Winter's course to test best in summer

The occasion is the FEI European Pony Championships, which are being held at Bishop Burton College from July 28.

The college has been preparing to host its first international competition for over a year now.

Some of the equestrian world's leading names, including former Olympic competitors and judges, will be involved as officials and stewards.

Eric Winter, who designs the cross-country course for Blenheim CCI and CIC three-star, is putting together a testing course for the eventing teams. His previous jobs have included Longleat, Highclere and Withington and he is also the official course designer for the 2010 Asian games in Guangzhou, China.

Mark McGowan is designing the show-jumping course. He has worked on both World Cup qualifiers and Nations Cups as well as a number of pony competitions at home and abroad.

Other officials include eventing technical delegate, the former Olympian Christian Persson and Gotthilf Riexinger, who will be the dressage technical delegate. He was a dressage judge at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

Work is underway to transform the college's existing outdoor school into a 55m x 75m championship arena with a sand/fibre surface and grandstand seating for the dressage competitions.

The new 50m x 90m grand arena is complete and is being used and tested in preparation for the show jumping. The show-jumpers will also benefit from a new warm-up arena which is close by.

As well as the championships, the college will also be hosting the Federation of International Horseball Pony Championships.

Usually described as a combination of rugby and basketball on horseback, horseball is fast, furious and great fun to watch.

Along with all the equestrian action, visitors will have plenty of shopping opportunities in the retail village where meals will be provided or they can enjoy a picnic.

In the meantime, bloggers Holly Woodhead and Annabel Gray are commenting on their hectic training schedules as they prepare for the forthcoming pony trials and possible squad selection.

Catch up with their news on the European Pony Championships website, www.ponyeuropeans2010.com. We will also be keeping you up to date with news about the championships here in Equestrian Post.

THERE will be 32 new showing classes at this year's Royal Windsor Horse Show (May 12-16), making it one of the biggest showing events in the UK. A range of classes from sport horses to veterans, miniature horses and side saddle have been added. The show will have over 150 classes, 117 of those in showing, with an additional 20 showing championships.

The timetable for Royal Windsor is available on-line at www.rwhs.co.uk. Entries can be made on-line and by post from March 4. Call 01753 860633 for schedules by post.

Wonderboy handed performance of the month award

IT HAS been a brilliant week for Britain's No 1 show-jumper, Ben Maher.

First of all he heard he had been nominated in three different categories for this year's British Showjumping awards and now his horse Wonderboy III's victory in the Rolex Grand Prix in Zurich last month has been voted International Performance of the Month for January.

The 11-year-old gelding, jointly owned by Ben and the Quainton Stud, beat a world-class field in Zurich to take first place.

The new award from British Showjumping is an amalgamation of the former Showjumper and Owner of the Month awards, which recognises not just the riders but the horses and owners, too.

The winners of the British Showjumping awards in which Ben has been nominated will be announced at the awards ball in Birmingham on April 6.

PUDSEY teenager Charlotte Wilson, who competed at the Horse of the Year Show in October, is aiming to qualify again this year.

Charlotte was placed eighth in the Gear Cut National 138 Championship and is doing well with her new 148 pony Raisa Cestanii. "We have only had the seven-year-old mare since November but they have already obtained four double clears in both the Newcomers and Foxhunter classes, qualifying them to compete in the second rounds for the Horse of the Year Show," said Charlotte's mother, Colette.

They have also qualified for the Blue Chip finals in both the Sapphire and Coral classes and last weekend competed at Aintree Equestrian Centre in the 148 Premier Show where they were one of three qualifiers in the Winter JC class for the Royal International Horse Show to be held at Hickstead in July.