The British under-25 eventing championships, strategy and showcases are on Mark Phillips’ mind in his exclusive H&H column
After two soggy springs, it’s difficult to believe that we are nearly at the end of March and have had an uninterrupted calendar on near-perfect footing.
I was sad that the under-25 championship at Defender Bramham Horse Trials has been reduced from a CCI4*-L to a CCI4*-S to try to attract more competitors. To me this is a retrograde step. The under-25 CCI4*-L was pretty much identical to the senior division, so there was little cost involved in running it.
Looking at some of the previous winners – my daughter Zara, Piggy March, Tom McEwen, Yasmin Ingham, Will Coleman, Astier Nicolas – shows what an important goal this has been for aspiring riders in their early 20s.
Since the FEI tightened the minimum eligibility requirements, it has become more difficult for young riders to qualify for CCI4*-L, but to me the quality of the field was more important than the quantity. I hope the longer-term consequences were taken into consideration when this decision was made.
Tom McEwen and Toledo De Kerser land the under-25s in 2016; five years later, they were double Olympic medallists.
An action plan
Paul Tapner and I were members of the British Eventing (BE) fixtures committee last year, but we resigned in the winter because of the proposed protocol for the new 2026 international fixtures calendar.
As the only two committee members who were not on the staff or board, we were given only a cursory glance of the proposal, which had already been approved by the board and wasn’t going to change. As we didn’t approve of the process, neither of us was prepared to put our name to it.
Not surprisingly, the calendar is now behind schedule because of ongoing appeals. It is sad that an iconic venue like Chatsworth has already been lost because a mutually agreeable date could not be found.
On a positive note, I was impressed to read the latest British Equestrian 2025–2030 strategy document. It ticks all the right boxes for the federation’s future direction, with its 4.3 million-strong equestrian community and £5bn annual economic impact.
Human and, more particularly, equine welfare is at the heart of the strategy, along with environmental sustainability, while we try to maintain our status as one of the world’s leading equestrian nations.
We now have the strategy, but need an action plan. I hear noises about waiting until after the FEI Sports Forum later this month. I wish we could get back to the time when we led the world on equestrian policies instead of reacting to what the FEI and the rest of the world do.
The US on the movee
In the US, I recently designed the course for the $100,000 (a little over £77,000) showcase eventing grand prix in Aiken, South Carolina, and I am also helping to plan a $50,000 showcase at Ocala, Florida, for February 2026.
These short-course, arena-based competitions are great entertainment and easily televised for sponsors. It’s sad the concept has not really taken off in Britain. However, this may be food for thought for some organisers following the BE 2026 international fixtures review, particularly for those finding it difficult to maintain viability with regular fixtures.
In the US, they also now have a new series incorporating all the CCI4*-S competitions, with a $50,000 prize pot for the leading points winners and a $200,000 CCI4*-L final. This huge injection of prize money has come not from sponsors – although they are now showing interest – but from the US Equestrian Federation board, with a three-year guarantee. I have to admire their thinking.
Leslie Law has been appointed as the new US coach and chef d’equipe with Karyn Shuter, who has worked successfully with Oliver Townend as his “right hand”. Leslie and Karyn could be a powerful partnership. It feels like US equestrian is on the move – food for thought for this country.
● What do you think about this change at Bramham? Write to us at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and country, for the chance for your letter to appear in a forthcoming issue of the magazine
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