National Convention 2021 riders announced

With just over a week to go until the National Convention at Hartpury College, in association with Harrison Clark Rickerbys, we’re excited to announce the rider line up for the weekend.

Saturday 6 November at the National Convention, led by top rider Philipp Hess, FEI 5* and Tokyo 2020 President of the Ground Jury Katrina Wuest and afternoon guest presenter Tom Hunt, sees test riding take centre stage. The day will open with Rebecca Lock and her Traditional Gypsy Cob Brickell Mr Pickwick, the duo have competed at both the Petplan Equine Area Festival Championships and LeMieux National Championships this summer and have starred in the showing arena at HOYS and the Royal International Horse Show previously too. Rebecca and ‘George’ will start the day off with Elementary 53, the Petplan Equine Area Festival test, in focus under the watchful eyes of our talented hosts. Young Rider Sophie Taylor will take us through the FEI Prix St Georges test next, before Michael Eilberg returns to the National Convention, this time in the saddle on board Inter I candidate Dante VX.

Novice Freestyle will kick off the afternoon’s dressage to music sessions, as music maestro Tom Hunt joins the presenter panel. Petplan Equine Summer Area Festival Novice Freestyle winners Craig Messenger and Treliver De La Crème will represent this level, followed by Elice Willett and Gerento taking on the Advanced Medium Freestyle session. Continuing our freestyle inspiration and learning, the day will conclude with Nations Cup team combination Louise Bell and Into the Blue showing us the Grand Prix Freestyle.

On Sunday 7 November we switch our focus back to the training arena, with a stellar line up of combinations ready to work with Philipp and Christoph Hess. We’re privileged to be start day two at Novice level with Paralympic legend Sophie Wells MBE (pictured) presenting LJT Egebjerggårds Samoa, celebrating our theme of Making Medallists. LeMieux National Championships Elementary Silver placed combination Jonathan Sutton and Ferrera Torres join us at Elementary level, and former youth team regular Rebecca Edwards steps to the next level at Medium/Advanced Medium with Laerke Stensvang. We’re representing British breeding in the FEI Small Tour levels with Hawtins Stud’s Lucinda Elliot presenting the former Young Horse Champion and recent CDI winner Hawtins Duchessa at Prix St Georges to start the afternoon, followed by Sarah Rogers with the Bechtolsheimer family’s homebred Viva Lotta working at Intermediate I. Our weekend will close with the popular Rubins Nite and Hayley Watson-Greaves welcomed to the stage to inspire us at Grand Prix level.

Tickets to join us are on sale! Visit the National Convention at Hartpury College in person, or watch online with Horse and Country TV. Online tickets and weekend in person tickets include 90 days of on demand viewing, so you can watch back all sessions to recap on the insight and learning from 10 hours of training.

TICKETS AND MORE INFORMATION