Cream of British show jumping in action at Royal Windsor
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
The cream of British international show jumping will be in action at this week’s Royal Windsor Horse Show (8-11 May). In what is a dress rehearsal for next year’s FEI European Show Jumping and Dressage Championships, a total of 14 British riders will be competing against riders from Ireland, France, Sweden, Spain, Holland, Portugal, Russia, Jordan and Argentina. A date clash with La Baule has seen many international riders heading for France. However, Simon Brooks-Ward, organiser of Royal Windsor said: “The FEI strongly recommends staging an international competition in advance of a European Championship and that is why we took the decision to host international show jumping this year. We will add International Dressage to the Carriage Driving and Show Jumping classes next year.”
Next year’s European Dressage and Show Jumping Championship is the first senior combined continental championships ever to be held and will bring together two of the three equestrian Olympic disciplines, three years before London 2012. The world’s top names are expected to appear in both disciplines and the event - to be held at the Royal Windsor Horse Show grounds - will be a major celebration of horsesport.
Simon Brooks-Ward added: “We are delighted to be adding to the tally of International Show Jumping classes being held in Britain as sadly we lag behind all the other major federations in terms of numbers of opportunities for the public to watch top class jumping. With warm weather forecasted to arrive next Wednesday, Windsor is truly set to be the start of the equestrian summer season.”
As well as the feast of show jumping, showing aficionados will be able to watch some packed showing classes with entries up particularly in ridden, Mountain and Moorland and coloured horse classes.
The Land Rover International Carriage Driving Competition is always a crowd puller particularly on Marathon day as the competitors drive at fast speeds round the obstacle course that stretches throughout the private grounds of Windsor Castle.
And Windsor can't be beaten as a family day out. There are over 200 shops, there's the Land Rover 4x4 'experience', The Royal Windsor Food and Drink Festival, a children's activity zone, and a host of entertaining displays in the Main Arena.
What is set to be one of the largest displays of military vehicles ever put together will be on show with a selection including Wimiks, Mastiffs, Vectras, Bulldogs, Warrior Ambulances, Scimitars and Land Rover Scouts. These will be at the show ground ready to take part in the evening Windsor Castle Royal Tattoo (8th-10th May 2008) and there will be public access to some of them.
As part of the build up to the European Championships, visitors will also enjoy a new-look showground at this year’s event with massively expanded seating areas in the main arena and vast TV screens relaying the live coverage of all the action.
