Home » Travel » Royal Britain » Travelsleuth's Diary: September Sporting Fixtures

Travelsleuth's Diary: September Sporting Fixtures

© Stuart Buchanan MacWatt

September sees the last of the major summer equestrian events at Burghley and Blenheim before focus shifts to the World Equestrian Games in mid-September at Jerez de la Frontera in Spain and the early winter World Cup Shows in Toronto, Berlin, Amsterdam, Geneva and London. We also see two major flat racing events at Doncaster and Ascot in the run up to the French Arc de Triomphe raced at Longchamps in October and the end of the season in November.

It is the turn for England to host the Ryder Cup contest, the 34th, which will be played at the Belfry, near Birmingham. The course is described by Golf World as "completely artificial" and "designed purely for tournament golf" . As such it will provide exciting play for both players and spectators who will have acquired their tickets some time ago.

Elsewhere we see the second of the summer motorsport meetings at Goodwoodwhen so of the great oldies are wheeled out for a spin and the final cricket test match between England and India at the Oval, London.

Burghley Horse Trials
DATE: 29 August-1 September, 2002.
VENUE Burghley Park, Stamford, Lincolnshire PE9 2LH.
DESCRIPTION: This is one of the best-respected international three-day events. It brings together dressage, showjumping and cross-country competitions on the Marquess of Exeter's estate. The event has strong Royal links: Capt. Mark Phillips, former husband of the Princess Royal, was course designer ' here from 1989 to 1996 and from 1998 to 2000. The trials have been held here since 1961 and attract entrants of international calibre. It is worth visiting merely to enjoy the grounds which, together with the park's lake, were landscaped by Capability Brown in 1775-80; and also the Tudor palace built by William Cecil, 1st Lord Burghley, who became Queen Elizabeth I's most powerful minister. You may visit 16th-century house; tel: 01780 752451.
FURTHER INFORMATION: Contact the Burghley Horse Trials Office, Stamford, Lincolnshire PE9 2LH; tel: 01780 752 131/2; fax: 01780 752 982. See also the website of the British Horse Trials Association, the sport's national body at www.bhta.co.uk.
GETTING THERE: Stamford is approximately 90 miles north-east of London up the Al. Trains run to Stamford station from Birmingham, Leicester, Nuneaton or Peterborough; take a taxi from the station. For rail inquiries, tel: 0345 484950. You may land a helicopter at the event with prior arrangement; tel: 01780 752131. If you wish to arrive by small aircraft, contact the nearest airfields: Klingair Ltd., Conington, Peterborough (tel: 01487 832022); and Sibson Airfield, Wansford, Peterborough (tel: 01832 280289).

The copyright of the article Travelsleuth's Diary: September Sporting Fixtures in Royal Britain is owned by . Permission to republish Travelsleuth's Diary: September Sporting Fixtures in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.