Kazuma Tomoto with Vinci De La Vigne were the winners of the CC!4*L in 2019
For the third year in succession, the Sema Lease Camphire Horse Trials will not run in 2022. The event was cancelled in both 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid pandemic. This year the organisers have released a statement:
“It was decided, after much deliberation, that the financial risks were too great to run the event this year. A significant percentage of Camphire’s competitors are internationals and currently there are high costs for these competitors to bring their horses to Ireland since Brexit. These costs, combined with the current high fuel costs and continuing uncertainties around Covid, mean there is a real risk of the Event being financially unviable in 2022. As a result we have taken the difficult decision not to run the event this year.
It was decided, after much deliberation, that the financial risks were too great to run the event this year. A significant percentage of Camphire’s competitors are international athletes and currently there are high costs for these competitors to bring their horses to Ireland since Brexit. These costs, combined with the current high fuel costs and continuing uncertainties around Covid, mean there is a real risk of the Event being financially unviable in 2022. As a result we have taken the difficult decision not to run the event this year.
“This is not a decision we have taken lightly” said Event Director, Paul Brady, “Camphire sets itself hugely high standards. All those involved deserved the accolade of Irish International Horse Trials 2019. It is a hugely important event for the Irish equestrian community and for the local economy as well as for the many international competitors and Olympians who travel so far to take part. But we simply don’t have the financial reserves to sustain a possible reduction in numbers, or in quality.
Our preference therefore is to put all our effort into finding ways of recreating the Camphire we wish to have, and running a successful event in 2023. We sincerely hope some of the issues around charges on horses coming into Ireland for a week to compete will have been addressed by then.”
The dates for the 2023 SemaLease Camphire International Horse Trials & Country Fair will be the Bank Holiday weekend, 27 – 30 July 2023.
Trot up in front of Camphire House 2019 (Daniel Alderson with Dino Ferrari)
