An Eventful Life is filming all competitors on cross country at
Belsay International 2021 - order or view videos here
The fields of Belsay Estate have lay in anticipation for the long-awaited Belsay International Horse Trials for nearly two years, and now, the time has finally come to welcome the sound of galloping hooves back to Northumberland.
After plenty of late nights, dynamic planning and hard work from the Belsay Horse Trials team, we’re so excited to be back at the event this week to see the British Pony Championships, CCI Junior 2*-L and CCI2*-S classes to name but a few.
With the cross country course running in an entirely new direction, combinations can expect a very exciting phase fully re-designed for 2021 by Adrian Ditcham, the man responsible for the track at the 2018 European Pony Championships held at Bishop Burton.
“All preparations have been done in the last six weeks because of the lockdown earlier this year. It was difficult to get people engaged in holding a big event like Belsay so it’s all only come together in the last six weeks on every level,” says Belsay International Horse Trials’ Event Organiser, Laura de Wesselow.
The British Pony Championships represent the greatest test for pony riders under the age of 16-years-old and are run as a long format international competition over three days to give potential GB Pony Team members vital experience for the European Pony Championships.
No European Pony Championships for Team GB this year - making Belsay's British Pony Championship even more important
Recent news from British Eventing means, however, that the Europeans will not be going ahead for young riders. In a recent statement British Eventing noted the level of risk associated with Covid-19, the larger support team required for safeguarding, and difficulties related to insurance as going towards the difficult decision.
With the CCI Junior 2*L and British Pony Championships usually being trials for the Europeans, Laura is focused on giving riders an event they’ll remember to make up for the disappointment.
“Our events here for those juniors and ponies have taken on a new kind of resonance. We’re going to try and show them a really fantastic event to make up for the fact that they won't be going to the Europeans. We want something that’s going to be really fantastic, a highlight of their year to make up for the fact that, for a lot of people, their dreams won't be realised,” says Laura.
Riders from abroad will unfortunately be missing out on Belsay due to Covid but here at home competitors can expect to be blown away by the international level competition featuring a specially designed international arena with state-of-the-art sports drainage.
Recent updates to coronavirus guidance now also means that Belsay International can open its doors to spectators. With 35 trade stands, showground rides and family entertainment returning to Belsay this year we can all begin to feel a little bit of normality returning (socially distanced, of course).
As well as National and International classes, visitors can look forward to ‘Belsay Sunday’ which will host an exciting unaffiliated Arena Eventing competition, Pony Club Show jumping and the popular Inter-Hunt Relay - trust us this is not to be missed! And just last week additional British Eventing classes were added for Sunday at Intermediate, Novice and BE100 levels following the cancellation of other northern based events and a high demand for entries
“With the FEI and local authorities regulating us there’s been another huge layer of organisation added on top of all the exciting things we’ve been doing.
“There’s been an enormous amount of work going on at Belsay, a lot of people have been working extremely hard to make this all happen and there’s so much going on,” Laura added.
Get ready, Belsay International is finally all systems go!
What’s on when
The dressage starts for the CCIL-Junior2* on Wednesday afternoon with cross country on Friday and show jumping on Saturday
The CCI2*-S is held on Thursday and Friday
The British Pony Championships CCI2*-S starts with dressage on Thursday, cross country on Friday and show jumping on Saturday
Sunday - Intermediate, Novice and BE100 levels plus non-eventing classes
