Dane Rawlins Announces the End of Dressage at Hickstead

Dressage

Great Britain

Dane Rawlins has announced the end of "Dressage at Hickstead". The British Irish Grand Prix rider and show director will no longer be running any events at Hickstead.

Rawlins told Eurodressage that it was a "a very difficult decision."

"2020 has brought to a head many issues for many people," said Dane. "Dressage at Hickstead has been financially challenging for a number of years. Dressage at Hickstead has enjoyed incredible support given by so many people both in terms of funding and volunteering across a massive range of tasks throughout the years, giving up their free time simply for the love of the sport of dressage. However, even with all the continued support, each year there is a large financial shortfall that has to be met by my family and me, this at times has been significant and therefore I have concluded that economically I can no longer continue to carry that financial burden."

In 2016 the CDIO was cancelled due to financial issues, but the event returned on the calendar in 2017.

Dressage at Hickstead has been running for the past 27 years with CDIO Nations Cups, the 2000 European Young Riders Championships and the 2003 Open European Dressage Champonships as highlights. It has further been the venue for numerous national and CDI shows.

"Many riders and officials have had their beginnings at Hickstead and it has been a fantastic journey with so many people from all walks of life getting involved," said Dane. "I cannot thank everyone enough who has helped over the years, literally hundreds of people who have been part of the Dressage at Hickstead family."

Rawlins expresses particular gratitude to the Bunn family and the Bechtolsheimer family for their overwhelming support and advice.

"The overwhelming support and advice that I have received from Ursula and Wilfred over the years has meant Dressage at Hickstead has been able to continue to run an international show.. This family has made such an enormous contribution to dressage worldwide and particularly in the UK. Wilfred’s passing is such a loss to the sport," he explained.

Rawlins also credits footing company Martin Collins Arenas Ltd

"Their sponsorship of the fantastic arenas over the years has meant that thousands of riders from unaffiliated to top international have been able to experience riding on top quality surfaces and our foreign competitors have always appreciated the high standard of the arenas," Dane concluded.