28/06/2024
Voltaire Design Grassroots Championships
Taking place immediately before the main Mars Badminton Horse Trials the Voltaire Design Grassroots Championships is a brilliant competition that gives amateur riders the chance to live their dream of competing at ‘Badminton’ around The Duke of Beaufort’s estate. Don’t get me wrong it’s not an easy task!
Riders have to qualify to take part, the qualifying process begins over a year before the Championships take place; eligible riders in any normal BE90, BE90Open, BE100 and BE100Open classes compete to finish in the top few percent of their section in order to receive a qualification spot to one of the Regional Finals that take place up and down the country during August to October the year before the Championships and its from their they qualify. Dedication and persistence is needed over the next year to keep the horse (and the rider) as fit as possible and ready to tackle the course at Badminton.
When the riders get to Badminton they ride their dressage test first, then jump a round of show jumps before heading out on the cross country course. The competition has grown in ‘crowd popularity’ over the years and it was so good to see hundreds of cars on the car parks this year, supporting the grassroots riders. With just over one hundred starters to watch in each section (BE90 and BE100) it is a great spectator sport and on the Wednesday, which is cross country day, all the trade stands and exhibitions are fully open so you really do get your money’s worth.
Out on the cross course you can get up close to the fences, see the ditches, banks and follow the riders all the way round to the Lake and in front of Badminton House. They really have, in a miniature scale, all that the International riders have to tackle. It is lovely to hear the riders encouraging their horses over the fences, congratulating them when they have jumped it well and this really sums up the ethos of the competition - to enjoy your time at Badminton! It wasn’t that long ago that the great Mary King’s daughter Emily presented the prizes in the championships and told the competitors that she was jealous because she hadn’t ridden around Badminton. This goes to show, what a great opportunity The Voltaire Grassroots Championships is.
Over to the scores, Lucinda Mills from Stratford upon Avon rode her own Chaconda Blue to top spot in the BE100 Lucinda scored 25.8 in her dressage and added just 1 penalty in the show jumping phase, a great clear round across country kept her in the lead where she finished on a score of 26.8
“I’m absolutely thrilled, it still hasn’t sunk in,” said Lucinda who has had seven-year-old ‘Noodle’ since a newly-backed three-year-old. “She is show jumping bred but lives for the cross-country. She came out feeling wild in the morning and I nearly couldn’t get on her, she’s never been in this atmosphere before and the crowds took her by surprise, but once we channelled her inner diva, she did a lovely test. She was hot in the show jumping so I couldn’t push her, but she jumped a brilliant clear round. The cross-country course had a lot of questions right to the end, and we did go the alternative route at fence six, but it rode nicely. I never expected this today and am thrilled with her.”
Niamh Richardson was runner-up riding her own Cartown Bonny Bell on a score of 30.6, while Victoria O’Brien was third with Unnamed who scored 31.8.
The BE90 title was awarded to Stirling-based rider Ben Fairbrother riding his mother Jo Fairbrother’s 12-year-old gelding Upper Limit. They finished on their dressage score of 26.3.
“We used to show jump and only changed to eventing four seasons ago,” said Ben who is studying a masters degree in civil and structural engineering at Dundee University. “We took a turn to eventing and we’re really enjoying it, especially being able to come to events like this. ‘Max’ is my mum’s horse and she schools him for me in between events as I’m busy at university. I’ve watched Badminton on the telly for years, but never been down to the event, so it was amazing to see it in person and be in front of the house. Our dressage went really well and we were sat in second overnight. Show jumping isn’t his strongest phase but I managed to use my experience to help him round and we jumped clear. He was also clear inside the time cross-country which felt great. It’s the best I could have asked for.”
Just 0.3 of a penalty behind Ben was runner-up Katie Mathias and Lodor Carl who scored 26.6, and in third on 28.1 was Suzanne Ross and Findatie Bracken.
If you are an amateur rider and enjoy eventing or just like one of the disciplines and love watching horses jump across country, The Voltaire Grassroots Championships is a great event to visit and see amateur riders like yourself take part. You never know they may inspire you to take part. Many horse owners would describe their horse as an ‘All Rounder’ well this is all you need!
There was a huge number of riders representing the Southern part of the country, as well as featuring the winners here we have some great photos of local competitors on the cross country course..
Mark Your Diary: The Grassroots Championships take place next year at The Duke of Beaufort’s Estate, Badminton, Gloucestershire on Tuesday 6th and Wednesday 7th May 2025
Pictured are:
1 BE100 & BE90 Winners
2 Beth Hobden on Kavanah (East Sussex) BE100 9th place
3 Tinks Walker on Mochulla Boy )Wilts) BE90
4 Tabatha Stephenson on Grandpa's Gift (Devon) BE90 10th place
5 Aimee Bickley on La Bass (Devon) BE90
6 Janine Paterson on Larinch Teddy (Dorset) BE90
7 Izzi Kirk on Opposition Fidelity (Dorset) BE100
8 Hannah Watson on Grovy Guy (Glos) BE100
9 Abbi James on Heike Loma (Glos) BE100
10 Georgina Brown on Balicreen Milady (Devon) BE90
11 Kerryann Dunstan on Harlyn Connor (Cornwall) BE90
12 Stephanie Cresswell on Believe in Blue (Wilts) BE100 17th place
13 Ella Lawton-Smith on Lowhill Fier Ambassador (Glos) BE90
14 Tina Wallace on Banksy III (Cornwall) BE90 7th place
15 Sophie Sadler on Joe's High Flyer (Glos) BE90 17th place
16 Emily Proud on Leonado C (Somerset) BE100
17 Alison Roberts on Professor Sprout (Hamps) BE90
18 Neha Walker on Spot Me (Banes SW) BE100
19+ Around the Event
