It will be Phillips vs McCoy at the St James's Place Wealth Management Barbury International Horse Trials
Throwing down the gauntlet - that's former world eventing champion Zara Phillips and 19 times champion jump jockey AP McCoy OBE, team captains in the JCB Champions Challenge, a unique 'horse race' between the country’s top riders. It’ll be held at the St James's Place Wealth Management Barbury International Horse Trials on Saturday 5 July.
Phillips and McCoy are competing in aid of the Injured Jockeys Fund (IJF), who McCoy is Vice Patron of and Phillip's mother HRH The Princess Royal is Patron. They’ll be going head to head in the race over a specifically designed course of fences including a water jump. The Challenge is between jump jockeys and event riders, with two supporting teams.
Joining McCoy are a trio of jockeys with a take-no-prisoners will to win. John Francome is a former seven times champion jockey and now president of the IJF. Sam Twiston-Davies, 21 (above), is the brightest of the new generation of young jumps jockeys. The quartet is completed by Richard Johnson, who is, after McCoy, the second-most successful jockey in jumps history, with over 2000 winners.
The eventers team boasts an awesome line-up of equestrian accolades and achievements. Zara is a former world champion and Olympic medallist and joining her is FEI world number 1 William Fox-Pitt (below), both who have just been announced as members of Team GB Eventing Squad for the World Equestrian Games in Normandy in August. Multiple Badminton and Burghley winner and rider of the 20th century Sir Mark Todd and individual Gold medal winning 2009 Young Rider European Champion Laura Collett complete the eventers team.
Zara Philips says, “It’s great to be combining the horse trials with this special event in aid of the IJF. There are so many different equestrian sports and we all respect and admire each other, especially the jump jockeys. It won’t, of course, stop us giving them a good hiding at Barbury!”
Tony McCoy adds, “Every jump jockey lives with the reality that he or she is going to have a fall, on average every nine rides. Thankfully, most of the time we get up and walk away. Every now and then, it’s serious, sometimes life-changing. The IJF does unbelievable work for hundreds of present and past riders across all disciplines. I’m honoured to be a vice patron of the fund – and to be riding on its behalf at this great event".
We plan to put on a real show for visitors to Barbury and the other teams should expect to see just a distant rear view of us!"
The JCB Champions Challenge features on the Saturday of the horse trials, where leading event riders will be preparing for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Normandy in August. The Barbury International runs from 3-6 July. Tickets start from £12 per person per day if booked in advance, or £15 on the gate. Children under 12 years are welcome and come in free.
If you can't get there, we'll be covering the event with daily photo galleries and updates for our 4* members - the next best thing to being there!
