WORLD-renowned rider and trainer Christopher Bartle is coming to Bishop Burton to run an evening of an unmounted masterclass, aiming to inspire and educate in better cross-country riding.

The event at Bishop Burton College will take place on Thursday, November 12 at 6.30pm, and will highlight the importance of training when preparing to go cross-country at various different levels.

Chris will run through jumping exercises with demonstration riders and the evening will be split into three sections to demonstrate the difference in expectation and technicality of cross-country courses at different levels, with each section having two demo riders.

The initial section will include exercises ideal for those at BE80, BE90, BE100 and novice levels, with the second section showcasing some of the riders taking part in the under 18s programme at novice level. The third and final section will feature more experienced riders who are currently on the Mark Todd “bridging the gap training programme” and competing at 2* and 3* level.

Within each section, Chris will ask the riders to run through jumping exercises to demonstrate the challenges that riders at each level would expect to face in the cross-country course, while talking through how these exercises will educate and help both horses and riders to be able to cope with the challenges and have a successful round when competing.

Chris teaches and trains riders at the Yorkshire Riding Centre and around the UK and across Europe.

He is currently national coach to the German Olympic Three Day Event Team.

In the past four years the German eventing team have won almost every medal going – winners of team and individual gold medals at the London Olympics in 2012 and Beijing Olympics in 2008, with Michael Jung taking four of the five individual medals, a feat credited to Chris Bartle, though Chris is keen to point out that it’s not just him, the coaching is a partnership between himself and Hans Melzer, a former member of the German eventing team, that has been the catalyst in transforming Germanys track record.

He also trains many British international level riders, most notably Nicola Wilson, from Northallerton.

He is also willing to teach less experienced riders on their own horses. He was also trainer to the British Olympic three-day event team in Atlanta and Sydney in 1996 and 2000 respectively.

Chris has had a long list of awards to his credentials, including being awarded Hon Fellowship of the British Horse Society in 2001, received the British Horse Society’s Trainers Award in 1995.

Chris will also be speaking, along with Nicola Wilson, at a question-and-answer evening at The Bridge Hotel, Walshford, Wetherby, on Tuesday, November 24, at 7.30pm. It is free to British Riding Club members. Details and tickets can be obtained from Margaret Smith smithmags@btinternet.com Tickets for the event on November 12 cost £20. Visit britisheventing.com