A POTENTIAL prize pot of £45,000 is up for grabs at a riding challenge held at three Northumberland events.

Belsay, Alnwick Ford and Burgham International Horse Trials have launched the 2023 Northumberland Challenge.

This will cover the CCI2*-S and CCI3*-S competitions across the three venues with a total potential prize pot of £45,000.

The challenge follows the success of the venues' first CCI2*-S Accumulator Prize Fund in 2022.

The 2023 Northumberland Challenge offers horse and rider combinations entering the CCI2*-S and CCI3*-S classes at Belsay International, Alnwick Ford International and Burgham International the opportunity to win cash bonuses of up to £20,000 for the CCI2*-S and £25,000 for the CCI3*-S.

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The Northumberland Challenge Prize Fund Accumulator was put together by event directors Laura de Wesselow from Belsay Horse Trials and Craig Anderson from Alnwick Ford and Burgham Horse Trials.

They were supported by sponsors Richard Jenkinson and Julie Wylie of AW Jenkinson Forest Products, Ian Wells of Encon and Ian Marsden of NIS Construction Ltd, and insurance brokers McClarron Sports Ltd.

Laura de Wesselow said: “We are hugely grateful to our sponsors for enabling us to offer this fantastic accumulator prize fund. We are always trying to improve our offer for both professional and amateur competitors and their owners, and the opportunity to win some decent money is an important part of that.”

Craig Anderson added: “The Northumbrian trio of Burgham, Alnwick Ford and Belsay are the premier international horse trials in this part of the country and, as event organisers, we are working together and with our sponsors to attract top riders to our fantastic venues. We are also extremely grateful to McClarrons Sport for creating this deal, and hope that other organisers are inspired to create similar bonus pots.”

Leading event rider Oliver Townend, who won the first leg of the Northumberland Challenge in 2022, said: “I have always loved eventing in the North and have been lucky enough to enjoy considerable success at all three of the Northumberland Challenge venues. They are special places, and more people should make the effort to go to them, both as competitors and spectators. I’ll be back this year for a crack at this great series!”