{"piano":{"sandbox":"false","aid":"u28R38WdMo","rid":"R7EKS5F","offerId":"OF3HQTHR122A","offerTemplateId":"OTQ347EHGCHM"}}
Trending:

Oliver Townend and William Fox-Pitt’s emergency plans for Kentucky

Pippa Roome Pippa Roome

    • British riders Oliver Townend (pictured) and William Fox-Pitt have had to make emergency travel plans to get to America to ride at Rolex Kentucky (22-25 April), due to the volcanic ash cloud preventing flights out of Britain.

    Both riders withdrew from Belton’s Sunday classes, and headed to Spain, where flights are operating.

    Oliver caught a train from Crewe to London and then the Eurostar to Paris. French train strikes meant he then had to take a taxi from Paris to Madrid. William caught a private flight to Madrid with the Hon Teresa Stopford Sackville, owner of his ride Cool Mountain.

    Both are booked to fly from Madrid to Kentucky, via Miami and Atlanta, and scheduled to arrive tomorrow morning (Tuesday, 20 April).

    Fortunately their horses — Cool Mountain and Oliver’s ODT Master Rose and Ashdale Cruise Master — had already flown out on Tuesday, 13 April and arrived safely on the other side of the Atlantic.

    Not being able to get to Kentucky would have been a particular disaster for Oliver, who is bidding to complete the Rolex Grand Slam — awarded to any rider who can win Badminton, Burghley and Kentucky consecutively — and win $350,000 (£229,533).

    Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout major shows like London International and more with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

    Pippa Roome
    Pippa Roome

    H&H magazine editor and eventing editor
    Pippa is a true eventing geek and has been H&H’s eventing editor since 2005. She has first-hand experience of competing up to British Eventing intermediate and international CCI2*-L level, and has worked in the industry on a top event yard. Pippa enjoys nothing more than immersing herself in the sport at the highest level, reporting from the five-stars and international championships, including the Olympics.
    Pippa Roome

    You may like...