Royals' heartbreak as British event axed this summer after 40 years

05 March 2024 , 16:25

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Zara Tindall and her family attend the yearly event held at Gatcombe Park (Image: Getty Images)

A British event beloved by the Royal Family has been axed this year for the first time since 1983.

The Festival of British Eventing, which was Princess Anne and her first husband Captain Mark Phillips' 'dream', has been running annually for the last 40 years and is hosted at Gatcombe Park in Gloucestershire. But due to rising costs, the sporting event has been cancelled this summer, the couple's son Peter Phillips announced today.

Event director Peter said it has been a 'huge part' of his family's lives in his statement which read: "It is with a heavy heart that The Festival, which has played a significant part in the British Eventing calendar since 1983, cannot run this year. The event has also been a huge part of my family's lives and those of many others for 40 years."

It was Princess Anne and her ex-husband Captain Mark Phillips' dream to start the event (Getty Images)

Zara and her husband Mike Tindall attending the Festival of British Eventing in 2018 in Stroud (Getty Images)

He continued: "It has built up a large community that has enjoyed and celebrated The Festival each year. I would like to thank everyone who has been involved over the past four decades; our sponsors for their unwavering support, the large selection of trade stands and arena entertainment and our spectators who have loved coming to Gatcombe to watch the world-class equestrian sport from the famous Park Bowl."

The organising team said the "current economic climate" has made it unviable and unfeasible to run. Event chairman Mark Phillips, said that it marks the "end of an era". He added: "The horse trials at Gatcombe and more recently the Festival of British Eventing have been a major part of my life for over 40 years when The Princess Royal and I first had the dream.

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"The dream became reality, and with it, many special memories of the many riders, horses, volunteers, sponsors and spectators all of whom massively contributed to the history of the horse trials at Gatcombe Park." He explained that since Covid, costs of running the event have risen and the "next 40 years of the sport will be different".

Peter Phillips said it has been a 'huge part' of his family's lives over the last 40 years (PA)

Chief executive of British Eventing Rosie Williams said: "It is incredibly sad news for everyone involved in the sport. My focus this year is very much going to be on how we can implement a strategy that works for the sport going forward. We need to do everything we can to find a way to support our organisers, landowners and stakeholders to make events at wonderful venues like Gatcombe become viable.

"We will work hard as a governing body to assist in any way we can for the financial risk and burden to be minimised so that we can welcome Gatcombe, and others like it, back into the calendar. We will continue to be ongoing in discussions with Peter and the team at Gatcombe and will also be, as a matter of urgency, discussing a tender process for the national championships which will need to find a new home for this season and going forward."

Nia Dalton