2014 BETA Business Awards announced
Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials topped the 2014 BETA Business Awards to win the Joules Equestrian Event of the Year at a gala dinner last Sunday (16 February).
The award is designed for the event that works best with exhibitors.
Nominators said that the 24-year-old horse trials, which attracts more than 60,000 visitors and features 20 tradestands, “has a fantastic range of shops, with something for everyone”.
While British Eventing chief executive Mike Etherington-Smith described the accolade as “a feather in the cap for the event”, Blenheim director Mandy Hervieu (pictured above) paid tribute to support from exhibitors, who “help make [the event] a success”.
“It is lovely to hear that they also appreciate what we do behind the scenes to make it as successful for them as possible,” she said.
There were 13 awards in total.
TopSpec Equine landed the Haygain Nutritional Helpline Award — commended particularly for its initiative to send out feed wallcharts and discount vouchers to callers.
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Ariat Europe’s Anna Rankine won the best Equine Careers Sales Representative, while Redpost Equestrian’s Jess Papworth was named Harry Hall Retail Employee of the Year.
BETA executive director Claire Williams said that the atmosphere was “phenomenal” leading up to the award announcements.
“Our congratulations go to everyone who was nominated,” she said. “They should feel justifiably proud of their tremendous achievement, as the standard has been incredibly high.”
2014 award winners:
Haygain Nutritional Helpline
Winner: TopSpec Equine, Thirsk, North Yorkshire
Runner-up: Allen & Page, Thetford, Norfolk
Equine Careers Sales Representative
Anna Rankine, Ariat Europe, Faringdon, Oxfordshire
Harry Hall Retail Employee
Winner: Jess Papworth, Redpost Equestrian, Totnes, Devon
Runner-up: Sophie Sperling, Tower Farm Saddlers, Rugby, Warwickshire
Joules Equestrian Event
Winner: Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials
Runner-up: Equi-Trek Bramham International Horse Trials
Blacks Solicitors Trade Supplier
Winner: Battle, Hayward & Bower, Lincoln
SEIB Retailer
Large winner: Wadswick Country Store; runner-up: Countrywide Farmers
Medium winner: Houghton Equestrian; runner-up: RB Equestrian
Small winner: Alan’s Ark; runner-up: Eskdale Saddlery
Mail order/internet winner: Equestrian Clearance Warehouse; runner-up: Cavaletti Clothing
TSM Rider
Amateur winner: Samantha Osborne
Professional winner: Gemma Tattersall
UKTI Export
Winner: Horslyx
BETA Lifetime Achievement
Winner: Dr Roderick Woods
Martha is an experienced journalist who is mad-keen on horses and dogs. Her reporting CV includes the Paris Olympics, European championships, Aachen World Equestrian Festival and World Cup finals. After growing up with assorted liver and white springer spaniels, she enjoyed 14 years with two rescue dogs. Now, her constant companion is Fidget, an extremely energetic and habitually muddy black and white springer. Martha has written on topics as diverse as a top horse’s clone to the best GPS trackers for dogs, as well as equestrian and rural matters for Country Life, The Field, The Times, The Spectator and The Telegraph alongside Horse & Hound.