The Permanent Show Organisers Association, the brains behind the highly successful Trailblazers series for unaffiliated riders, is to launch a new showjumping series aimed at affiliated riders who “jump for fun”.
The series will feature four classes for junior riders and four classes for seniors, with a two-day championship final held at the National Agricultural Centre, Stoneleigh, in August 2004.
PSOA chairman Norman Bargh says: “We have run the Trailblazer series for unaffiliated leisure riders for four years and have been asked time and time again why we had no classes for affiliated riders who jump for fun.
“The demand has become so great that we have decided to introduce a complete series for these people who form the backbone of the British Show Jumping Association.”
Senior classes for riders outside the top 150 in the BSJA ranking list will be 95cms for horses not to have won £250; 1.05m for horses not to have won £500; and a 1.15m open. The final class is a 1.20m open to riders outside the top 50.
Junior classes, for riders who have not been placed in the top five of a Junior Showjumper of the Year class during 2003, start at around 90cms for 128/138cm JD or JC ponies. The second class is for ponies not having won £300 with the fences at 95cm and the third at 1.05cms for JD or JC ponies with winnings below £600.
The remaining 1.10m class is open to any rider and pony combinations not placed in the first five of a 2003 Junior Showjumper of the Year competition.
“Three-quarters of all BSJA entries during 2002 were in British novice and discovery classes, which can be seen as proof that there is a definite need to cater for people who take their showjumping seriously but still do it for fun,” continues Mr Bargh. “PSOA members believe this series will satisfy a lot of people.”
The success of the PSOA’s unaffiliated series has forced the 2004 South Essex Insurance Brokers/PSOA Trailblazer championship series to be extended to four days (5-8 August), due to the huge number of competitors forward for this year’s final. The affiliated championship will take place after the Trailblazer finals on 9-10 August 2004.
For more details and a list of participating centres, visit: www.psoatrailblazers.co.uk
