The ever popular rider Mary King is back at Burnham this year
If this fence was any narrower we don't think Mary's knees would get through the flags!
Spectators will be able to watch a multitude of Olympic and Championship athletes at this year's EQ Life Burnham Market International Horse Trials. Entered this year are British team stalwarts William Fox-Pitt, Mary King, Pippa Funnell, Tina Cook and Nicola Wilson. Norfolk girl Piggy French, a past European Individual Silver medallist, will also be competing, alongside 2013 British senior squad debutants Izzy Taylor and Tom McEwen.
Aussies will be well represented with most of the UK based Badminton bound riders aiming for a good run, or possibly just doing dressage and show jumping before heading off to the big event. We also found a few ‘unknown’ Aussies in the BE100 sections so we’ll hopefully find out more about them later.
Sam Griffiths and Paulank Brockagh seen here at last years Haras Du Pin will be at Burnham
Photo: Pauline Chevalier
Multiple Olympic gold medal winners Sir Mark Todd and Andrew Hoy, alongside Four Star winners Oliver Townend and Paul Tapner, have also thrown their hats into the ring, as has the reigning World number one Andrew Nicholson. Running three weeks before Badminton Horse Trials in Gloucestershire, the Easter weekend is the perfect time for these elite athletes to have a final outing before tackling the most famous Three Day Event in the world.
The neat Norfolk farmland runs alongside the cross country course
The EQ Life Burnham Market International offers a fantastic day out for all the family. As well as top class equestrian competition there will be over 40 trade stands selling their wares, while children can enjoy the bungee trampolines, bouncy castles and climbing wall, as well as Razz and Pearl's popular circus workshops. This year ‘Big C,’ Norfolk's cancer charity and EQ Life Burnham Market International's Official Charity, are holding an Easter Egg Hunt on the Saturday, with all money raised going to fighting cancer in Norfolk and Waveney.
William Fox-Pitt in action last year
The Burnham Market International Horse Trials is based in North West Norfolk and offers a fantastic day out for all the family! Alongside the top class competition, there's over 40 trade stands to 'grab a bargain' at and for the children there's bungee trampolines, bouncy castles and a climbing wall. On Friday 18th and Saturday 19th Razz and Pearl will be performing circus workshops, so all in all a great way to spend a family day out, over the Easter weekend.
We're not sure if the climbing wall will be exactly like this one but either way we can't wait
to see if any of the riders have time to reach the top - we're pretty sure Shane Rose would
be up there in a flash ... now there's a challange to those UK based Aussies!
With 20 sections to get through it’s going to be a busy time for organisers and riders alike and the action for several classes, including the CIC3* and CIC2*, begins tomorrow. Bill Levett will be kept busy with four horses to ride but then many of the top riders are expected to ride four or five during the weekend – It’s no wonder they all look so fit!
The video team from An Eventful Life will be at Burnham Market to capture all the cross country action and hopefully they will get the chance to chat to a few people over the weekend in those quite moments!
Photos: Judith Walker
Dont leave it another minute to enter our WEG competitions - become a 4* member and go into the draw to win this amazing trip. Just think it could be you on a plane bound for France and all for the cost of a set of horse shoes ... actually at $96 it's probably cheaper than a set of horse shoes!
Click on the link below for more details - but be quick entries close soon
