A WOMAN from Camelford has picked up a silver prize in the Petplan Equine Area Festival Final.

Bicton Arena welcomed over 200 riders on October 2 to 4 for the fourth Petplan Equine Area Festival Final of 2019 where classes ranged from Preliminary through to Intermediate II. The Petplan Equine Area Festival Finals take place at eight top competition venues across the UK. Competitors will have qualified from 24 Petplan Equine Area Festivals held across the UK.

Petplan Equine, one of the UK’s leading horse insurance providers, celebrates the 20th anniversary of sponsoring the area festivals in 2019 and has seen the competition hosted by British Dressage grow from 555 competitors in 1999 to over 5,500 dressage tests being ridden over the two phases of competition in this summer.

The area festivals are the longest running, most popular and successful competition series hosted by British Dressage. The competition gives grassroots riders the opportunity to compete under championship-style conditions whilst experiencing a supportive, friendly and encouraging atmosphere.

Competitors qualified for the Petplan Equine Area Festival by achieving a minimum of three affiliated scores of 62% or above in a British Dressage (BD) affiliated competition at Preliminary to Elementary levels and two scores of 60% at Medium level and above, which is quite an achievement in itself.

A number of horse and rider combinations achieved scores high enough to win their respective classes and have qualified for the Petplan Equine Area Festival Championships at Hartpury College in April 2020.

Winning Preliminary Silver with 72.08% was Harriet Dance from Camelford with ‘Rubin Ryella’.

Kate Hopkins, Petplan marketing consultant, said: “For many, competing at an area festival is like their very own Olympics, it is such an impressive achievement for grassroots riders. The area festival at Bicton Arena was very well supported and truly celebrated the amateur rider. I would like to congratulate all the combinations who competed this weekend and hope they enjoyed their day. We are very much looking forward to seeing the qualified combinations at the Petplan Equine Area Festival Championships in April.”

To find out more about the Petplan Equine Area Festival series, visit www.petplanequine.co.uk/area-festivals