A NEW British Eventing horse trials is set to run on the Isle of Wight.
The fixture will take place at Osborne House, a former home of Queen Victoria, in July next year.
Run by Stuart Buntine's BEDE Events, in partnership with English Heritage, the original idea came from Diana Bown, an event horse owner and former organiser.
The project, which has been developed over the past four years, was launched at the Royal Thames Yacht Club last month.
"When we talk about our sport, we talk about owners, riders and organisers as equal stakeholders. In the same way here, we have the sport, the house and the Island - all equally important," said Mrs Bown.
"Obviously we're very enthusiastic about it and we want to run it as a showcase."
The event will be at open intermediate level, for a limited number of competitors, with a focus on a short day of sport.
It is anticipated the new equestrian event will bring in new audiences and offer great viewing opportunities for corporate hospitality guests.
"My whole philosophy is innovation and delivering quality events. A key objective is to promote and raise the profile of Osborne, a former royal residence," added Mr Buntine.
"We've had good conversations with the cross-Solent ferry and hovercraft companies about getting people to and from from the mainland.
"You can get off the ferry and be there in minutes. Corporate guests can take the hovercraft and be delivered straight to the beach."
English Heritage's head of corporate partnerships, Sinead Donoghue, said the event not only sounded fun, but was important in its efforts to self-sustain its operation, with the charity in its infancy.
"We have 800 events a year on varying scales, so harnessing opportunities such as this is crucial to us being able to conserve special sites such as Osborne," she explained.