A “WORLD class” equestrian sport centre is to open in the north east of Scotland to attract more riders to the sport.
The Bogenraith Equestrian Centre is creating a new “one-stop shop” for local talent in Durris, Aberdeenshire.
The centre reports that many riders are forced to take long journeys south to bigger venues to train.
Upon completion, the venue will be equipped with a state-of-the-art cross-country course, show jumping facilities and dressage arenas to hold competitions.
READ MORE: Aberdeen: Scottish city residents 'missing out on more than £45,000' due to slow growth
Floors Castle in Kelso and Glamis Castle are two of the latest venues that announced they would stop hosting horse trials due to the increasing cost.
Marion and Ciaran Dreelan have been championing the plans since 2018 and are gearing up to launch to the public.
Marion, who started riding aged 44 and now competes across disciplines, said: “The vision for Bogenraith Equestrian was to create a ‘one-stop shop’ for all things equestrian, on a scale that Scotland has not experienced. We tried to work with the existing farm structures, but this proved to be a non-starter, so we went back to the drawing board.
“I took the views on board as competitor, spectator and business. I could see what was missing in Scotland and decided that if we were going to do this it had to be done on a scale like no other. I refer to Scotland because I have not travelled much further to events.
“We had to create something very special. I have lived in Scotland for almost 30 years and consider it as much a part of my home as I do Ireland, and we wanted to give something back.”
The centre hosted a sold out masterclass on Friday with 160 tickets sold out within hours.
Marion said: “We were astounded by the response and how quickly the tickets sold. We were receiving messages to release more tickets, so after trying to fit in more seating we decided we could provide another 40, these were sold in less than an hour.
“We are truly blown away by the support and response, and very appreciative to our supporters. This has reinforced the excitement and demand for this centre in Scotland and the Islands.”
John White from British Eventing Scotland said new projects at centres like Bogenraith are very welcome for events in the north of the country.
He said: “The cost of living crisis has meant it become more expensive for competitors to travel, so I think we need to look at bringing events closer to riders.
“This facility is wonderful, and we’d encourage its owners to press on, we’d like to see more events up in the north east of Scotland.”
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