In April 2020 and in the interest of legacy I wrote a Wikipedia entry recording the thoughts and notable works of Harveywetdog. I admit I was ignorant of the rules concerning self promotion on Wikipedia and consequently my entry was correctly deleted and my account expunged from the system. As a result my original words and links were sadly lost but nevertheless here is a rewrite. Perhaps when I'm gone someone will be able to enter it onto Wikipedia as a fitting epitaph for my time on the Harveywetdog Project.
Who's Looking Forward to Bramham International Horse Trials 2024?
Celebrating 50 Years of Bramham International Horse Trials
With Christmas upon us and a New Year just days away, the Bramham International Horse Trials six-month countdown can begin! Set to run 6 – 9 June, it promises to be a historical year as we mark 50 years of eventing at the iconic Yorkshire venue – and of course, there’s the selection for the Paris Olympic Games up for grabs as part of this year’s competition for a number of the world’s best horse and rider combinations.
Annually, the fixture partners with a charity, and for the 50th anniversary The British Horse Society (BHS) have been chosen.
A programme for the first ever event hosted by the Lane Fox family in 1974 lists an organising committee of 12 under the directorship of George Lane Fox and a Junior and two Standard sections were held – with the entry list reading like a who’s who of eventing. HRH The Princess Anne, Captain Mark Phillips, Stephen Clarke, Jane Holderness-Roddam, Mary Gordon Watson all rode with the USA’s Bruce Davidson taking the top honours. As is the case today, topflight show jumping competitions were also held with Harvey Smith, Malcolm Pyrah and Lionel Dunning on the start sheets. Much of the land used originally is still part of the event’s footprint in the iconic park but the shopping village has nearly trebled in size!
Fifty years on, Bramham still attracts eventing’s elite and in an Olympic year, the focus on this idyllic Yorkshire will be more important than ever as the date makes it one of the final selection and qualification opportunities for teams from around the globe.
BHS
The British Horse Society (BHS) supports horses, riders and those who care about them, and the Yorkshire team has been involved at Bramham since the horse trials started in 1974, making them the perfect choice.
The BHS’s work includes making riding safer through road safety and saving historical bridleways, providing grants to hundreds of young people as they embark on an exciting career in equestrianism. As well as working closely with owners/carers to ensure they are fully equipped with the information needed to give their horse the best life possible.
Amy Clements, The British Horse Society (BHS) Regional Manager for Yorkshire said; “We’re delighted to have been named the official charity partner for Bramham Horse Trials 2024. The British Horse Society has attended the event since it first opened its doors 50 years ago, so it is a real honour to have been chosen to partner with them during such a significant year. Being the nominated charity is a great opportunity for us to raise awareness and money for all our charitable work during the exciting event. It’s opportunities like this that make a real difference to us, and enable us to continue to support horses, their owners and those that care for them by improving welfare, safety, access, participation and education.”
The Bramham team are finalising the timetable, and all the showcase competitions make a return. The showcase CCI4*-L, the Under 25 CCI4*-L and the DEFENDER CCI4*-S sections will provide the main viewing with cross country courses designed by Olympian Ian Stark, in his swansong year at Bramham. The country’s best grass roots combinations tackle the NAF Five Star BE 80 National Championships with elite showjumping classes, Pony Club showjumping and mounted games, showing, youngstock, breeding and hunter showing competitions and the ever-popular Saracen Horse Feeds Arena Eventing with 90cm and 100cm classes also part of the bumper programme.
Away from the equine action in one of the most stunning parks in Yorkshire, there’s a bustling trade stand village of over 130 outlets, a food hall and catering and refreshment options for every taste. At Bramham, we champion sustainability and once again, we’ll be working hard to continue to reduce the carbon footprint of the event on our environment with a number of initiatives including ‘zero to landfill’ thanks to Wetherby Skip Services. More news on that to come.
The Bramham Box Office opens on 8 January 2024 to secure tickets, memberships and camping passes. A gift voucher could make the perfect last minute Christmas gift! You can purchase £10 and £20 options to be used as part or full payment towards tickets online by 2 June 2024.
Event Director Nicholas Pritchard commented, “This year’s event was memorable…but 2024 promises to be even better. We’re proud to mark 50 years in the eventing calendar and hope many will come and join us as we celebrate and reflect on how much has changed since George Lane Fox had a vision to run a northern version of Badminton and Burghley. It feels extra special to have the BHS involved as our charity as they’ve had a stand at every one of our 50 years, just incredible! An Olympic year always has an extra buzz about it and with many riders heading to Britain ahead of Paris to prepare, we should be in for fabulous competitions. I’d like to sign off for 2023 with a thank you to all who make the horse trials possible – the riders and their teams, the sponsors, the volunteers and the spectators. Merry Christmas and happy New Year to you all – see you in 2024!”
Follow Bramham on, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook as we build towards a 50th anniversary show to remember - a visit to the website www.bramham-horse.co.uk will give you all the info you need to plan your visit during 6 – 9 June 2024.
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