'What eventing needs to thrive'

Oliver Townend on collecting rings, a new owner's award and prize money

- Pippa Roome

WHEN you’ve made your living in a sport for 25 years, it is easy to take aspects of it for granted. But sometimes I am shocked by the incredible venues we have in eventing, and am reminded how lucky I am to be part of it.

The area in which I grew up had nothing like that, and it is only because of horses and eventing that I have had the chance to see these amazing places.

I’ve been to some brilliant events recently, from Cornbury Park to Allerton Park and Little Downham. I haven’t been to Allerton for more than 10 years, and it was good to relearn what a fantastic place it is. It has space, varied terrain and is well suited to be a top-level one-day event. It needs supporting – and a date that doesn’t clash with Blenheim.

My novice and BE100 horses will have come on so much from their experience of the terrain and the surroundings – it made me realise how little of that sort of thing they have seen, and how different Allerton is to many modern one-days. It is a great shame it no longer has a national advanced class – I don’t know whether this would suit the landowners and organisers or not, but what about giving it Chatsworth’s date and having a four-star there?