Gold medal winning event riders head to Hartpury

Two members of Great Britain’s gold medal-winning eventing team spearhead a glittering field at this week’s NAF Five Star International Hartpury Horse Trials (12-15 August). Both Oliver Townend and Tom McEwen will head to the Gloucestershire venue, fresh off the back of Tokyo success.

Oliver Townend has two rides currently accepted; Chapel House in the NAF Five Star M Power CCI-L 2* and Davinci III in the NAF Five Star Magic CCI-S 4*. Locally-based Tom McEwen, who also added an individual silver medal to his team gold, rides Braveheart B in the NAF Five Star Magic CCI-S 4* competition.

The CCI-S 4* competition has once again attracted a huge field comprising former 5* event winners, Olympians, World and European Champions. Well-known names include William Fox-Pitt, Tina Cook, Sam Griffiths, Jeanette Brakewell, Zara Tindall, Piggy March and Gemma Tattersall.

Pippa Funnell and MGH Grafton Street, winners of the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials in 2019, make a welcome return to Hartpury. Pippa has three rides in total including Majas Hope, a horse who looked hugely promising when taking on the imposing pathfinder role at Badminton Horse Trials two years ago. 

Current and former Hartpury University and Hartpury College students will also make their presence felt. Sophie Pedlar, Saskia Davies, Kate Poole, Annie Ho, Daya Hujin and Max Warburton will all fly the acorn flag, during what has been a superb summer of sport for alumni across multiple sports.

Cross country course designer, Eric Winter, has set a typically fair but imposing challenge for horse and rider that winds its way around the undulating campus.

This year marks a special tenth anniversary for Hartpury and title sponsor NAF. The equine supplement and care brand first sponsored the event back in 2011 and the relationship has gone from strength to strength ever since. In 2019, NAF also added its name to Hartpury’s other major summer equestrian events; the NAF Five Star Hartpury Festival of Dressage and NAF Five Star Hartpury Showjumping Spectacular. 

“Following the disappointment of having to cancel the 2020 event due to the pandemic, we cannot wait to welcome the eventing community back to Hartpury,” said Phillip Cheetham, Equine Director at Hartpury.

“We’re thrilled to see such a stellar lineup of horses and riders across all three classes and are honoured to be welcoming two members of our brilliant Tokyo Olympic team. The cross country course is looking fantastic and the ground conditions are ideal.

“As we mark a special tenth anniversary this year, we must convey our gratitude and appreciation to NAF. NAF’s support over the past decade has helped us to grow and nurture the event into what it is today. We feel incredibly fortunate to have the support of a brand so widely regarded for its supplements and horse care expertise, as well as a shared commitment to clean sport. We're looking forward to working with NAF in the years to come,” he added.

Eloise Chugg-Martin, Sponsorship and Events Manager for NAF said: "We have really enjoyed being back at both the Hartpury Festival of Dressage and Showjumping in 2021. It has been fantastic to bring these events under the NAF Five Star and Hartpury partnership to sit alongside the International Horse Trials, a fitting culmination to a great summer of competition at Hartpury. With some spectacular results in Tokyo we are excited to be able to get ‘up close and personal’ to see some of the world’s finest combinations at Hartpury this week."

The action gets underway officially on Thursday, following Wednesday’s preliminary horse inspection for CCI-L 2* and CCI-L 3* competitors. Two days of dressage will take place on Thursday and Friday, followed by the excitement of the cross country phase on Saturday. CCI-S4* competitors will show jump on Saturday with the CCI-L 2* and CCI-L 3* rounding off the action with their show jumping phase on Sunday.

Entry to the event for spectators is free on Thursday and Friday, £10 per person on Saturday and £5 per person on Sunday. Due to Covid-19 regulations, all those wishing to attend (even on free days) must register via Eventbrite.

 Click here to learn more about the event.

Click here to watch the event live stream.