Behind closed doors but no less buzzy for it, Aston-le-Walls has set the stage for a useful spring four-star this season. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Following the news of Barbury International’s departure from the British Eventing and FEI calendar, a successful tender process has resulted in its International fixtures being relocated to another popular venue. Aston le Walls in Northamptonshire will now host Barbury’s Novice, CCI3*-S, and CCI4*-S classes, subject to FEI approval, from July 7 to 9 — and in even more exciting news, they’ll also be adding a CCI1*, which gives less experienced competitors the chance to try their hand at FEI competition. This class was previously hosted at Offchurch Bury.
Also well-served by new appointments are Pony riders, who will now benefit from a CCIP2* at Aston from May 10-14. This class joins the British Pony Championships at Belsay (June 1-4) and the CCI1* at Blair Castle (August 24-27) as a three-strong offering specifically for ponies in 2023.
“We are really looking forward to seeing international competition at Aston le Walls this summer,” says BE Chief Executive, Helen West. “I would like to take this opportunity to thank Nigel Taylor and his team for their efforts in stepping up to deliver this fixture, which I am sure will provide three days of fabulous competition. There has been significant reinvestment back into the Aston site providing all-weather surfaces and guaranteed good going at a time of the year when ground conditions can be challenging. I am confident this will be well-received by the competitors.”
This isn’t the first time Aston, which also runs a full repertoire of national-level events through the year, has hosted an International. They played host to a Chatsworth replacement in 2021 behind closed doors, proving that they have the space and the facilities to run a busy fixture at the four-star level.
