Horse-lovers are invited to enjoy five days of world class showjumping with free general admission at Bolesworth this summer.
Taking place from 16 – 20 August near Chester, the Al Shira’aa Bolesworth Young Horse Championships incorporate the Official British Showjumping Qualifiers for the World Breeding Championships in Lanaken, Belgium.
The event is set to attract the UK’s best young horse talent from across the country, ranging from 4yos to 7yos; they will run alongside International Showjumping at CSI1 &2* level, with feature classes including the Celebrity Ride & Drive on Saturday night and the CSI 2* 1.45m Grand Prix on Sunday afternoon.
In addition to the sport, there’ll be a full schedule of ringside VIP Hospitality overlooking the Main International Arena, a range of equestrian and lifestyle shops, together with premium food and drink outlets. Over the weekend, Farndon Dog Training will be offering have-a-go dog agility and family dog shows, plus a range of kid’s activities including fun fair rides aimed at young children.
The UAE tour incorporating the Al Shira’aa Horse Show earlier in 2023 was very successful for Al Shira’aa. The UAE team enjoyed the huge achievement of qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympics, helped by the contribution of up-and-coming Al Shira’aa Team members Abdulla Al Marri and Omar Al Marzouqi, who have had great success at this show in the past.
HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Hazza Al Nahyan, Chairwoman on the Board of Directors of the Fatima bint Mubarak Ladies Sports Academy, The Fatima Bint Hazza Cultural Foundation and Honorary President of the Al Shira’aa Horse Show said: “Bolesworth and Al Shira’aa share synonymous values and vision when it comes to providing a world class event for owners, riders, horses and spectators. Being able to offer a qualifier for Lanaken and a bonus for British-bred horses is what makes this show so unique.
“I wish everyone the very best in your preparations for the greatest young horse event of the year.”
Samantha Kettle, Event Director of the Al Shira’aa Horse Show said: “Being a partner of Bolesworth is great for so many reasons, we have become a close-knit family and bounce off each other for ideas. The team at Bolesworth always put on a fantastic show for the horses, the sport and for the fun factor. We are very proud to support the best show in the United Kingdom, without this venue and the opportunity to qualify for Lanaken for British breeders we would be at a huge loss.
“This year we are excited to be promoting the CSI4*-W Al Shira’aa Horse Show which takes place in January 2024 and has had great success for the British over the years. Joe Whitaker was crowned our Longines Grand Prix winner in 2023 and we look forward to welcoming more riders from the UK.”
The 2022 CSI 2* Grand Prix saw local talent Carmen Edwards take the honours in an emotional win with home-produced Happy Valerie. This year’s winner will receive the opportunity to compete at the Al Shira’aa Horse Show in January 2024 with three horses, after Sheikha Fatima kindly offered to fly out a pallet of three horses for the winner of the Grand Prix, for what will truly be an opportunity of a lifetime to compete at these prestigious shows in Abu Dhabi.
Nina Barbour, Bolesworth Managing Director, said: “We’re delighted to be welcoming the Al Shira’aa team back to Bolesworth. We have a long-standing partnership, which aligns our values and standards, connecting our world class equestrian events together, partnering with the Abu Dhabi Horse show that takes place in January as part of the UAE tour. We also welcome all our equestrian fans to enjoy free admission to celebrate the sport against the stunning backdrop of Bolesworth Castle.”
Another feature will be the Bolesworth Elite Foal Auction presented by Gallagher, with official finance partner IFX Payments, taking place at 8.45pm on Friday 18 August. The auction will be a hybrid, accepting both live and online bids featuring an exclusive collection of foals from black-type dams that have been carefully selected by an expert panel, and is set to be the best yet. Sires include Chacco Blue, Heartbreaker, Diarado, Cornet Obolensky, Aganix, Conthargos and Diamant de Semilly, with direct dams including 1.60m performers Wild Rose, Parvati de Breve, Franka Trichta, and Arera C.