With just a few weeks to go until the NAF Five Star BE80 Championships at Bramham International Horse Trials, we caught up with intrepid qualified riders to find out how they are preparing for this year’s event.

Megan Palmer
Dartford-based Megan Palmer is excited to be bringing Champagne, aka Lisrua Matty, to the NAF 5* BE80 Championships. Here is the story of how the pair are preparing to get to the championship:

“I bought Champagne four years ago from a friend. He had come through a rescue home and was very thin and malnourished. After lots of love and care, we got him back to good condition and eventually he was able to be ridden again. Since then, he has have gone from being petrified of poles on the floor to competing at BE80 and qualifying for the championship in our first year of BE!

“To prepare for the championship we have to do lots of confidence work as Champagne can be quite delicate when it comes to coloured poles, warm ups and dressage arenas! He has also been having treadmill sessions once a week to build fitness ready for the Yorkshire terrain as we aren’t used to it down south! On the run up to the champs, we also have a few BE runs planned to blow away the cobwebs!”

More information about the Championship can be found here –  https://www.britisheventing.com/compete/championships/be80-championship