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History Blair Castle, the seat of the Dukes of Atholl, is set in wonderful parklands in the heart of Perthshire providing a stunning backdrop to this major equestrian event and Country Fair. The Event first ran as a Three Day Event in 1989 and since then it has grown in popularity both with competitors and spectators. In 1996 Bowmore Blair Castle International Horse Trials hosted the European Junior Championships. This achievement recognised the standard of excellence for which Blair has become internationally renowned. The Event is not confined to horses and their devotees, there is a large tented village with shopping opportunities for all, and an action-packed Country Fair. What's On Four days of action packed fun including top class Showjumping, Highland ponies, Hunters, Native breeds and Carriage rides. For the non equestrian in the family we can offer a vast array of attractions. The Country Fair boasts a wealth of entertainment from falconry to duck herding, and there are a selection of 'have a go' activities to bring out the child in you! There is go-karting, archery and even a miniature steam train. In the tented village you will find over 170 shops with something for everyone, whether it's clothes, jewellery, crafts or garden equipment, even a new yard of stables!! You can buy it all here. Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Facts & Figures In 2000 over 22,000 people flocked through the gates to experience at first hand the thrill of Blair Castle International Horse Trials whilst 29,000 were keeping up to date with all the excitement via our live web link. Over 4 million tuned in to watch the event on a variety of networks across the globe from Europe to Australia, South Africa and even Japan. These figures alone show how known and respected Blair Castle Horse Trials are as one of the world's premier International events. The Event
The sport of eventing has significant roots in Perthshire, and we are indeed proud to carry on the tradition at Blair. The Blair Three Day Event began in 1989 as a CCN** and has been run at CCI** level since 1991. The event has gained a reputation for its beautiful scenery and for a course that has always been challenging whilst being solid, fair and not too technical. All the jumps are constructed from home grown timber for which Atholl Estates are famous. Internationally there are four levels of competition. These are rated by 'Stars'. The event at Blair plays host to competition on two levels. The CCI* caters for those, equine or human, entering their first Three Day Event, while the CCI**, a higher grade, is entered by those wishing to take younger horses on to more advanced levels of competition. In addition, Blair is staging an International Team Competition within the CCI**. Each team consists of four riders, from which the best three scores are taken to determine the winners. The scoring system is based on penalty marks, the winner therefore being the horse and rider with the lowest number of penalties at the end of the competition. Nowadays the skill of the rider is at least as important as the ability of the horse. With today's standards, in order to win, both horse and rider must excel at all three phases of the competition.
So don't miss the chance to come to this most beautiful part of Scotland and participate in a very special event! For more information on admission, our membership packages and any other aspect of the event, please contact us: Horse Trials Office
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