£3,000 bonus on offer for grassroots riders in new series challenge

Grassroots eventers have the chance to compete for a £3,000 bonus as the Northumberland Challenge expands for 2024.

British Eventing (BE) fixtures Belsay International, Alnwick Ford and Burgham International Horse Trials are “delighted” to announce the return of the challenge, which awards prizes for consistency at two-and three-star level, but which this year will also cover the BE100 classes at the three venues.

The challenge gives combinations that compete in the same class at all three venues the chance to win cash bonuses. Winning all three CCI3*-Ss will net an extra £15,000, winning two secures £7,000 and securing a top-three placing in each wins £3,000.

For the two-star classes the bonuses are £12,000, £6,000 and £2,000 respectively, and for the BE100 it is £3,000, £1,500 and £500.

Belsay event director Laura de Wesselow said: “As a team we are hugely grateful to our sponsors, particularly Hambro Sport Horses, and our creative insurance brokers McClaron Sports Ltd for enabling us to offer this fantastic accumulator prize fund. Our aim is to showcase our beautiful Northumbrian venues and attract top riders and grassroots competitors from all over the country.”

Alnwick Ford and Burgham International event director Craig Anderson said the team was “thrilled” to include BE100 combinations this year, adding: “There are not many other places where you can win really decent prize-money at this level.”

Last year Mark Davidson, who is based with Piggy March, won £7,000 with two wins out of three in the CCI3*-S, at Alnwick Ford and Burgham, with the Round Table Syndicate’s Fonbherna Lancer.

“Winning the CCI3*-S at both Alnwick Ford and Burgham was a career highlight for me,” he said. “It was incredible to win this sort of money and it’s a huge incentive for riders to travel to these wonderful northern events. We will definitely be back this season.”

Martin Wright, grassroots representative to the BE sports committee, added: “This is a great opportunity for grassroots riders to compete for a serious prize pot. It is fantastic to see Northumberland events extending this opportunity to riders at this level, who make up 75% of BE’s membership.”

BE100 competitors should not have competed above BE novice. The BE100 challenge does not include BE100 open or open under-18 sections.

You might also be interested in:

Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits.