An extremely hot summer seems to have flown by, and somehow September is already just around the corner! It’s going to be an exceptionally busy month for the British Eventing Support Trust, with four brilliant horse trials, a 300-mile cycle challenge, course walks, a fun run, fundraising events and plenty more along the way.
Most importantly, that means there are lots of opportunities for you to get involved and help raise vital funds to support British Eventing competing members when they need us. So, without further ado and with diaries at the ready, here’s what we’ve got coming up!
Scone to Burghley Cycle Challenge
We’ll be kicking things off before September has even officially begun, when Henry Kinchin, Andrew Ransford, Tom March, Abbie Jenkins and Alastair Wilson set off on an epic 300-mile cycle from Scone Palace International Horse Trials in Scotland to Defender Burghley Horse Trials in Lincolnshire.
The team will leave Scone on Sunday 30th of August and spend three days in the saddle, aiming to reach Burghley in time for the first horse inspection on Wednesday the 2nd of September. They’re taking on the challenge to raise funds for both the British Eventing Support Trust and Riders Minds, and we’ll be following their progress as they make their way south. Keep an eye on our social media to cheer them on and show your support by donating using the link below.
Donate to the Scone to Burghley charity cycle
The Defender Burghley Horse Trials: 3rd to the 6th of September
Our intrepid cyclists won’t have much time to put their feet up when they arrive, because there’s a lot happening at Burghley this year! As the event celebrates the 65th anniversary of five-star eventing competition at Burghley House, we’ve got two fantastic fundraising events planned, as well as the draw for our special raffle prize.
Walk the cross-country course with Pippa Funnell and Adrian Ditcham
First up, on Thursday the 3rd of September, Pippa Funnell and course designer Adrian Ditcham will be taking the reins for a very special cross-country course walk.
With three-time Olympic medallist and Rolex Grand Slam winner Pippa giving the rider’s perspective and Adrian, who helped design this year’s track, explaining the thinking behind it, there will be plenty to talk about! They’ll take a closer look at the questions on the course and share their thoughts ahead of the weekend’s cross-country action, so you don’t want to miss this.
The walk starts at Fence 2 with the start time TBC depending on Pippa and Adrian’s commitments and tickets are £30 per person. Places are limited and your ticket doesn’t include admission to Burghley, so you’ll need to arrange your event ticket separately.
Book your Burghley course walk ticket
Raise a glass with Pol Roger
Then, once Friday’s dressage has drawn to a close and with excitement building for Saturday’s cross-country test, it’s time to raise a glass! We’re joining Champagne Pol Roger for a sociable evening in the Pol Roger Marquee from 6pm to 7.30pm on Friday the 4th of September. Come along to catch up with fellow eventing enthusiasts and BE Support Trust supporters, meet some familiar faces from the sport and discuss the dressage leaderboard over a glass of Pol Roger Brut Réserve Champagne.
Tickets are £25 per person (over 18s only) and include your first glass of champagne, with further drinks available to purchase during the evening.
Book your Pol Roger evening ticket
Win a one-of-a-kind piece of eventing history
Burghley will also be the setting for the draw of a rather special raffle prize! Farrier and artist Oliver Mitchell has created a one-of-a-kind horseshoe sculpture, forged from shoes worn by some of eventing’s best-known horses, including new World Champions London 52, JL Dublin and Lordships Graffalo. It brings together some incredible names and moments from the sport in one completely unique piece of eventing history.
Raffle tickets are £25 each, with the winning ticket set to be drawn by our President, HRH The Princess Royal, at Burghley. We’ll be sharing details of when and where the draw will take place on our social media channels nearer the time, so keep your eyes peeled.
Enter the horseshoe sculpture raffle
The Cornbury House Horse Trials: 9th to the 13th of September
Next stop for our team, Cornbury! We’re thrilled to be returning as the official charity partner of the Cornbury House Horse Trials for a third year. The team at Cornbury has helped to raise an incredible £44,000 for the Trust over the past two years, and we’re so grateful for their ongoing support. And there’s something new on the timetable this year: the Cornbury Fun 5km!
You can run it, walk it, go in a group, take the dog or tackle the course by yourself, but the main thing is to have fun and raise money for the Trust along the way. Plus, the Cornbury Welcome Party will be waiting for you at the finish line, which sounds like a pretty good incentive to get those trainers on and get going! Your ticket includes your fun run entry, a welcome drink at the party courtesy of Hawkstone and Maison Mirabeau, and a delicious hog roast (or veggie option if you prefer).
Secure your space at the Cornbury Fun 5km & welcome party
Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials: the 17th to the 20th of September
There’s just a couple of days to catch our breath before we head to our third big event of the month, Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials. International event rider Will Rawlin will be hosting our Blenheim cross-country course walk at 3pm on Thursday the 17th of September, giving you the chance to walk the track with an experienced competitor and hear how a rider approaches the challenge ahead.
Will’s going to be picking out some of the key fences and combinations, talk about the influence of terrain, lines and striding, and explain some of the decisions riders will be making as they formulate their plans for cross-country day.
Book your Blenheim course walk ticket
Win your tickets to Blenheim
And finally. if you haven’t got your Blenheim tickets yet, you could be heading there on us! We’ve teamed up with Agria Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials to give one lucky winner two Members’ tickets plus free parking for this year’s event. To enter, head over to our Facebook or Instagram page, find the competition post, give it a like and tag the person you’d like to take with you in the comments.
Entries close on Monday the 24th of August and we’ll announce the winner on Tuesday the 25th of August – and remember, you’ve got to be in it to win it…
If you’re going to be at Scone, Burghley, Cornbury or Blenheim, we hope we’ll see you somewhere along the way. And to Henry, Andrew, Tom Abbie and Alastair – we’ll see you at Burghley after 300 miles on two wheels!