With January finally completed, we can all now look forward to brighter evenings, snowdrops giving us a hint of the springtime to come and finally we can say the Eventing season starts this month! (technically with first events starting on 29th February)
So with the impeding starting klaxon, I thought I’d share a few ramblings about what the season may have in store for us all.
Firstly, at the risk of stating the obvious, 2020 is an Olympic year – the greats of our sport will be heading east to Tokyo for the Eventing medals at the end of July. Although most of us will be watching at crazy o’clock on our televisions & laptops, this event will have a big impact on our Spring Eventing.
Spring time fun - Vendredi Biats & Kitty King at the final Belton International Horse Trials March 2019
There are still a number of big players, both Brits and International riders that have to gain qualification for their steeds, so cue a big push for our 4* and 5* spring events. Not least all these new horse and rider combinations.
Horses and riders need to have achieved their FEI minimum eligibility requirements is 1 June 2020 so the clock is ticking for those yew et to get their qualifying runs.
Heidi Coy & Russal Z, Burnham Market International Horse Trials, April 2019
For Olympic Games, horse and rider combinations need to have achieved either a MER qualifying result at CCI5*L or (CCI4*S + CCI4*L) – 4*S are not too hard to come by, with Belton’s replacement at Thoresby, Burnham Market and Chatsworth all before the middle of May that shouldn’t be too difficult to tick off the list if not already done so, long format events on the other hand are a little more sparsely divided across Europe:
Barroca d’Alva, Portugal CCI4*L 4-8 March
Montelibretti, Italy CCI4*L 9-12 April
Ballindenisk, Ireland CCI4*L 23-26 April
Montelibretti, Italy CCI4*L 30 April – 3 May
Sopot, Poland CCI4*L 30 April – 3 May
The all-important long list of shortlisted athletes and horses needs to be submitted to IOC by 10 April, with final entries by 6 July - so expect some Team announcements by Mid April. With 3 to a team plus one individual, I don’t envy the selectors task, especially Team GBR selectors. We are blessed with a lot of talent so the short-listing will be a tough task.
Springing into action - London 52 & Laura Collett, Belton International Horse Trials, March 2019
“Who are your 4 picks?” is going to be a much-posed question amongst event attendees this spring.
There has been some debate over how many Team hopefuls will come to Badminton, but equally I think there will inevitably be many who surely can’t pass on the golden opportunity to put in a good performance and catch the selectors eye. Also one run at 5* secures qualification as opposed to finding 2 4* runs. Cue a bulging Badminton entry list with plenty of international flavour, 5* form and new combinations looking to tic off that qualifying MER for Tokyo.
Many people’s banker for a Team GBR place: Tom McEwen & Toledo de Kerser - pictured here at Aston le Walls, July 2019 before their 5* triumph at Pau later in the year
And the lure of 5* form will surely have many considering a trip, albeit a pricey one at that, across the pond to Kentucky at the end of April. All being well a fit and healthy Cooley Master Class will take the trip with Oliver Townend and defend his crown. I for one, will be cheering for this duo to be crowned champions for the third time. But I think they will have some stiff opposition to the title.
Double Kentucky 5* champions: Oliver Townend & Cooley Master Class, FEI European Championships, Luhmuhlen September 2019
Piggy French has stated her intentions that Blenheim 4*L debutant winner Brookfield Innocent’s intended Spring target is Kentucky, with this horse being many people’s ‘dark horse’ for Tokyo selection.
Blenheim 4*L victors: Piggy French & Brookfield Innocent, September 2019
All that being said, there remains plenty to look forward to on the national circuit too – Oasby 1, near Grantham, Lincolnshire runs its customary OI class on the Friday, which is a tried and tested starting point for many of the circuits ‘big guns’.
Cirencester Park, Gloucestershire and the advanced class at Weston Park 1, Staffordshire are also likely to hold some vital clues.
For now I will leave you to contemplate your 4 picks for Tokyo whilst I frantically update the website, clean the lens and get ready for the start-box countdown that we are all waiting for…