Eventing season gets underway

THEEventing season has begun at last, but as usual the unpredictable and erratic weather patterns are already causing cancellations and abandonments. It’s always such a massive disappointment for competitors and everyone involved when after months of preparation and hard work, it can all go wrong literally overnight.

Can you imagine the frustration on the evening before the big day…the weather looks dodgy, there is an announcement that a ground inspection will take place at 7am, but you know that by then you will be on the motorway heading miles across the country to get to the venue in time for your dressage, only to discover that it’s all off. Gutted doesn’t come close!

Then, because it’s still early in the year before Spring has really sprung, you head off for another attempt somewhere else the following weekend, only to arrive in total darkness, and have to walk the cross country course with a torch in temperatures which make you shiver. What dedication/madness!

Eventing is a gruelling sport. When you watch the professionals at the toughest horse trials, they can make it look amazingly effortless as they put in faultless performances in all three phases of the competition.

The enormity of the hard work it takes to get to that level or indeed any level of the sport, is difficult to convey. Both horse and rider have to be finely tuned athletes and that doesn’t happen overnight; it takes months of training.

Jason Hobbs is one of our local eventers who runs a competition yard at Ham Farm Yatton, courtesy of Mrs Denise Crossman. Together they seek out and buy young horses to train and have had many successes over the years, taking horses to the top levels.

This year will hopefully see their team compete at three and four star level, as well as the younger horses who will do the novice classes before moving up next year. This year, one of the horses Jason will be riding is Shanbeg Legacy.

Last year they had several successful placings, two of which were at international events. Timmy, as he is known at home was fifth at Osberton International Young Horse Championships and is on form to progress in what promises to be an exciting year for him. Watch this space.

Also working at Ham Farm and competing, are Catherine Fear and Tom Sloper. Both have been members of the Ham Farm team for several years. Cath will be competing her own Etoile la Vie (Jasper) in the Novice Championships at Gatcombe Festival of Eventing in August, having qualified last year and Tom will champion his own Do Remember Me.

It takes many years, a lot of luck, sweat and tears to get to the top level of eventing, and there will be many young riders at the lower levels who are starting out with determination and enthusiasm. There is a huge amount of support for those who are prepared to put in the work and make the sacrifices necessary to succeed.

They have to learn very early on that there can be highs and lows, peaks and troughs, wins and losses, sometimes all in one day. That’s horses for you.

British Eventing, the organisation that regulates Affiliated events, has ruled this year that any venue hosting Unaffiliated events cannot run a BE competition. Sadly this has meant our local Pontispool Equine Centre will not run a BE event.

They have chosen instead to support the Unaffiliated Cotswold Cup competition which provides a very exciting opportunity for amateurs in the sport to have the advantage of competing at top class venues, so although a loss to British Eventing, it’s a win win for everyone else in our area who is up for a challenge. More about this competition in the months ahead.

Meanwhile the Cheltenham Festival is in progress as I write. The new whip rules for jockeys have caused a few heartbreaks for those who have fallen foul however inadvertently, of the new rules, and one or two will miss prestigious rides at Cheltenham as the result of being temporarily banned.

However, in the interest of the horses, ongoing improvement and concern for their welfare and safety has to be paramount. The new rules are to be welcomed.

Once again, Badminton Box Office is open for ticket sales and camping bookings for the Horse Trials in May. Like last year there will be no tickets sold at the gate, it all has to be advance purchases.

The list of entries will be out any minute, so hats off to everyone who has qualified. Acceptance alone is to be applauded. Respect.