As well as some unusual artwork, the grounds of Houghton Hall provide a stunning venue for eventing - but it takes some work
“There are no winners in a situation such as the one our sport experienced this Spring” says Alec Lochore “It was actually unprecedented. We have never had that many days of competition consistently and consecutively cancelled”
Alec Lochore’s Musketeer Events runs many events throughout the country and one of their first events to be affected was Burnham Market International, which had to be abandoned before the final day, which creates additional complications as Alec explains in the interview below
The elements were kinder in the lead-up to the Saracen Horse Feeds Houghton International Horse Trials where the idyllic parklands provide the perfect setting for eventing but the characteristics of the type of soil require specific management. It takes knowledgeable expertise, hard work and scientific equipment to get the ground prepared for the top class horses that will be galloping across it
“You and I walking on the ground don’t feel the effects the same as a horse does but if you test the ground with a Clegg Hammer, which is a very scientific piece of kit used on golf courses and race courses that we used for London 2012 and Rio 2016, that tells you that verti-draining the ground here has a much better and more long lasting effect”
In conjunction with Bede Events, Alec is hoping that the increased marketing focus on the TriStar Eventing Series, which provides opportunities for riders from 3* down to grass roots, will also have a long lasting effect on the sport
Alec Lochore
