A jam-packed weekend of competition saw over 450 competitors make the journey to the Grade 1 listed estate in Budleigh Salterton, owned by Lord and Lady Clinton.
A 32.7 score put Barnie Brotherton and his own 12-year-old Cash Casino well ahead of the field by nearly eight marks in the CCI3*-S class, sponsored by Rathbones. Following a successful run at Little Downham earlier in the month, where the combination won the Open Intermediate Under 21 class, this win has been the icing on the cake for the pair that are based with Harry Meade, in their final run of the season. “He felt amazing! Cash Casino had some time-off at the beginning of the season which gave us a chance to really focus on our dressage, so I was really pleased that he was second after this phase. It finally all came together in the final round where he jumped a nice clear,” said 18-year-old Barnie.
Over 100 competitors took part in the pilot BE90 3 Day Event which ran alongside the popular BE100 3 Day Event, both sponsored by NAF. The long format competition took place over three days that included roads and tracks and a steeplechase, a unique opportunity for all competitors. With the added incentive of the top 10 percent of finishers qualifying for the BE90 and BE100 Championships held at Badminton Estate in 2022.
12-year-old Zara Head rode her own six-year-old mare Clenagh High Society to win the BE90 3 Day Event on a score of 28.5. The young pair took it all in their stride, “She was amazing and really bold going cross country, it was a challenging course, but she made everything feel so easy,” said Zara.
Seven-year-old Pull Ya Socks Up owned by the Socksessful Syndicate was crowned the winner of the BE100 3 Day Event with Stratford-upon-Avon based Harriet Dickin finishing on a score of 27.1. “We won the BE100 at Broadway last week so that put us in good stead coming to Bicton and I knew he was fit and ready. We have an event and racing yard so we find the fitness phase of a long format competition quite easy, although he can be tricky to ride as he’s big, but we managed to hold it all together to take the win,” said Harriet.
NAF’s UK Marketing Manager, Isla Boxall-Loomes added “We were really pleased to have been able to support the BE90 and BE100 Three Day Events at Bicton Arena. Both sets of classes look to have been a real hit with competitors and have been a highlight in this year’s eventing calendar. We’ve loved reading everyone’s stories from the event across our social media platforms and it’s been wonderful to read such positive feedback.”
Bicton Arena’s Manager Andrew Fell commented “What a fantastic weekend of competition we have had here at Bicton and congratulations to all the winners – what an outstanding end to our busy season! I’m so proud of the team who have worked tirelessly to bring this all together and a huge thank you to our team of volunteers and sponsors who made this all happen.”
Full results can be found here: www.eventingscores.co.uk