TOP TWENTY THREE RIDERS TO COMPETE FOR BEF WORLD CLASS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE AT BOSJC

 Twenty three of the brightest young names in show jumping will compete in the BEF World Class Development Programme Championship, at the British Open Show Jumping Championships held at Birmingham’s NEC on 16^th -19^th April 2009.

 

After five qualifying competitions, the top twenty-one ridersbased on points accumulated throughout the qualifying series, and two riders who qualified at the one wild card show, all now have the chance to compete in this prestigious class and one rider will be crowned World Class Development Programme Champion 2009.

 

Joseph Clayton topped the qualifying points table after a second place and two wins, with George Whitaker and Lance Whitehouse second and third respectively. Ellen Whitaker has qualified four horses, however, as the rules state that riders may only compete on one horse in the Championship, Ellen now has to choose which one to ride.

A significant number of World Class Development riders have qualified and with a mixture of some old and new faces in the final line up, it will be a highly sought after title.

 

To determine the starting order of the Championship class, the riders will jump in the WCD Programme Pathfinder class the day before, with all clear rounds going through to a jump-off against the clock. The winner is the rider with the least faults in the fastest time that will then have the advantage of going last in the WCD Programme Championship class.

 

An additional prize in the Championship class is a bridle, kindly donated by Frogpool Manor, which will be presented to the winner of the Style and Performance award that will be judged by an overseas International rider.

 

Will Connell, World Class Performance Director says, “This is the fifth year that the World Class Programme has supported this competition and once again we have been delighted with the interest that it has generated amongst some of the best young show jumping riders. With the calibre of the top twenty three riders who have qualified for the Championship, this will make for a very exciting competition”.

 

The World Class Development Programme is Lottery funded via UK Sport and seeks to identify and develop riders who have shown the potential to reach the world stage. The Programme underpins World Class Performance and, together with the Equine Pathway, they comprise the Equestrian World Class Programme. It incorporates the three Olympic sports of Dressage, Eventing, Show Jumping and the Paralympic sport of Para-Equestrian Dressage.

 

For more information please contact: Debbie Lee - World Class Development Assistant. Tel: 02476 698876. Email: debbie.lee@bef.co.uk

 

Please see below for the list of qualified riders: