Preview: Aintree High Profile Show

The next upcoming High Profile Show fixture in the BD calendar is hosted this week at Aintree International Equestrian Centre, Merseyside (16-20 October), promising five days of top-class action kindly sponsored by Hird & Partners.

The event, kindly sponsored by Hird & Partners, will take place from Wednesday 16 October to Sunday 20 October and has attracted many top riders from around the UK. The show offers a key opportunity to earn winter qualification points at a top equestrian venue.

On Wednesday, the High Profile competition will kick-off with Equi-Trek Elementary, HorseLight Medium and Black Country Saddles Advanced Medium classes.

Thursday will feature the NAF Magic Prix St Georges at 13:21 and NAF Superflex Intermediate I at 17:20. Among a wealth of promising combinations, Gemma Owen and new ride King Ron P start in the Intermediate I; whilst Hermioné Tottman and Exquisite, recent winners at Wellington CDI in the Young Rider classes, will also be stepping up and competing for the first time as seniors at this level.

On Friday, there’s more Small Tour competition to enjoy with  NAF Magic Prix St Georges at 12:25, the NAF Superflex Intermediate I at 15:55, and an interesting Intermediate II class at 18:16. Among the competitors, we have Chrissie Havis riding Beckhouse Piano Blue in the Intermediate II, who recently secured the BD Middle Tour Silver Champion title, and Sarah Higgins with Samuel IV (pictured above), who recently placed third in the Horse of the Year Show Future Elite Championship. Rebecca Hughes will also be competing in the Intermediate II, riding both Classic Goldstrike and Classic Flamboyant.

Classic Goldstrike will be one to keep an eye on, as he will also be entering the arena with Rebecca’s daughter, Ruby Hughes, in the Young Rider class on Saturday. Saturday's events will feature FEI classes as Pony, Junior, Young Rider, and Children on Horses tests will showcase many exciting up-and-coming combinations; whilst the afternoon’s highlights include the Freestyle Music Intermediate I at 17:30 and the Freestyle Music Grand Prix at 20:20, sponsored by Hird & Partners.

Not to be missed, a Dressage to Music Halloween Gala Evening will take place on Saturday starting at 18:00*. In the running are several top riders including three who recently returned from the HOYS Future Elite Championship; once again Sarah Higgins will enter the arena but this time with her other promising young horse, Jolene. Greg Sims and Waverley Fellini will also be heading down the centre line as will Sara-Jane Lanning.

On Sunday, the five day competition will conclude with the last two classes. The Prix St Georges Freestyle to Music class,  followed by the Grand Prix, sponsored by Cavallo, at 12:20. The 21-strong class features a competitive line-up, including British Olympian Becky Moody and her horse James Bond, as well as Michael Eilberg, a European and World team medallist, with his promising horse MSJ Dante VX. Another Olympian to watch is Emme Hindle, who will be riding her talented stallion, Zippo M.I. Emme achieved a top five placing at Hickstead CDI and finished second behind Becky at the Myerscough Premier League in the Grand Prix. Additionally, there are some new combinations to keep an eye on -  Amy Woodhead will be competing for the first time with Julie Carolyn Hyslop’s VV Lioness, and the class will kick off with Sarah Rao riding her 11-year-old stallion, Iranico, in only her second Grand Prix appearance.

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*Please note that the Saturday evening gala is ticket only due to controlling capacity of numbers of spectators.

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