The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
It’s Burgie’s birthday party Equestrianism:
Lochore hoping for big turnout to celebrate special day
Burgie Horse Trials, near Forres, celebrates its 40th birthday tomorrow with competitors from all over Scotland arriving in Moray to take on the diverse challenges of dressage, crosscountry and showjumping in one day.
Polly Lochore, who has organised every event in the last 40 years, is hoping for a large turnout.
She said: “When we had our first event four decades ago we didn’t give it much thought that all this time later we would be looking to stage our 40th event. We’ve only had to cancel once, the ‘Wee Burgie’ event last autumn, other than that we’ve kept going all the way through.
“The days of when we were a three-day international horse trials, especially from around 2000 to 2005, are now gone. The formats for that particular type of competition changed and these days the novice event is now the most senior category we have at Burgie.
“In the early 2000s we were one of the few estates keen to give over the amount of ground needed for a major three-day event.
“The cost to travel from the south of England to Moray was also a factor in the demise of the threeday competition which in its day attracted top-class eventers from home and abroad.”
Looking at the challenges facing the competitors this weekend, Lochore added: “There will still be lots of competition in all the various categories. In many ways it’s much more fun with lots of local people striving to do their best on the day.
“Interestingly, the three different disciplines spectators will be able to see this weekend are extremely varied.
“The origins of the competition stem from when a horse went into battle. It was supposed to be well-trained, that today is reflected in the dressage, ready to go into battle, that being the second crosscountry stage, and, finally, it had to be fit and well to carry on, that equates to the final showjumping stage.
“Hopefully, the rain forecast before the weekend will arrive as we really do need it to soften the ground.”
“It’s more fun with lots of local people striving to do their best”