THE spectator-friendly Barbury Horse Trials will be even more accessible this year, according to estate owner Nigel Bunter.

The pioneering Event Rider Masters will be hosting its third stage on the outskirts of Marlborough this week as eventing looks to broaden its audience.

The event in the heart of the Ridgeway is renowned for its spectator experience, but visitors this year will be greeted by a big screen showing live action and score updates and share walking the course with the camera crews that will live stream it.

Bunter has always been an avid campaigner of moving the sport forward and is thrilled to see that happening on his doorstep.

“It will be very different for the spectators as well as the riders,” he said.

“The big change for us is that we are the pilot for the TV programme. There will be a TV crew here and that will all be presented through live streaming but will also be on a large screen at Barbury.

“The purpose is to present eventing to the public which is more understandable and is easier to follow.

“We will have live scoring and a live podium and next to there will be a fan zone so the public can talk to those riders, which I don’t think has ever been done before.

“We’ve been trying to push this for a number of years and television seemed to me to be critical because not only would it bring more money in but it was also attract more spectators.

“It is a radical and exciting proposal and I am delighted that they are trialling all of this at Barbury.”

Bunter is an avid watcher of the clouds in the build up to the event and hopes that the weather Gods will be shining this weekend to add to the occasion.

“Everything is looking great now, the weather looks a lot better than it did last week and that is helping us enormously,” he added.

“It looks like it will be dry all the way through now so the going will be great for the eventers and it will be nice weather for the spectators.”

Tickets for the Trials start from £12 per day booked in advance. U12s go free. See barburyhorsetrials.co.uk or call 01672 516125.