Oswestry hosts top equine stars at horse festival
A prestigious week-long horse jumping festival is making its first visit to the county.
Usually held in Stafford, the Alexanders Horseboxes Scope Festival has moved over the border into Shropshire for its 20th anniversary show.
The event kicked off at Park Hall Showground in Oswestry on Sunday and will see more than 2,000 horses and ponies compete over the course of this week.
Jimmy Maguire, Scope director, said the new venue had been a hit with riders and spectators, and is also bringing business into the market town.
"It's an ideal place in the country for it to be placed because it is central," he said. "It's proving popular because there are even more entries than we anticipated.
"As well as the show side of things, it's bringing a lot of business to the town. All of the hotels are booked up - I know this because I tried to book one but couldn't so I'm actually staying in a caravan on site now.
"The local takeaways are busy too. One of the local Chinese places has been delivering to the gate of the showground for the people who are staying here overnight, so it's good for Oswestry as well."
The event, which draws to a close on Saturday, includes young horses, young riders and the prestigious ladies championship, as well as the hotly contested novice horse finals and a full range of pony classes from tiny tots through to 148cms.
Internationally there will be the addition of two ranking classes and the ever popular Amateur 1.10m category.
Nicola Watson, one of the show organisers, said the diversity is key to the event's success.
"Everyone can compete at Scope, from amateurs to professionals," she said. "You get people who work nine to five jobs and only get to ride on Saturday afternoons riding with the professionals whose job it is, so that's why it is so popular."
There are 32 different championships to contest this year and £150,000 prize money up for grabs.
Faye Sutton from Whitchurch will be jumping in the Squibb Group Dunglenn 148cms Championship which she won last year.
The 15-year-old, who attends Shrewsbury High School, said: "The Dunglenn is the biggest pony class they have this year so I'm competing in that again this year and will hopefully win again. Scope is a really fun championship because there's no pressure you get to just come and have a really good go at it."
Scope Festival also holds para-equestrian competitions and this year 14 riders with a range of disabilities have entered.
Ms Watson added: "It's really wonderful to watch. We have a blind competitor who follows a pony around on her horse and she judges it by listening to what the pony is doing. There's also riders who jump with one arm. Scope is an all encompassing festival and that's why it's so great."
