Eventing’s version of Twenty20, offering £100,000 to the winner, will take place in Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium this November.
The new eventing series is a highly condensed and “spectator-friendly” version of the traditional sport.
All the action will take place in one day, in one stadium, and involve 20 top name event riders, including Mary King, William Fox-Pitt, Andrew Nicholson and Clayton Fredericks.
The Express Eventing competition, the brainchild of Belton Horse Trials Organiser Stuart Buntine and event horse owner John Peace, is scheduled for 30 November. Organisers hope the event will be rolled out as an international series at venues around the world during 2009.
“My vision was to create a showcase for the sport, making it more accessible and to educate people,” said Mr Buntine.
The day will start with a freestyle dressage programme, set to music, where riders will be judged on “artistic interpretation”. They will then enter a combined jumping stage, with a “pit-stop” to change tack between the show jumping and cross-country phases, still in the indoor arena.
For more information and to buy tickets, visit www.eeicup.com
See Thursday’s edition of Horse & Hound (4 September) for more details and rider feedback.
