Family affair as Davisons put on a master-class

In fact it will be a family affair as his wife Gillian and youngest son Joe will also be involved.

They will be helping to demonstrate a range of training tips which will be useful both to those who want to improve in the sport and those interested in using the techniques in other equestrian disciplines.

Gillian Davison, who has ridden internationally at Grand Prix level, will ride either grand prix dressage horse Hiscox Komanchi or Hiscox Aliano.

Rising show-jumper Joe will be riding one of his show-jumpers, Egano Star or Lantino. Joe is the current British Under-18 champion and a member of the Tretorn Young Rider international squad.

He also hopes to qualify Egano Star for the World Class Development Championship which takes place on April 8.

Richard will use the two "pupils" to demonstrate the importance of dressage as a basis for all equestrian disciplines and will also be showing that it can be fun and uncomplicated.

The dressage master-class is on Friday, April 9.

Richard Davison has been Britain's top international dressage rider for the past six years and is aiming for the 2012 Olympics.

The British Open Show Jumping Championships begin on Wednesday, April 7and run until April 10.

ORGANISERS of outdoor events in March inevitably take a risk with the weather but Harrogate Riding Centre was lucky with its recent hunter trials.

Despite rain on the Saturday when competitors walked the course, the following day turned out to be sunny and they were able to enjoy riding round a substantial but inviting course at Spring House Farm.

The organisers had hedged their bets by providing a full indoor show-jumping programme which was well supported.

Sarah Wilkinson, on Our Man Flint, won the Open Hunter Trial with a maximum score of 530 in a fast time. The Junior section was won by Charlotte Herbert-Davies with Lucky Dunn, following in the footsteps of her mother, who has won two previous trials.

The show-jumping Novice competition provided a good start to the year for Jemma Pearson, who took first and second places with two young horses making their debut this year.

Jemma, who is studying at York University, hopes to be competing her more advanced horse, New York Fairytale, with the Welsh team this summer.

Bryony Keegan and Tatania won the pony trophy after a jump-off against the clock.

The intermediate class was won by Danielle Burke, from Leeds, riding Sox, and the horse section winner was Sky, ridden by Hannah Lawler. The open intermediate trophy went to Yasmin Buck, riding Grenni, with Helena Ford and Sambuka as runners-up.

A one-day event is planned for April 11.

BLAIR CASTLE International Horse Trials in Scotland will have two new showing sections this year, CHAPS and Veterans.

There will be two CHAPS classes for coloured horses and ponies, ridden non-native open and ridden native/cob/traditional open, which will both be qualifiers for the CHAPS (UK) Championships, the winner of which goes to the Horse of the Year Show.

The Veteran Horse Society classes are becoming increasingly popular and Blair will stage two Olympia Area qualifiers, the open mixed-age in hand and open mixed-age ridden.

The addition of these two sections means that Blair Castle is now one of the top showing events in Scotland. The event takes place from August 26-29.