Damien Hirst sculptures featured in 2018 but the artitstic focus will be on Henry Moore at Houghton in 2019
An Eventful Life is filming all competitors on cross country at
Houghton International and CICO Nations Cup - find out more here
Not all international horse trials can boast extraordinary works of sculpture by notable artists, viewable from the cross country course. Whilst last year's visitors to Saracen Horse Feeds Houghton International were treated to a backdrop of huge, colourful sculptures by Damien Hirst, this year's spectators can enjoy the work of Henry Moore – the first significant show of the artist's work in East Anglia.
The 2019 Saracen Horse Feeds Houghton International runs from 23rd - 26th May, and again hosts the only British leg of the FEI Eventing Nations Cup. Ten teams are due to contest this first leg of the series which concludes at Boekelo (Netherlands) in October. The highest placed, non-qualified, nation in the rankings after Boekelo will earn a team place for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
In recent years, Germany has been the dominant force at Houghton; the German team has won the Nations Cup class for the last four years. Great Britain last topped the tables here in 2013, and the British team will be out to regain the advantage.
Britain has announced its team for the event which will be led by the recent Badminton CCI5* winner and team World Championship gold medallist, Piggy French on Jennifer Saunders’ 11-year-old gelding Cooley Monsoon, coming off a win at Rockingham International. Joining Piggy will be
- Richard Coney (20) riding his own and Wendy Coney’s 11-year-old bay gelding Kananaskis
- Eliza Stoddart (26) and the Flint Syndicate’s 12-year-old chestnut gelding Dick O’Malley
- Bubby Upton (20) and Amy O’Connor and Rachel Upton’s 16-year-old gelding Fernhill Rock Star
Bubby Upton receives her first Nations Cup call up on Fernhill Rock Star and will be riding Eros DHI (pictured above) and Cola III in the 2019 Saracen Horse Feeds British Young Rider Championship held at Houghton
These three riders, and all four horses, will all be making their first senior team appearance for Team GBR.
Fifteen nations will be represented in the eventing classes, from Spain and Sweden to Brazil, Canada and Australia, with cross country and show jumping taking place on both Saturday and Sunday.
Additional equestrian classes also run throughout the event, with 'have a go' dog agility hosted by our 2019 charity Riding For The Disabled, children's entertainment and over 70 trade stands, food outlets and a licenced bar also on site.
Saracen Horse Feeds Houghton International is the only time the public can camp in the park, providing a perfect base for an action packed weekend. Tickets for the Horse Trials can be bought in advance via the event website, and on the Gate, which opens at 8.30am every day (entrance to the complete Henry Moore exhibition is not included in Horse Trials admission)
For more information on any aspect of this year's FEI Saracen Horse Feeds Houghton International Horse Trials, visit https://www.musketeer.co.uk
While we're waiting for the action to begin on Friday, here's last year's CICO3* winner, Laura Collett and Mr Bass
