A new military tournament involving nearly 150 horses and celebrating the 350th anniversary of the Household Cavalry is to be held in London later this year.
The British Military Tournament is to be held at Earls Court on 4-5 December, with two performances on each day.
The show is a revival of the Royal Tournament which was first held in 1880 but was cancelled in 1999 by the Government due to “financial constraints”.
The show, which is written and directed by Christopher Joll, will be narrated live by Anthony Andrews and will feature pre-recorded contributions from Joanna Lumley, Stephen Fry and Dame Judi Dench.
It will re-enact key events from the history of the British Army — from the Civil War to the present day conflict in Afghanistan.
There will be 500 troops and more than 145 horses involved in the Tournament which will also feature a Musical Ride of the Household Cavalry, a Field Gun Run over an obstacle course, Chelsea Pensioners and Gurkha Veterans.
The audience will also witness high horse gymnastics, mounted Skill at Arms and ceremonial drills, as well as a live performance of a scene from the critically acclaimed West End production War Horse.
All the proceeds will go to ABF The Soldiers Charity, which started off as the Army Benevolent Fund in 1944 and offers practical help to soldiers and veterans.
The charity raises £7million per year and helps over 4,000 injured servicemen and their families. However the charity has seen a 30 per cent increase year on year in soldiers, former soldiers and their dependents seeking help and the organisation believes it needs to raise £14m a year to continue its work.
Major General Sir Evelyn Webb-Carter said “This will be a fantastic show for the public to enjoy and by attending they will also be providing invaluable support for the work we do helping injured servicemen and women and their families.”
Tickets are from £29.
For more information visit: www.britishmilitarytournament.com
