As anticipation mounts ahead of the 2015 Blair Castle FEI European Eventing Championship, The Courier grabbed the opportunity to peek behind some of Scotland’s most inspiring competition scenery.
“It’s such a privilege to have Blair Castle host the championships,” said established Scottish event director Alec Lochore, ahead of the event, which begins on Wednesday.
The role of Blair as host venue follows a prolonged bid process that actually began back in 2010.
“We’re giving spectators the first opportunity to really fly the Great British flag in support of equestrianism for the first time since the London Olympics and we hope both legacies will continue to live on,” he commented.
Behind the scenes and across the country, Alec said ‘Blair fever’ is now finally becoming tangible and he hopes the trials will provoke plenty of patriotic support for the 16 Team GBR riders that are preparing to compete.
“It’s about so much more than just the individuals we really want people to get behind the whole team,” he added.
But the event at Blair will not only host eventing competition, as ever there will be a packed schedule of showing, showjumping, working hunter, pony club and arena eventing competition with a bustling shopping village full of more than 220 trade and food stands ready to whet the appetite for all walks of retail therapy.
“There will be so much going on for everyone to see the event is justifiably a unique major championship.”
When Blair was announced as the host for 2015, it cemented its position in history as the first UK venue ever to stage the event north of Lincoln.
Alec continued: “The Europeans are currently so rich in talent. The competition has attracted many of the leading riders across the EU and in fact, the field of riders collectively includes the winners of 28 Olympic medals as well as the reigning World, Olympic and European champions.
“The talent pool is almost unbelievable.”
With 78 competitors catalogued over 16 nations the sporting challenge of the cross country has been set by former Scottish Olympic event rider Ian Stark, who is from Galashiels.
“It’s a serious track with plenty of questions,” conceded Ian, who said that after a lifetime spent competing, watching his courses being ridden really gets his heart rate going.
“I’d say it was a three star [CCI***] plus. I don’t want to see any horse or rider having to walk home, so there is an alternative [time wasting] option at all but one of the fences, but the direct routes will present a challenge for those at the very top of the game.”
The course will be set on an optimum time of between 10 and 11 minutes ground and weather conditions dependent with a Scottish flavour from start to finish.
“The terrain will play a big role in the cross country competition. The horses and riders will climb higher up the hill than they have done for at least the last eight or nine years. It will be demanding even for the top calibre of competitor,” he explained.
“Those that came to compete as a ‘warm-up’ at Blair last year certainly didn’t have a wasted trip, but the course is almost entriely new for 2015.”
Turning to the presentation of the course, Ian added: “We’ve brought a taste of the whole country to Blair Atholl’s cross country from our food and drink, like haggis, neeps and tatties; to Scottish landmarks like the three Forth bridges; our outdoor sporting pursuits like shooting and fishing; to our national dress with a jump we call the Highland Fling.”
For Blair regulars, the track will sound some resonance with previous years, but with a new site layout and an ‘alternative’ cross country new route over fresh terrain, it will be exciting to see what the 2015 competition will really bring.