Boyd Martin and On Cue. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.
Stable View’s 2020 eventing season kicks off this weekend with 280 riders, no prize money, and expectations that the Aiken Opener is a taster before their main event of the Aiken Season: the Designer Builders CCI-S 1*, 2*, 3* and 4,* where the prize money will be $50,000.
While next Saturday and Sunday’s event has received more than twice last year’s entries, it’s a soft and inviting course, which seems to be in keeping with rider and horse expectations at this time of the year.
Three rider lounges will be in use next weekend with the fourth expected to be completed for the March event. These lounges are for riders and are for a light breakfast, meetings and as a place for riders to gather and relax.
While Stable View is presently full of boarders from up north who are going about their training in significantly warmer conditions than at home, horses for the Aiken Opener will be stabled in the additional 200 FEI permanent stalls that were recently installed.
Divisions for the Opener are BN through P with entries roughly equally spread across the divisions. The event is again being run as two one days, and, as with the divisions, the entries are approximately equally split.
Entries open on Feb. 11th for the Stable View Designer Builders 1*,2*, 3* and 4*.
This event will be designed along the lines of Stable View’s Oktoberfest H.T. With significant prize money across the divisions, there is special sponsorship for all finishing 1* riders who will each receive a FITS voucher for $100. Both FITS and Stable View are big supporters of the 1*
division and believe that in the future it should receive significant rider support.
During the March event, Saturday lunchtime will be hosted by Brooke USA who are in the process of starting a new chapter in Aiken. In addition, on Saturday, Stable View is hosting an Artisans Fair which will have a significant equestrian bias.
This will be the first time that Stable View has run an FEI event during the Aiken Season. It’s to be run on Friday and Saturday, March 27th and 28th. Full Gallop will be running the national divisions on Sunday, March 29th .
The Stable View event is between the Carolinas International CCI and The Fork on the eventing calendar. Where possible, horses from down south or from the west will be accommodated for an extended period so that they can compete elsewhere.
For more information on events at Stable View or to view the full calendar, visit www.stableviewfarm.com.
