World Number 1 Scott Brash will Compete at Bolesworth
Monday 08 June 2015
Organisers of the Ashford Farm CSI**** Bolesworth International are thrilled to announce that world number one showjumper and Olympic Gold Medallist Scott Brash will compete at this year's event.
It is a major coup for Bolesworth International, which will run for the first time at four-star level in the grounds of Bolesworth Castle, Cheshire from June 18-21, and has attracted almost one fifth of the top world-ranked 100 riders.
Scott is one of the hottest properties in equestrian sport, having enjoyed a staggering run of success that effectively began at London 2012 when he helped Great Britain win Olympic Team Gold in unforgettable fashion at Greenwich Park alongside Nick Skelton, Ben Maher and Peter Charles.
The 29-year-old Scotsman's partnership with Hello Sanctos is among the greatest showjumping has ever seen. Following their Olympic success, Scott and the brilliant 13 year-old bay gelding have taken the sport by storm.
They were crowned overall Longines Global Champions Tour winners in 2013, which came after Brash landed Team Gold and Individual Bronze at the European Championships in Herning, Denmark with Great Britain team-mates Ben Maher, Michael Whitaker and Will Funnell.
Scott then successfully defended the Global Champions Tour crown last year, with his triumph being built on Grand Prix victories at GCT events in London, Cannes and Estoril, while also enjoying a long unbroken run as number one rider on the Federation Equestre Internationale's official world rankings list.
And Scott has continued to sweep all before him this season, winning the Miami Beach GCT, while also adding the Rolex Grand Prix of Aachen to his roll of honour. Having also collected the Rolex Geneva Grand Prix title last December, he is now one more victory away from securing one of showjumping's richest prizes.
If Scott wins the Spruce Meadows Grand Prix in September, he will become the first rider in showjumping history to complete the Rolex Grand Slam, and with it a staggering 1 million Euros bonus.
Bolesworth International owner and show president Nina Barbour said: "Scott has raised the bar with his many brilliant performances, and I am delighted that visitors to Bolesworth will have an opportunity to watch him in action. We are all in for a treat.
"Scott is just one of a number of world-class riders Bolesworth is privileged to welcome this year, which shows beyond doubt the rapid strides we continue to make as an international event that is firmly established on the global equestrian calendar."
Scott, whose outstanding string of horses also includes Hello Annie, Hello Guv'nor and Hello Forever, leads a star-studded British contingent at Bolesworth alongside Will Funnell, three members of showjumping's legendary Whitaker family - John, Robert and last year's Bolesworth Redrow Grand Prix winner William - their fellow Nations Cup performers Spencer Roe and Holly Gillott, in addition to the ultra-consistent Laura Renwick and Dan Nielson.
A strong Irish representation includes London 2012 individual bronze medallist Cian O'Connor, recently-crowned Royal Windsor grand prix champion Dermot Lennon, last year's Hickstead Derby winner Trevor Breen, his brother Shane and their fellow global stars Billy Twomey and Cameron Hanley.
Considerable anticipation, meanwhile, surrounds a mouthwatering overseas challenge, headed by Australia's Edwina Tops-Alexander, Americans Lauren Hough and Laura Kraut, young Belgian star Jos Verlooy, Italian Luca Moneta, Swedish challengers Angelica Augustsson and Angelie von Essen, plus Colombia's Daniel Blumen.
With more than £250,000 in prize money on offer, visitors to Bolesworth can expect to witness world-class showjumping at the sport's elite level, while a number of two-star classes also feature on an exciting Bolesworth schedule, together with national and amateur competitions.
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