Who can you expect for Endurance GB at RWHS?

Endurance GB welcomes stellar field at Royal Windsor Horse Show (RWHS) for FEI Endurance ahead of Team GB squad selection

A stellar line-up of British endurance riders will contest next week’s Royal Windsor FEI Endurance (Friday 2 July) with an extended track offering home-based riders their first shot at an FEI CEI 3* 160km in the UK this season.

A total of 35 leading riders, the majority from Great Britain, along with representatives from Australia, The Netherlands and Italy, will take part across four classes, a CEI1* YR 100km, CEI 1* 100km, CEI 2* 120km and CEI 3* 160km. For logistical reasons associated with Covid-19 travel issues, the only international contenders at this year’s event will be British-based riders registered with other national federations.

In a major boost to the season and with Britain’s leading combinations hungry for top level competition, Endurance GB is also announcing two further FEI competitions will take place in the UK this summer; at Keysoe, Bedfordshire (14-15 August) and at Well Vale (formerly Revesby), Lincs on 29 August.

Endurance GB Chair Phil Nunnerley said:

A great deal of hard work has gone in behind the scenes to add two further FEI competitions to the 2021 calendar. We are grateful to all those involved who have made this happen and to the organisers of Keysoe, Emma Taylor and Bella Fricker and Thay Stephenson at Well Vale for staging these international classes and wish both rides every success. Meanwhile, Royal Windsor Endurance will offer a spectacular start to the international calendar for our riders and in turn, we are proud that it will showcase the talents of some of the most successful as well as promising combinations that we have in the sport.”

The going is forecast to be good with a newly designed route created to accommodate the step up to a 160km class taking in many spectacular and iconic sections of Windsor Great Park.

The feature 160km Royal Windsor event is set to see nine British combinations at the start line, five of whom; James Dickinson (Magdy), Laura Graham (Warrens Hill Farrah), Fiona Griffiths (Balishla), Nikki Malcolm (Oso Spiralling Wind) and Lauren Mills (Hs Jamal) are hoping to earn qualification and the chance of selection for the British senior team at this September’s FEI European Championships in Ermelo. They will line up to tackle the newly designed course at Windsor alongside fellow senior riders Bella Fricker (Spanish Heir), Victoria Ham (Cwyrtai Sharif) and Annie Joppe (HS Chiara).

Two of the four riders currently qualified for the European Championships who have already expressed an interest in being considered for selection; Annette Masterson (Shoshana) and Nicki Thorne (Kamilcia) will both be contesting the 120km class with their Ermelo hopefuls.

The remaining two team contenders sitting out Windsor, Sarah Rogerson and Carmine Villani have both enjoyed strong starts to the season elsewhere with Sarah Rogerson’s build up with Warrens Hill Rubyn beginning with a win at Avon Valley in the 80km CER and Carmine Villani’s campaign with Vatou de Gargassan including an 11^th place at in the FEI CEI 3* 160km at Castlesagrat in South West France earlier this month.

Among entries in the new Young Rider 100km class at Windsor, Keighley Pomroy is aiming to qualify Hathek with a view to selection for the World Championships for Young Riders at Ermelo in September 2021. Also in contention and already qualified for Ermelo, Young Rider Saffron Bishop and Ty Shute Golden Savannah will be stepping up a distance in the 160km class at Windsor.

While travel restrictions have hampered the FEI’s ability to appoint overseas-based officials, Royal Windsor Endurance will be marshalled by an experienced UK-based team with Brian Dunn (IRL) as President of the Ground Jury, Fred Barrelet (SUI) as Foreign Veterinary Delegate, Rod Fisher (GBR) as Veterinary Commission President and Michael Gill as Chief Steward.

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Suzanne Ashton

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.