Welcome back to part two of the A-Z of eventing, in this part we will be starting from the N- Nations. If you missed part one click here!
This week is….
N ➡️ Nations
We welcomed an array of International riders in 2023!
Across the two classes, BPIHT attracted 200 entries from 11 nations: Great Britain, Australia, Brazil, China, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, South Africa and the USA.
O ➡️ Optimum time
Each cross country course is run to an optimum time. Horse and rider combinations aim to get as close to this optimum time as they can so that they do not incur penalties for going too slow or too fast!
You’ll see most riders at this level wearing a watch so that they can keep track of their time against certain points of the course.
P ➡️ Pony Club & Riding Club
Pony Club (PC) and Riding Clubs (BRC) are hugely involved in BPIHT, most obviously in our Eventer Challenge where PC and BRC members compete in teams for the winning title 🥇
🐎Many of the sport’s top riders began their riding careers through their local Pony Club and Riding Club and for many, the experiences that they had throughout those years has undeniably helped them to where they are today!
🎟️If you are a PC member, you can get 20% off tickets from Thursday – Sunday (Code: PonyClub20) and if you are a BRC member, through their affiliation with our Charity of the Year, British Horse Society, you can get free entry on Thursday and Friday and 20% off for Saturday and Sunday (enter your membership number in the Box Office)
Q ➡️ Qualify
In eventing, there are certain standards horses and riders need to achieve in order to qualify for certain classes.
To be eligible for these classes, horse and rider combinations must meet certain MERs (Minimum Entry Requirements) and in most cases must have been successful in the past year at the level below e.g. success at CCI3* for a CCI4* class.
These criteria are set by British Eventing or FEI, depending on whose rules the class is run under!
R ➡️ Related Distances
Ever wondered what the difference is between a combination and a related distance in showjumping?
British Showjumping explain…
A “combination” is the term used to describe a group of fences that are placed in close sequence to one another, usually one or two cantering strides apart.
The distance between two jumps is considered to be “related” if there is room for a horse to take less than 6 strides between landing after the first fence and taking off for the second.
S ➡️ Stabling
Stables are an extremely important consideration for events as horses need their sleep just as much, if not more, than their riders!
Horses can only experience a deep sleep if they lie down, so it’s important that they have enough space and comfortable bedding for them to relax enough.
If a horse does not experience this deep REM (Rapid Eye Movement) phase of sleep then their performance can be severely affected as well as their health.
That’s why we choose our bedding partners carefully – @bedmaxshavings are providing bedding for our stables again this year, so we know that the horses staying at BPIHT are in safe hands
T ➡️ Three Day Event
Even though the competition is spread over four days, BPIHT is actually a three day event.
Horse and rider combinations compete in 3️⃣ disciplines, however the dressage phase is spread out over two days, to fit everyone in!
Long format classes do dressage first followed by cross country and then showjumping.
Short format also does dressage first but go on to do showjumping on the second day with cross country on the final day.
U ➡️ Undulations
We are fortunate to have some natural undulations across the Blenheim Palace estate which add to the excitement and challenges around the course.
V ➡️ Volunteers
Without our wonderful army of volunteers, the event simply wouldn’t be what it is today and it wouldn’t be able to run.
From fence judging, crossing stewards, horse walk, buggies, to control and scoring plus much more in between, there’s a volunteering role for everyone to get involved in!
W ➡️ Winners
Past winners of BPIHT have included some big names with William Fox-Pitt having won the most times – a total of 5! Piggy March and Pippa Funnell have both won four times each.
They are joined by names like Lucinda Fredericks, Andrew Nicholson, Kimberly Severson, Jonelle Price and Chris Burton who are all mulitple winners at BPIHT.
➡️ X halt
The invisible marker in dressage, X marks the centre of the arena and in most short arena tests, is where the horse and rider aim for the perfect square halt!
A square halt is when all four feet are lined up with their pair and back to front too. It’s called square, but really, it’s more of a rectangle!
There will be plenty of opportunities to judge horses and riders on their halts on the dressage days
Y ➡️ Young Horse Championships
Did you know that the CCI4*-S is actually a Championship class for 8 & 9 year old horses?
Horses must meet the Minimum Eligibility Requirements (MERs) in order to compete in this class, as with any other
This is a fantastic place to see the stars of the future and has so often been a stepping stone to bigger things.
A perfect example is Caroline Powell and Greenacres Special Cavalier who was third in this class in 2021 and went on to win Badminton earlier this year!
Z ➡️ Zero
The number that everyone wants to be closest to in eventing!
In dressage, the lower the score (and therefore the closer to zero), the better!
In showjumping and cross country, the aim is to jump clear, therefore clocking up zero penalties – jumping or time!
At the end of the competition, the total score closest to zero, once all penalties have been added up, is the winner!
