50 days to the Blair Castle Equi-Trek Horse Trials
With just 50 days to go before the action starts at the 2016 FEI Blair Castle Equi-Trek Horse Trials, which runs from 25th-28th August, now is the time to book membership packages, tickets and accommodation.
An exciting addition to this year’s event is the new Event Rider Masters (ERM) series, of which Blair Castle plays host to the fifth of six legs. This means that spectators on the Sunday will have the opportunity to take to the cross country course once more to witness the ERM CIC3* competitors and, subject to sufficient entries, regular CIC3* combinations; two days of cross country will provide even more action for riders, owners and spectators travelling to the beautiful Highlands of Scotland this summer.
For event horse owners, Blair Castle International provides an Owners marquee, with refreshments, a ringside view of the main arena and live streamed action from the ERM class for those glued to the Three Day show jumping.
And it’s not all about eventing. Show jumping, showing, and Arena Eventing classes will also feature in the programme, Blair Castle International particularly famous for its Highland Pony Show which takes place on Thursday 25th. Pony Club mounted games, Country Fair demonstrations and fantastic shopping will also be added to the mix.
There is a raft of ticket options for spectators wishing to watch some of the best horse and rider combinations in the world take on Blair Castle’s unique terrain – it’s not all about Rio after all!
The most relaxing option is to opt for an all inclusive Membership ticket. This includes admission to the event, forward car parking and access to the ringside Members’ Marquee with its bar and restaurant facilities, CCTV and members toilets. A four day, weekend or daily membership can be purchased, with prices starting at £24 per person – and dogs on short leads are welcome in the Marquee.
Alternatively there are Season and Weekend packages. These provide entry to the show ground and Country Fair – but not car parking. Weekend adult admission costs just £30 per person. Adult general admission starts at £12 per person.
So once you have chosen your type of ticket, where to stay? As a real treat you could opt for one of the luxury Yurts or Tipis that are available. These are, unsurprisingly, very popular so should be booked early.
However, there are numerous other options, from the four star Atholl Palace Hotel which hosted many of the owners and competitors at last year’s FEI European Eventing Championship, to small, welcoming B&B’s. VisitScotland has an excellent accommodation search option for accommodation providers. But if you want to be right at the heart of the action – Blair is famous for its evening entertainment – camping could be the answer. The Horse Trials camp site is a five minute walk from the public entrance to the event and offers all the facilities that you would expect. Caravans, motorhomes, tents and horseboxes are all welcome.
Paul Bush OBE, VisitScotland’s Director of Events, added “Following on from the huge success of the FEI European Eventing Championship we are delighted to once again support FEI Blair Castle Equi-Trek Horse Trials. Blair Castle provides an iconic Scottish setting which will see some of the world’s best riders and horses compete, further reinforcing Scotland’s reputation as the perfect stage for events.”
There is much to see and do at this year’s FEI Blair Castle Equi-Trek Horse Trials, and with all that Perthshire has to offer, why not make a holiday of it and enjoy Scotland at its most glorious.