Bologna, April 28, 2021 – Event director Peter Phillips, whose parents, the Princess Royal and Captain Mark Phillips, started eventing in Gatcombe Park in 1983, said: «We had desperately hoped that we would be able to pull off the 2021 festival because we know how much everyone was looking forward to it».
Which means that another main event is saying bye bye to 2021 season.
As it s reported in the statement below, «the financial risk of committing to an occasion of such magnitude and infrastructure during a pandemic is too great».
This will be the second edition in a row that British Eventing will not have its Festival. And the second year in a row that public health and finance do not get along so well.
The statement
It is with huge regret that the organisers of the Magic Millions Festival of British Eventing at Gatcombe Park have made the difficult decision to cancel this year’s event, which was scheduled for 6-8 August 2021.
The news will be a deep disappointment to riders, owners, spectators and volunteers alike, for whom The Festival is a much-loved annual showcase for the sport, from Olympic riders to ‘Corinthian’ amateurs.
However, as with many other major public events this summer, the financial risk of committing to an occasion of such magnitude and infrastructure during a pandemic is too great.
This has been an extremely difficult decision, but the situation with the pandemic is still too volatile.
In these restricted circumstances, the event simply isn’t viable, and nor could we guarantee that it would be good value for the competitors, spectators, trade stands and loyal sponsors who normally make The Festival such a great occasion.
We also very much looked forward to hosting the Pony Club Championship for the first time at Gatcombe Park.