With over £150,000 of prize money on offer for the international classes at this year’s British Open Show Jumping Championships, it’s no wonder top show jumping names from the UK and abroad are making the journey to Birmingham’s NEC this April (3rd – 6th 2008). They will join equally accomplished eventers who will be competing on Friday and Saturday in the British Open Indoor Cross Country competitions.
International show jumpers, including the leading British riders and a host of foreign riders, have entered to compete over the course of four days for the richest single indoor class in British show jumping and the esteemed title of British Open Champion 2008. The 2008 British Open will also have the added attraction of witnessing all of the previous British Open Champions, Robert Whitaker (2003), Nick Skelton (2004), Robert Smith (2005 & 2006) and Jessica Kürten (2007), vying for this year’s title. Entered riders include:
British Riders
John Whitaker
Michael Whitaker
Robert Whitaker
Ellen Whitaker
William Whitaker
Tim Stockdale
William Funnell
Nick Skelton
Robert Smith
Guy Williams
Plus two wild cards from Addington Manor easibedplus Classic (28th – 30th March)
Foreign Riders (in order of their FEI world ranking)
Markus Fuchs (2nd) (CHE)
Jessica Kürten (4th) (IRE) – Reigning British Open Champion
Christian Ahlman (6th) (GER)
Jos Lansink (12th) (BEL)
Dirk Demeersman (17th) (BEL)
Beat Mandli (18th) (CHE)
Daniel Deusser (19th) (GER)
Luciana Diniz (20th) (POR)
Leopold van Asten (35th) (NL)
Helena Lundbäck (58th) (SWE)
Heinrich Engemann (59th) (GER)
Billy Twomey (83rd) (IRE)
Geir Gulliksen (90th) (NOR)
Maikel van der Vleuten (96th) (NL)
The British Open is a unique format with a Championship class each and every day including Saturday afternoon’s thrilling third round after which a ‘cut’ will be made where only the top twenty riders will go through to contest the British Open Final on Sunday.
A wide range of additional show jumping classes will be held over the four days including the International Accumulator on Friday afternoon and the ever-popular and breath-taking British Open Puissance on Saturday evening. The BEF World Class Development Programme will also provide two exciting classes for the country’s top young riders.
The British Open also hosts two fantastic Indoor Cross Country competitions which attracts some of the most famous names in the world of eventing. The Indoor Cross Country proved so popular at last year’s British Open that the organiser, Grandstand Event Management, announced that will be hosting an additional class at the 2008 Championships. The Indoor Cross Country Championship will now feature on the Friday evening (4th April) and a Power and Speed team competition, involving some of the British Open crowd’s favourite show jumpers, on the Saturday afternoon (5th April).
Eventers entered to compete include:
Dag Albert
Jeanette Brakewell
Sarah Cohen
Laura Collett
Emilie Chandler
Georgie Davies
Ruth Edge
William Fox-Pitt
Clayton Fredericks
Pippa Funnell
Ginny Howe
Sharon Hunt
Mark Kyle
Bill Levett
Andrew Nicholson
Zara Phillips
Matt Ryan
Laura Shannon
Georgie Spence
Polly Stockton
Oliver Townend
Lucy Wiegersma