A new addition to the British Eventing calendar will take place in Scotland next year at Scone Palace.
The inaugural Scone Palace International Horse Trials will run in August 2025 and will host a new CCI4*-L class as well as the Scottish Grassroots Championships and additional national and international classes. It follows the cancellation of long-standing Blair Castle International Horse Trials, which is set to run for the final time this week after 35 years.
The new horse trials will take place in the palace parklands as well as the adjacent Perth Racecourse.
“We are thrilled to bring a new and major event to Perthshire, highlighting the region as a premium destination for large-scale international events,” said Brian Stevenson, CEO of Scone Estates. “The team and I look forward to working with British Eventing to deliver another world-class event.”
William, Viscount Stormont of Scone Palace, said the parkland has “a long history of hosting eventing competitions”.
“We know that many Scottish equestrians have fond memories of eventing here. We are delighted to build on the legacy of Blair Castle and bring a new event to new generations for decades to come.
“Equally, we are pleased to introduce the facilities at Perth Racecourse to a new international event and to deploy the team to produce a best-in-class eventing surface,” he continued.
“We must also acknowledge the Troughton family and everyone at Blair Castle for delivering 35 years of world-class eventing, and we wish them all the best for the final horse trials at Blair Castle.”
World class surface
Matthew Taylor, Director of Racing at Perth Racecourse, added:
“We are delighted to be taking on the honour of running the new Scone Palace International Horse Trials at the Parkland at Scone Palace and Perth Racecourse. The team at Blair Atholl has done a wonderful job over the past 35 years of hosting such a coveted event in the equestrian calendar. We cannot wait for the opportunity to begin our own new chapter and deliver what we are confident will be Scotland’s leading equestrian event.
“The grounds teams between both the Scone Palace team and Perth Racecourse team have a vast amount of experience and machinery to provide a world class surface for next August.”
British Eventing CEO, Rosie Williams, said the governing body “couldn’t have hoped for a better venue”.
“The BE team and the team at Scone will be working tirelessly over the coming months to ensure everything is ready for next year’s event,” she said. “It’s fitting that the final event at Blair will be a celebration of its many years of success. We now look forward to Scone carrying on this proud tradition.”
Main image shows an aerial view of Scone Palace with Perth Racecourse in the background. Supplied by British Eventing
