1:44pm Wednesday 27th August 2008
By Newsdesk
The summer's wet weather has claimed another casualty.
Skipton Horse Trials - which had been due to take place this weekend - have been called off because of the soggy ground.
A technical adviser from British Eventing inspected the course at Funkirk Farm, Carleton, on Tuesday and declared it was too wet to be used.
"The safety of the riders must come first," said joint organiser Paul White. "It was not an easy decision - it took three hours to make."
Five hundred competitors had been due to compete in the trials - the area's largest equestrian event - in the disciplines of dressage, cross country and showjumping.
Mr White added: "Obviously everybody is disappointed it has come to this after all the effort so many people have put in, but there was nothing we could do. We were in the hands of the gods."
Weather permitting, the horse trials will return in June 2009.
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