THE opening round of the new Horse Sport Ireland Eventing Challenge will take place this weekend at Ballindenisk Horse Trials in Co Cork.

The Horse Sport Ireland Eventing Challenge is a link of Irish International Events and offers a €10,000 bonus to any athlete, regardless of nationality, who finishes on the podium at any three of the 2* International Eventing competitions held in Ireland this year.

Ballindenisk in Watergrasshill, Co. Cork, is home of the Fell family and this weekend they will welcome competitors from 12 nations with 186 entries split over eight classes. The first competition staged at Ballindenisk was in 1926, when the first point-to-point was run across the banks, and the main avenue crossing still uses one of these beautiful old Irish racing banks. Eventing first started at Ballindenisk in 1974 under the guidance of Norman van de Vater and he is still very involved being the president of the International Events which run twice a year, a CIC in April and a CCI in September.

Dressage action takes place in Ballindenisk on Friday and Saturday, with cross country and show jumping taking place on Saturday and Sunday.

Horse Sport Ireland are also sponsoring the new Horse Sport Ireland Jumping Challenge which takes place this year at four Irish International show jumping venues.

Full rules and regulations for the Horse Sport Ireland Eventing & Jumping Challenge are available HERE