Badminton winner Jonelle “speed queen” Price will head the eventers’ team in a head-to-head clash with leading jockeys at Barbury’s JCB Champions Challenge this weekend.
A team of eventers will compete against a team of jockeys in a relay race over fences on borrowed horses in aid of the Injured Jockeys Fund.
It is held in the main arena at the St James’s Place Barbury Horse Trials during a break in the eventing timetable, at 1.45pm on Saturday (7 July).
A full Antipodean contingent makes up the eventing squad — Jonelle is joined by her husband Tim Price, Australian rider Lissa Green and the legendary Sir Mark Todd.
They will face three-time champion jump jockey Richard Johnson, Tom Scudamore, Wayne Hutchinson and Sam Twiston-Davies.
“We so much enjoy our trip to Barbury for the JCB Champions’ Challenge every year,” said JCB’s Tim Leadbeater.
“It’s such good fun and couldn’t be for a better cause in the Injured Jockeys Fund.”
Last year’s challenge was won by the jockeys, captained by Bridget Andrews.
“We were keen to get the changeovers right, as that is key, and also you need to choose your horse carefully,’ she said after her team’s 2017 victory.
“We spent all morning watching the inter-hunt relay and earmarked our horses – you need ones that are quick but careful.”
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Barbury International runs from 5 to 8 July and features the fourth leg of the CIC3* Event Rider Masters (ERM) series, as well as another CIC3* section, a CIC2* and novice classes.
Riders from 21 nations and around 1,000 horses will compete over the four days.
Nine former ERM-winning riders are entered for the Barbury leg, including 2017 victors Tom Carlile and Upsilon.
“I’m delighted with the entries, which include CCI4* winners, CCI3* winners and lots of contenders for the World Equestrian Games (WEG) in September,” said event director Martyn Johnson.
“Several leading nations are using Barbury as a WEG trial, which is a great compliment to the event.
“Anyone who wants to watch real superstars, both equine and human, in action, should come to Barbury. We have the best viewing of any event in the country, so feast your eyes on the best of the best.”
In this week’s Horse & Hound magazine, out on Thursday 28 June 2018, don’t miss our full report from the Hickstead Derby meeting, including all the showjumping and showing action, plus don’t miss our six-page report from Royal Ascot.
We also have a feature on the much discussed whip rules across the disciplines and in this week’s ‘Vet clinic’ we find out how to spot the signs of sand colic.
