The stage is set for the 11th running of Nunney International Horse Trials which takes place on June 16, 17 and 18 at Whatley near Frome in Somerset.
The competition is set in the grounds of Southfield House with Nunney Castle providing a picturesque backdrop for the event.
The event’s principal sponsors are Hopkins Estates, Kingsland Property & Land Agents, and Bellevue Veterinary Clinic. It has attracted nearly 600 horse and rider combinations with some of the sports leading competitors heading to the idyllic south Somerset venue.
Competitors showcase their skills and teamwork with their horses across the three disciplines of dressage, show jumping and cross country. Dressage involves performing a sequence of predetermined movements and displays the horse’s obedience, suppleness, and precision. Cross-country tests the partnership between horse and rider as they navigate a challenging course with natural obstacles such as fences, ditches, and water jumps. Show jumping focuses on the horse’s agility and technique as they clear a series of fences within an arena.
On Friday, BE100, novice, open novice, intermediate, open intermediate and seven-year-old classes are in the spotlight with a chance to see riders of the highest calibre in action like Padraig McCarthy, Sam Griffiths, Aoifa Clark, William Fox-Pitt, Kristina Cook, Tom McEwen, Bella Innes Kerr, David Doel, and Hector Payne who have all represented their respective countries.
On Saturday it’s the turn of BE100, Novice and under 18 classes, and then on Sunday taking centre stage are the two international classes – a two star and a three star – with more than 150 riders across the two classes, including top class riders.
Nunney Horse Trials is not only a competitive event but also a social gathering for equestrian enthusiasts. Spectators can enjoy watching the thrilling competitions while exploring the trade stands that offer various equestrian-related products and services.
The showjumping arena, in front of Southfield House provides the focal point, with the trade stands located in this area, but the star of the show is the cross country with spectators able to head out onto the course and enjoy all the action.
Organiser Bridget Parker, herself a gold medal-winning event rider at the 1972 Olympics, said:
We are absolutely delighted with the quality of our entries and look forward to watching them in action over the three days. It’s a fantastic opportunity to watch the professionals and we would urge anyone to come along, and not only watch the riders but also enjoy browsing an array of trade stands.”
The cross country for the CCI-S 2* and CCI-S 3* is scheduled for Sunday starting at 10am, but there is action over the fixed cross country fences on Friday, Saturday and Sunday with showjumping in the main arena in front of the house over all three days too.Entry to the event is £10 per car on Friday and £15 per car on Saturday and Sunday and well behaved dogs on leads are welcome.
Visit Nunney Horse Trials website for more details.
Suzanne Ashton, Founder of Everything Horse (Est, 2012), has a BA Hons in Marketing Management and a Diploma in Equine Science. Suzanne has ridden and owned horses all her life and has twelve years of experience in marketing, writing, design, SEO, and website creation.