With just three more rides left to take place in Endurance GB’s 2019 calendar, organisers have announced record entries for the sport’s traditional end of season classic, The British Horse Feeds’ Red Dragon Festival of Endurance, 4-6 October.
This year’s Festival has the added bonus of the Home International which is hosted annually by either England, Wales, Scotland or Ireland, as well as the Celtic Challenge, contested each year by teams from Ireland, Wales, Scotland and Cornwall.
A total of 265 horse and rider combinations are set to take part in more than 30 classes over 365 ‘ride days’ taking in the iconic mountain grassland and heather track from the venue at the Royal Welsh Showground, Builth Wells.
A total of 13 of the country’s leading riders will line up for the top Advanced challenge, the showpiece two-day 160km Speedi-Beet Red Dragon.
Among those taking part in the top class are Nikki Malcolm with Oso Spiralling Wind, winners of the RiderCise Southern Championship and Alex Tennant winner of both the RiderCise Northern and Welsh Championships. Alex will partner Watibou Coutillas with whom she won the Welsh stage of the Championships at Pen Ddol Y Gader back in August.
A total of 23 riders will contest the other Advanced Class, The British Horse Feeds’ Little Dragon, while the largest entry of the weekend is for the Saddle Exchange Dragon’s Egg – a two day 78km (42km/36km) graded endurance ride which is open to Advanced, Open or Novice endurance riders and is set to have 37 starters.
Sunday’s action features The British Horse Feeds’ British Riding Clubs Endurance Team Final with nine Riding Clubs vying for the top prize in the 36km Novice Graded Endurance Ride.
The Riding Clubs to have reached the final are; East Mendip, Ellen Valley, Hampshire Combined, New Forest Hunts, Yorkshire, Wessex Wanderers, National Forest, Angels of the North and Red Kite.
Acting Chair of Endurance GB, Sue Box, who is competing for Wales in the Speedi-Beet Red Dragon 160km class said: “The strong entries for the British Horse Feeds’ Red Dragon Festival of Endurance reflect both increased membership and ride entries for Endurance GB across the board this season.
“It is a great privilege to be able to ride over this amazing course and we are very grateful to our sponsors, the organising team led by John and Jane Hudson, their wonderful team of volunteers as well as all the landowners without whose support access to the spectacular terrain would not be possible.”
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