Phillip Dutton and Icabad Crane at last year's Aiken Masterclass. Photo by Taggert V Studios.
In an effort to make tomorrow’s Aiken Masterclass and Celebration of U.S. Eventing more accessible for young eventing enthusiasts and families, all attendees under the age of 17 can now get their tickets for $25 at the door. Combination tickets for the Masterclass and VIP after party are now discounted to $175 for those under 17.
Stable View Farm hosted more than 350 people at last year’s Aiken Masterclass, and Phillip Dutton and Boyd Martin are hoping for an even bigger turnout for this year’s event, which is also serving as a fundraiser for Team USA’s trip to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
“Last year’s Masterclass was a huge success,” Boyd said. “This year our expectations are for a bigger, bolder and better show. The audience here in Aiken is definitely enthusiastic about what goes on behind the scenes with training event horses. Phillip and I look forward to putting on a display of what it takes to train the green off-track Thoroughbreds up to the big time four-star horses.”
Phillip confirmed off-track Thoroughbred superstar Icabad Crane will make an appearance, and both Boyd and Phillip will ride one of their top four-star mounts during the demonstration. The Masterclass portion of the night will be scaled back to some degree this year since the event is combined with the Team USA fundraiser, but Phillip emphasized it will still be an excellent learning opportunity.
“We’ll have a range of demonstrations, from the very green horse just getting introduced to the sport to four-star horses, and it will be a combination of training exercises, tips and advice on what Boyd and I do to educate the horses and bring them along,” Phillip said. “It will be fun and entertaining as well.”
The Celebration of U.S. Eventing starts at 5 p.m. tomorrow with Phillip and Boyd’s Masterclass kicking off the night, which will also include special guest appearances from big names in the sport, like Bobby Costello, David O’Connor, Jan Byyny, Will Coleman, Beth Perkins and Mara DePuy.
Then the VIP after party will start at 6:30 p.m. in the main barn, with top event riders acting as guest bartenders, as well as a live auction with proceeds benefitting Team USA. Phillip said he and Boyd “will definitely be bartending, and we’re looking to raise a lot of money and sell a lot of drinks.”
Tickets are $50 for the Masterclass only or $25 for attendees 17 and under at the door. Tickets for both the Masterclass and VIP after party are $200, or $175 for attendees 17 and under at the door. Click here to purchase tickets online, and you can direct any questions about the event to Bryn Wells at [email protected]. Stable View Farm is located at 117 Stable Drive, Aiken, SC 28301.
[Phillip Dutton & Boyd Martin Bring Popular Masterclass Back to Aiken]
