The BEF World Class Development Programme (WCD) is once again showing its commitment to Britain’s young show jumping riders by sponsoring the U23 Championship final at the 2008 British Open Show Jumping Championships in April (3rd – 6th) at Birmingham’s NEC.

With a revised change to the rules for the U23 Championships, there will now be six qualifying competitions. The top seventeen horse/rider combinations, based on points accumulated throughout the qualifying series, will gain the opportunity to compete in the two U23 classes at the British Open. The remaining three places will be awarded from the last Premier show, which will be run as a Wild Card competition.

Formerly known as The British Young Riders U23 Classic Final, the title will change to the BEF World Class Development Programme Championship. To determine the starting order of the Championship class, the riders will jump in the World Class Development Programme Pathfinder class the day before, with all clear rounds going through to a jump-off against the clock. The winner is the rider with the least faults in the fastest time, who will then have the advantage of going last in the WCD Programme Championship 2008.

As part of its sponsorship of the WCD Championships, The World Class Development Programme is also funding the first place prize money at the qualifying competitions and wild card competition, as well as training vouchers to the first six prize winners.

With an increase in the prize fund at the British Open, and training vouchers to the value of £4,475, the twenty places will be hotly contested throughout the qualifying series and wild card competition.

Vikki Underwood, World Class Development Programme Manager, said, “We are delighted to be sponsoring the WCD Championships once again, as this shows our commitment to supporting Great Britain’s up and coming show jumpers. With the increase in prize money for the Championship class this signifies our belief the importance these young riders place on winning this prestigious title, and the high level of training and riding required in order to do so.”

The World Class Development Programme is Lottery funded through UK Sport and is designed to assist in the development of talented riders, with the best opportunities to maximise their competitive potential through an established training pathway that will see them progress onto the Olympic Performance Programme for 2012 and beyond.

The British Open Show Jumping Championships takes place at the NEC, Birmingham from Thursday 3rd – Sunday 6th April 2008. For tickets, call the Box Office on 08700 100 216