COMPETITIONS

Championships and classes

The Magic Millions Festival of British Eventing hosts 5 Championship classes that horse and rider combinations have to qualify for throughout the year. It is a key date in the calendar for riders’ and spectators alike and always promises to be an action packed weekend.

With the Festival hosting championships from The Corinthian Cup for amateur riders right through to the British Open Championship, the weekend really is a true showcase of the sport at all levels.

The Festival provides a true test of cross country riding with the courses at all levels being some of the most difficult on the circuit. This is not only due to the topography of the land, but how course designer Captain Mark Phillips uses it to test and challenge horse and rider.

CROSS COUNTRY MAPS

OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

INTERMEDIATE CHAMPIONSHIP

NOVICE CHAMPIONSHIP

CORINTHIAN CUP

ROR

OPEN INTERMEDIATE

OPEN NOVICE

 

 

 

CHAMPIONSHIP ENTRIES 

Find out if you are qualified by checking the criteria linked below:

AM I QUALIFIED?

Other Festival Competitions

Magic millions british Open Championship

Tim Price

The Magic Millions British Open Championship is one of the most prestigious accolades in the sport of Eventing.

The Magic Millions British Open Championship attracts the most well established horses and riders on the world stage, horses qualify throughout the season with successful results at Advanced level and above.

The Magic Millions British Open Championship was introduced and first won by Bruce Davidson on J J Babu in 1986 and the first National Champion was Ginny Leng with Night Cap II. Since its inception the roll of honour contains all the great names within eventing including Pippa Funnell, Mary King, William Fox-Pitt, Sir Mark Todd, Andrew Nicholson, Oliver Townend and most recently Gemma Tattersall.

The Magic Millions British Open Championship runs as an Advanced, the competition runs across two days with the dressage taking place on Saturday and then show jumping on Sunday morning. On Sunday afternoon the competitors run cross country with the top ten jumping in reverse order, keeping the tension and excitement running right until the last horse comes through the finish line. 

2022 Winner – Tim Price (NZL) and Vitali

2023 ENTRIES

EvElyn Partners British Intermediate Championship

The Evelyn Partners Intermediate Championship attracts some of the most experienced and up-and-coming horses from around the country. Horses qualify for the championship throughout the season with successful results at Intermediate level and CCI3*-L. The Championship class runs over an Advanced track, one of the highest levels in eventing.

Past champions have included William Fox-Pitt, Oliver Townend, Sir Mark Todd and Tina Cook to name a few. However, the real excitement of this class is watching the progression of the horses who win this class.

The first winner in 1993 was Andrew Nicholson on Jagermeister II who went on to represent New Zealand at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996 and completed Badminton twice.

Tamarillo and William Fox-Pitt won the class in 2000, who also represented Great Britain at an Olympics, alongside winning both Badminton and Burghley and many other accolades.

Other notable horses include Flintstone IV, Two Thyme, Macchiato, ODT Landvision, Fernhill Pimms, Note Worthy and many more.

Keep an eye on the combinations that win this class they are destined for great things.

2022 Winner – Tom McEwen and Luna Mist

2023 ENTRIES

dodson & Horrell British Novice Championship

Oliver Townend and Finley du Loir

The Dodson & Horrell Novice Championship is contested by combinations who have qualified for and placed in a Novice Regional Final. The Novice Championship gives amateur riders the opportunity to compete against the stars of the sport on their best up-and-coming horses at one of the most prestigious event.

The Novice Championship course runs over an intermediate course, so provides a good test and stepping stone for rider and horses.

In similar form to the Eveyln Partners Intermediate Championship, the winners from the Dodson & Horrell Novice Championship can often been found in the runners list for the top events of this sport, like William Fox-Pitt’s rides Navigator and Cool Mountain and Clayton Fredricks ride Bendigo III who have all gone on to compete at a number of CCI5*.

2022 Winner – Oliver Townend and Finley Du Loir

2023 ENTRIES

RoR/NTF Retrained racehorse event Championship

The ROR/NTF Retrained Racehorse Event Championship sponsored by the National Trainers Federation at the Magic Millions Festival of British Eventing.

The RoR/NTF Retrained Racehorse Event Championship runs as an Intermediate Novice meaning combinations undertake an intermediate dressage and show jumping test but run at Novice cross country height.

The top 10 after cross country are invited back to show jump again the following day, to compete for the top level prize money. For this championship, the Retraining of Racehorses sponsors have put up a £6,000 prize-fund.

The championship is open to any former racehorse that has raced under the rules of a recognised racing authority and is Retraining of Racehorses competition registered. Entries will be taken on a first come first served basis, for more information about Retraining of Racehorses visit www.ror.org.uk.

2022 Winner – Andrew Downes and Gold Nugget

2023 ENTRIES

hcp-fbe22-05546

TopSpec Challenge for the Corinthian Cup

The TopSpec Corinthian Cup Championship launched in 2015 is a restricted amateur novice championship.

It is a true novice test and in keeping with the grassroots nature riders must not have completed an Intermediate Class in the current or preceding 5 years making sure that the competition is as fair as possible. It is the grassroots event for those people and horses who are overqualified for the Badminton grassroots classes.

It is great for amateur riders to be able to ride and have their own championship at such a prestigious venue.

2022 Winner – Amy Barlow and Iwan

2023 ENTRIES

Andrew Downes

Open novice and open intermediate Classes

The Open Novice and Open Intermediate are the only full British Eventing affiliated classes that are not run as a championship at the Magic Millions Festival of British Eventing. However, that does not mean they are lacking excitement. It is a big draw for the top riders to give their less experienced horses an opportunity to run.

The Open Novice and Open Intermediate classes allow combinations who haven’t qualified for the Championship classes so compete and experience the unique atmosphere and terrain of Gatcombe Park.

Although these classes are not a championship, they are not to be dismissed, there is still a huge amount to watch. They are expected to attract riders who have competed at the very top level of equestrian sport.

2023 ENTRIES

Dubarry Burghley Young Event Horse

The Magic Millions Festival of British Eventing will be holding a qualifying round for the four and five year old Dubarry Burghley Young Event Horse class.

The series has become extremely popular for riders to bring out their young horses to experience the atmosphere of big events. The series has been thought of as the shop window for future stars of the sport, with horses qualifying for the final at Burghley Horse Trials in September at prestigious events throughout the year.

The horses are judged by four categories:- dressage, show jumping, Conformation & Quality and Suitability & Potential. The winning horse will have the highest overall marks across all four sections.

Entries via Horse Events.

Arena Eventing Competition

There are two classes of the Arena Eventing at the Magic Millions Festival of British Eventing, 80cm and 90cm. The classes are open to both BE members and also non BE members as the class is unaffiliated.

The class runs as a two-phase competition, the first phase is around 9 show jumping fences followed by around 9 cross country fences. The course is designed by Captain Mark Phillips. 

The full schedule is available and entries can be made via Horse Events

2023 Times

NAGS Essential Pony Club Show Jumping

2023 Times

Nags Essential Pony Club Team Show Jumping takes place in the Main arena on Friday 2nd August and is an invitational event only.

The Pony Club Show jumping, sponsored by Nags Essentials, is for invited Pony Club teams being held in the Main Arena on Friday 4th August. Each team will have 3 or 4 members with only 3 scores to count. All members of the team jump consecutively in both show jumping rounds. The first round in the morning starts around 1 metre in height. 

Numbers are restricted and in event of over subscription on the closing date, priority will be given to Area 9 Pony Clubs and the defending Champions (if out of area), after this teams will be drawn from a hat.

pony club inter branch team show jumping

novice and grassroots

The Pony Club Inter Branch Team Show jumping is organised by the VWH Pony Club and is open to all Pony Clubs that have teams who would like to compete.

The Pony Club Inter Branch Team Show jumping will be held on Saturday 5th August in the Mars Equestrian Arena and will run at Novice height (max. 95cm) and Grassroots height (max. 85cm).

Please note that this show jumping is different to the class that takes place in the main arena on Friday.

This Pony Club Team show jumping is being organised externally by the VWH Pony Club and can be entered via horse-events.co.uk.