Shane Rose and his home bred Shanghai Joe will compete for the first time at Belton International Tri-Star Horse Trials
Many of the biggest names in the sport have thrown their caps in to the ring for Belton International Tri-Star Horse Trials, among them successful Olympic and World Games athletes.
One hundred horses will contest the Lycetts Grantham Cup. Mark Todd OBE has entered his London 2012 12th placed ride NZB Campino alongside his 7th placed Rio 2016 partner Leonidis. These two horses also have four top 10 Badminton and Burghley finishes between them.
Eighth at the London Olympics and 11th at the World Equestrian Games two years later, Zara Phillips brings High Kingdom, while Ireland's Rio success story, Jonty Evans and Cooley Rorkes Drift, who placed 9th in South America, are also Belton bound.
Other combinations with consistent top ten finishes at Four Star level include Chris Burton, defending Grantham Cup champion, this year with TS Jamaimo and Graf Liberty, fellow Australian Sam Griffiths with Happy Times and Germany's Bettina Hoy on Designer 10. Sam and Chris are also joined by visiting Aussie Shane Rose riding Virgil and the Melbourne International 3DE 3* winner Shanghai Joe and UK based Aussies Paul Tapner and Sammi Birch.
One to watch will be Andrew Nicholson's precociously talented Swallow Springs. Andrew is on record as saying the horse is one for the big time, admitting: “He's too cute for his own good and can do it all easily – almost too easily.”
The Advanced class has attracted 60 entries, with Nicholson again a strong contender on the evergreen Nereo, a Four Star winner in France, three times Burghley runner up, third and sixth at Badminton, and a World Games bronze medallist. From Australia Andrew Hoy will be lining up with Cheeky Calimbo and Composer and 2014 Badminton winners Sam Griffiths and Paulank Brockagh are also on the start line, the pair having narrowly missed out on a medal in Rio last summer, finishing fourth.
Britain's past European Champion Tina Cook will ride Star Witness, who has finished in the top 10 in all three of his Four Star starts. In this class the pair to watch must be local rider Willa Newton with Caja 20; the pair won the British Eventing 7 Year Old championships at Osberton in 2015, following that up with victory in the Blenheim Palace 8/9 Year Old Championships last autumn.
Event Director Stuart Buntine says of this year's entries: “It's always rewarding to have such strong support from riders across the levels, both amateur and professional. We intend to put on another great event for everyone; riders, owners, supporters and spectators.”
Belton International Horse Trials runs from 31st March - 2nd April 2017.
For more information on any aspect of this year's Horse Trials, and to book advance tickets, visit http://belton-horse.co.uk
