12 March, 2021 16:26 Sam Watson and Tullabeg Flamenco at Chatsworth 2019. The 2021 event has been cancelled, owing to the coronavirus pandemic. Credit: Jon Stroud Media
The Dodson & Horrell Chatsworth International Horse Trials is the latest fixture to be cancelled in what has been a bleak fortnight for the eventing calendar.
Chatsworth’s (15-16 May) cancellation takes the tally of international fixtures lost in the last two weeks to five. Badminton, Bramham, Withington Manor and Rockingham Castle are the other four to fall by the wayside this year, despite best efforts.
A statement from the organisers said restrictions on outdoor gatherings will not be relaxed any earlier than 17 May and even then, numbers will be capped and household mixing restricted, so the decision was made to cancel in the “interests of safety and to provide certainty for exhibitors, volunteers, spectators and competitors”, as well as insurance concerns.