Highclere Horse Trials to move to new venue after 25 years
The horse trials, which attract Olympic standard horses and riders to compete, have taken place over the August bank holiday at the Highclere Castle Estate for over 25 years.
This year, the trials are set to move to Highfield Farm on the Duke of Wellington’s estate, at Stratfield Saye, Hampshire, and will be renamed KBIS Wellington Horse Trials, the organisers, KBIS British Equestrian Insurance, of Peasemore, have confirmed.
Lord Carnarvon said it was "sad" the trials would not be held at Highclere this year but added: "We were happy to continue with the trials but following the significant damage to roads etc after last year’s event we were not able to reach agreement with the organisers for future events,” said Lord Carnarvon.
“The number of horses competing has increased considerably over the years with the concomitant increase in large modern horse boxes and trailers. We wish the event well in it’s new location.”
Marketing manager for KBIS, Sarah Tye, said they had come to an affable agreement over the matter with the eighth Earl of Carnarvon, who owns the Highclere estate, where the third series of the popular and award-winning ITV period drama, Downton Abbey, is currently being filmed:
“The castle felt due to many commitments and events they could not accommodate the trials anymore,” said Miss Tye, adding several discussions had taken place between KBIS and the castle.
“We haven’t fallen out and they said maybe we could return in the future, but the new set up is very good and the (organising) team is very keen to have it there - I can’t see that it will go back to the castle.”
Entry fees, she continued, were to remain the same for spectators, but had risen slightly for competitors, and in line with British Eventing fees, rather than due to the change in venue.
“It’s exactly the same sized course, lots of country fences are portable and will be moving to the new site - it’s just a change in venue,” said Miss Tye.
More than 48 of the fences at the Highclere course are to be moved to the new venue, with the course to be designed by Eric Winter and built by Adrian Ditcham.
The KBIS Wellington Horse Trials will take place from August 25 to 27.