Tweed will be the order of the day at next year’s Badminton Dressage Championships, thanks to a new sponsor for the young dressage horse of the future class.
Gloucestershire-based clothing company Moloh have signed up to sponsor the event for the next three years.
As well as a cash prize of £3,500 — up £300 from last year — the winner will take home a special one-of-a-kind patchwork tweed horse rug.
And tweed rosettes will also be presented.
“It’s very exciting, we want to create something that’s fun, different and stylish — definitely not your average horse rug,” said Caroline Smiley from Moloh.
“We’ve never made rugs before so we’ll have a play around — but you never know, this could be our next big business idea.”
Ian Adsetts, organiser of the championships, said: “We’re delighted a local business is sponsoring the event and the prize fund is now one of the biggest in the world.”
The class is open to four- and five-year-olds and the finals take place in July on the Badminton estate.
This article was first published in the current issue of Horse & Hound, 25 November ’10