- Blue Chip is continuing its longstanding sponsorship of the British Showjumping Pony Newcomers Championship.The 2013 Championship Series marks Blue Chip’s 15th year of support for British Showjumping, making it one of the sport’s longest standing sponsors.
The 2013 Championship Final will be held during Horse of the Year Show at Birmingham’s NEC (9-13 October).
Clare Blaskey, founder of Blue Chip, said: “I can’t believe we have been sponsoring this great championship for 15 years.
“There is no doubt that the standard has greatly improved. We now have some amazingly talented pony riders, who will go on to represent Great Britain in the future and who’s first taste of the big time may well be competing in The Blue Chip Pony Newcomers.”
The Blue Chip Pony Newcomers Championship Series is for registered ponies in Grades JD and JC, which have not won a total of £300 and are ridden by pony or pony associate members.
- Horse transport manufacturers Equi-Trek will continue their title sponsorship support of Bramham International Horse Trials.The 2013 event, its 40th anniversary, runs from 6–9 June and features three world-class eventing competitions; the Equi-Trek CCI***, the BETA CIC*** and the Bishop Burton College u25 CCI*** as well as top-flight showjumping and showing.
The event’s total prize fund will rise by nearly 20% to around £53,000, with the BETA CIC top prize increasing to £1,500.
In addition to a cash prize of £5000, the CCI*** winner will also take home the keys to a Equi-Trek Sonic two-horse box for a year.
Tom Janion, managing director of Equi-Trek, said: “Many top professional riders and champions own Equi-Trek horseboxes and trailers, some of whom will be competing at Bramham. It’s these riders, who appreciate good design, quality and reliability, who are the ambassadors for our product.”
- Speedi-Beet, from British Horse Feeds, has extended its sponsorship at the Equi-Trek Bramham International Horse Trials for 2013.The quick-soaking beet pulp feed will sponsor the 40th anniversary fence on the cross-country course, and sister-product Fibre-Beet will sponsor the horse inspection area.
British Horse Feeds will also be offering nutritional advice throughout Bramham at the Speedi-Beet stand.
The Speedi-Beet HOYS Grade C qualifier also takes place at Bramham.
- British Eventing (BE) has announced that long-standing BE sponsors, KBIS British Equestrian, will sponsor the BE Young Horse Series and Championships 2013.The Newbury insurance company has added BE’s prestigious Young Horse series and Championships to its impressive portfolio, supporting both equine and human stars of the future.
KBIS already supports budding young event riders through sponsorship of the Open Novice U-18 Championships series and the KBIS Festival of Youth at Weston Park.
The Young Horse series offers qualifying classes at BE90 and BE100 levels, for four- and five-year-old horses respectively, a season finale at the Young Horse Championships held at Osberton International which also hosts international Championships for six- and seven-year-olds.
Osberton organiser, Stuart Buntine, said: “We are extremely happy to have sponsors of this caliber supporting the Championships. The event has increased in popularity hugely in recent years and this sponsorship will hopefully help us to continue to ride this wave of success.”
- The Shire Horse Society has unveiled a major new sponsor for its 2013 Spring Show.The drinks company Fentimans, famous for its botanical brews including dandelion and burdock, Victorian lemonade and ginger beer, has teamed up with the Shire Horse Society to support the show at the East of England Showground, Peterborough from 15-17 March.
David Ralley-Davies, secretary of the Shire Horse Society, said: “We are delighted to have Fentimans on board for our 2013 show and we hope this will be the start of a long relationship.
“The brewery has a proud history and heritage that involved working Shire horses which pulled the carts delivering drinks door-to-door, and its support is a huge boost for the show.”
The Spring Show will see more than 200 Shire horses compete in what is regarded as the national championships.
The prestigious King George V Cup will be awarded to the most impressive stallion and a host of other trophies will be handed out over the weekend.
- Victoria Bax of VB Eventing is the latest rider to join the Nedz stable of sponsored riders.Victoria retrains and competes former racehorses to compete in eventing, showjumping and dressage, from her base in Essex, while juggling a full-time job.
Her biggest achievement is establishing her top horse, Crystal Ka, at BE intermediate level and in 2012 the combination completed their first CIC**.
“My horses are loving Nedz bedding,” sad Victoria. “Their beds look really cosy and the horses are happy to have a good roll, which they haven’t done with previous products.”
- Ellen Whitaker has a new sponsor — equestrian clothing company Animo Italia.Animo Italia clothing is hand-made in Italy from machine washable, non-iron technical fabrics that, the company says, are ideal for the modern day competitor.
Ellen said: “When I am competing I need to be sure my body has absolute freedom of movement and that I am comfortable, and nothing will inhibit my riding performance and Animo allows that.’’
- Sports betting and gaming company, BetVictor, has signed a six-figure partnership deal with Kempton Park racecourse.The company will add the 33 all-weather track meetings staged at the venue to its increasing horseracing sponsorship portfolio, which already features events at several of The Jockey Club’s racecourses.
Karl Riley of BetVictor said: “The value of all-weather racing for the whole industry has been highlighted in recent days and Kempton Park and the other tracks have been quite magnificent in keeping the show on the road in the recent cold snap.
“Cheltenham hosted our flagship event the Victor Chandler Chase this weekend, following the abandonment at Ascot, but this sponsorship shows we are equally committed to helping grassroots racing that keeps the industry ticking over day in and day out and provides so much great sport.”
- Wiltshire-based New Zealand eventer Lizzie Brown has become an ambassador for The Pure Feed Company.Lizzie will promote the Pure Feed Company at a series of clinics and training days throughout 2013.
She said: “The Pure Feed Company has caused a great deal of excitement amongst the professional riders and from a personal experience I can honestly say the results that I’ve witnessed since my horses have been on it have been very impressive.
“I am genuinely excited about working with The Pure Feed Company and am sure it will prove a long & successful partnership for all concerned.”
Lou Talintyre from The Pure Feed Company added: “Lizzie’s appreciation of the benefits of proper diet & nutrition is really impressive and we are convinced that she’s going to be a great addition to the Pure Feed team.”
Sponsorship news in the UK horse industry
