Five Rings Eventing, organizers of the MARS Great Meadow International (GMI), is pleased to announce the addition of a Preliminary division to the 2020 event, scheduled for August 20 to 23.
Held annually in The Plains, Virginia, the MARS Great Meadow International’s expanded offerings have allowed the event to focus on a broader competitor base. Once an FEI Nations Cup™ with a single division, GMI has grown to include a CCI4*-S, CCI3*-S, and CCI2*-S in addition to the new national level.
Of the 2020 plans, Organizer Darrin Mollet said, “We're pleased to announce the addition of a national Preliminary division to this year’s competition this summer, and are excited about the chance it will give us to share this event with more riders in the community."
For all levels of competition, dressage and show jumping will take place in the Fleming Farm Arena, on Attwood Equestrian Surfaces footing. The cross-country courses will encompass Fleming Farm and the Great Meadow racecourse, both areas guaranteeing excellent footing with careful turf management and irrigation.
In addition to the eventing competition, the event will feature an expanded Meadow Market trade show, a beer garden and a variety of demonstrations. GMI’s hospitality options include the Fleming Farm VIP tent, the Piedmont Club Tent, tailgates, ringside boxes and the Fan Zone for General Admission guests.
Entries open for the 2020 MARS Great Meadow International on July 7, 2020 and close August 4, 2020. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit www.greatmeadowinternational.com.
Established in 2015, the Great Meadow International is a three-day eventing competition held annually at the Great Meadow Foundation in The Plains, Virginia. In addition to the international equestrian competition, the event features VIP hospitality, a trade fair, beer garden, and entertainment for the whole family. The 2020 Great Meadow International will take place on August 20th to August 23rd.
For information at Great Meadow International, please visit https://www.greatmeadowinternational.com.
Five Rings Eventing is a high-performance event organizer and management company founded by Darrin Mollett and David O’Connor to enhance the sport of eventing in Northern Virginia and beyond. FRE’s mission is to provide exceptional competition opportunities for athletes and their equine partners to help them reach their individual goals, whether they are at the entry level to international competition or the highest level of team competition.
When super groom Max Corcoran mentioned in 2005 that it would be fun to participate in a USEA Classic Series event, her employer and eventing legend Karen O’Connor took that to heart. “I did a lot of grooming for the classic format when Kentucky and all those other competitions were proper long format,” Corcoran shared. “When Gretchen [Butts] started offering the Classic Series at Waredaca [Gaithersburg, Maryland,] she asked if I would come up and do some lectures to help people understand what the 10-minute box was and how to pack for it. I did that a few times and said to Karen, ‘Man, it would be so fun to do one of these.’ And so Karen's like, 'You want to do one? Yeah, you're gonna do one next year.'”
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