check you still have boots and shoes on the horse! Phase C is approximately between 5-6km, approximately 30 – 35 minutes.
When riding up to your 10-minute box – it is useful to trot towards your ‘box’ this will help the vets to assess your horse’s soundness. Once in the 10-minute box your helper, can check over your horse, tack and replace anything needed. You will have a couple of minutes before your XC start time to practise over warm up fences.
Top tip – have your equipment in the 10 -minute start box before you start Phase A – bucket/sponge, spare tack, shoes (studs in shoes), a drink for you etc so that it’s ready for you to grab when you get there.
Phase D – Cross country: The fun part! This course is around six minutes long, which is a real test of you and your horse’s stamina. Helen West, Bicton Arena’s Manager and Course Designer, usually builds well thought out, challenging courses which are really good fun to ride whilst giving you plenty of questions.
The final day and providing everything has gone well, you have the trot up before starting the showjumping phase. Dress up and plait, be as smart as you can (there is a prize for this!). The trot up is in front of a vet and steward to show your horse is sound and ready for the showjumping. As soon as the trot up is completed you will receive your times. This phase is held in reverse order, the top 10 jump last and as you can expect, the course will be up to height.
My top tip – preparation, preparation, and more preparation!
I do a six-week fitness program for myself and Castle in readiness for the BE100 3 Day.
Bicton is an undulating course set in beautiful parkland, so make sure your horse is super fit for the duration of your stay.
The main thing is to enjoy yourself at a truly spectacular venue!
Rain did not dampen spirits at the last British Eventing competition of the season at Bicton Arena. The October Horse Trials welcomed in excess of 700 horses on site for a jam packed schedule which saw amateurs and professionals from all over the country make the trip to Budleigh Salterton.
The schedule featured the hotly contested Goodbye Flys BE100 3Day competition, a crowd favourite with amateur riders that undertake a long format competition over three days that includes roads and tracks and a steeplechase, a format that no longer exists in modern day eventing. Katy Mousdale won Section F with her own horse Conclusive on her first trip to Bicton, “Everyone is so helpful, the officials and volunteers are all there to help you. It’s a stunning venue and the team have worked so hard on the ground, we’re so lucky to come here, especially in this year like this.” Charlie Piper, a Polden Hills Pony Club member, won the Open section with Zadok D, she commented, “Bicton is a great venue, everything is really well run and I’ve enjoyed being here, there’s not really a better way to finish off the year!”
Winner of the Rathbones CCI3*-L class was New Zealand eventing stalwart Andrew Nicholson, it was the first time Bicton Arena has hosted the International class. Andrew commented, “Bicton has got some of the best terrain in the world for cross country riding. Yesterday, even with the rain, the ground still felt good to ride on. It’s a great place for a CCI3*-L, it’s got it all here.”
Helen West, Bicton Arena Manager, commented, “Whilst riders have missed out on a lot of the season this year, it was great to be able to finish on a high and put on a show for everyone to enjoy. It’s now full steam ahead to 2021, we’re already looking forward to welcoming competitors and hopefully spectators back through the gates.”
Full results can be found here.
[Andrew Nicholson & Monbeg Exclusive, Winner of the Rathbones CCI3*-L – Credit: Jayphotos.co.uk]
It has been a busy nine weeks for us here at Abbie Burbidge Eventing, since the last blog we have had top 10 placings with all the horses. It all started with TJ coming first and second in his debut British Dressage outing in July. After that, we made a trip to Bicton’s August British Showjumping weekend where Castle Fantastic won his class (Dodson & Horrell Amateur round).
Unfortunately, I did not have a horse ready for the Bicton’s British Eventing Horse Trials in July so instead I volunteered for the day. It was interesting watching how the different professionals warm up their horses and nice talking to a few of them like Tim Price, Padraig McCarthy, David Doel and Andrew Nicholson to name a few. I will definitely volunteer again at the October Horse Trials!
TJ has started his eventing career and despite the heat he placed ninth on his debut. At his next event we had to compete in opposite weather, but despite the pouring rain he put in a really good performance for sixth which is a pleasing start to his career.
Bluebird went to his first British Showjumping show where he was just pipped at the post to come second. He has also competed in Combined Training and was placed third and sixth, so great all round!
Castle was back out doing some Combined Training where he won his class on a dressage score of 28.3. Then we went out jumping and he was on winning form in the Discovery – I am sure he wanted to show the youngsters how it was done!
But the real star has been TJ with his “twinkle toes” dressage outings where he has managed to keep a winning streak at three different BD events! TJ went eventing mid-September doing his last BE90 course where he put in a particularly good performance over a technical track to finish sixth.
Looking ahead to October, we are just as busy with competitions lined up for all three horses.
Hopefully, we will be allowed to still compete even with the increase in the R rating.
With more than 60 classes over four days of top-class competition, Helen West, Bicton Arena Manager and her team welcomed more than 800 horses to the September Spectacular Showjumping Show (10-13 Sept) at the elite venue based in Budleigh Salterton. A calendar highlight for many competitors, the show was a key fixture for those hoping to qualify for the rearranged Indoor Championships due to take place at Aintree Equestrian Centre at the beginning of October.
Helen commented, “It’s been a fantastic weekend of competition, even with the Covid-19 regulations, the atmosphere has been buzzing and it’s been great to see so many riders back doing what they love. We used the enforced break during lockdown to install a new drainage system in the TopSpec Main Arena, which will enable us to be resilient as we possibly can be where the good old British weather is concerned. It was a massive team effort to get the arena ready for this competition in a relatively short space of time, and I am thrilled with how well the footing rode and the huge number of compliments we have received from riders.”
From 80cms classes right through to a 1.40m Grand Prix, there was something for everyone. Key wins came from Wraxall based Adrian Whiteway and Anytime II in the 1.40m Mitchell & Webber Senior 1.40m Grand Prix. Chloe Reynolds made it a one-two in the K J Reynolds Five Year Old Championships with Kiss By Balia and Cascadella, a class sponsored by her father’s company and Ben Clark won the Devon Duvets 1.05m Open Championship with Billy Boycie, claiming the title for a second year in the row.
Adrian Whiteway commented, “I love Bicton Arena, it’s my favourite venue in the country. The weekend was run so well by Helen, Beccy and the team considering all the regulations they had to put into place. I had a good weekend with some of my new and young horses but obviously it was great to win the Grand Prix on Anytime II.”
Full results can be found on the Bicton Arena website here.