Sponsorship news in the UK and Irish horse industries

Childéric Saddles UK will be supporting the European CIC** Championships for the second year running.The event, formally known as Rural Riders, will be held in Laintal, Austria from 17-21 July and the British team is made up of British Riding Club members.
EquestrianClearance.com will continue its sponsorship of the British Showjumping senior newcomers championship series in 2013.The Championship Final will be held at Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) 9-13 October.This will be the third year of involvement for EquestrianClearance.com.The winner of each EquestrianClearance.com Senior Newcomers Second Round will be awarded a newly designed British Showjumping saddlecloth.

Aloeride has renewed its sponsorship contract with show rider and producer Loraine Homer.And Aloeride’s paradressage rider Bert Sheffield has announced she will ride for the Canadian team.With dual nationality, the rider will continue to live and compete in the UK, but also now compete even more extensively internationally, helping to further increase brand awareness overseas.
Irish horse feed manufacturer, Connolly’s Red Mills, has signed a nutritional partnership deal with the world’s top female showjumper, Edwina Tops-Alexander.Under the deal all Edwina’s horses — including the multi Grand Prix winning gelding Cevo Itot du Chateau — will be fed exclusively on Connolly’s Red Mills horse feeds and will follow strict diet plans to suit their individual needs formulated by nutritionists at the company’s headquarters in Goresbridge, Co Kilkenny.
Verdo Horse Bedding, the UK manufactured wood pellet-bedding company, is now sponsoring MBE and double gold medallist Paralympic dressage rider Natasha Baker.The sponsorship deal will not only cover all of Natasha’s horses but also her entire London livery yard.Natasha said: “Verdo Horse Bedding has excelled our expectations in terms of performance. It’s virtually dust free and the absorbent qualities are fantastic, meaning we are using far less bedding than before.“And because it also comes in pellet form, it doesn’t take up masses of space or weight in the lorry, which makes it ideal for using in the lorry or for stabling over night.”
Verdo is also to become a key sponsor for the Pony Of The Year Show at Bury Farm Equestrian Village, Bucks (29 March–1 April)The showjumping event, in its second year, attracts young competitors from all over the UK and Verdo Horse Bedding will be sponsoring nine grand prix classes.Alistair McGlynn of Verdo Horse Bedding said: “We see this as the perfect opportunity to further our commitment to junior show jumping level, supporting grass roots riders, as they progress up through the ranks.”
The HAYGAIN.Based at Wymondham in Norfolk, 20-year-old Jack is in his third point-to-point season.HAYGAIN hay steamers are scientifically proven to eliminate respirable dust in hay and haylage by killing mould spores and bacteria to produce hygienically clean, palatable forage.
TopSpec will continue as sponsor of the Show Hunter of the Year Championship  at HOYS. Helena Pettit of HOYS organiser Grandstand Media Ltd said: “It’s fantastic to have TopSpec on board for another year. This year’s show is going to be a very special one and, in leading the way in the development of horse feed balancers, TopSpec is the ideal partner for one of our longest-standing classes.”
Shearwater Insurance will award an additional £100 and trophy to the highest placed Event Horse Owners Association (EHOA) member in each of the four sections of the Mitsubishi Motors Grassroots Championship at Badminton 2013.Jeremy Lawton of Shearwater Insurance said: “We are committed to supporting the sport of eventing and have been involved with the EHOA for many years.“I am very pleased that we can reward members with additional prizes in what is a very prestigious competition.”
Devon-based home producers, the Moore-Williams show team are now sponsored by Supreme Products.Sisters Zoe (17) and Lauren (14), and their mum Beverley have seven horses and ponies to show for the 2013 season and are delighted to be joining the Supreme Products team.
Somerset-based Probiotics International Ltd, makers of the Protexin Equine Premium range, is supporting the South Buckinghamshire Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) group.A donation of more than £500 worth of products was presented to Clive Milkins and Di Redfern of the group.Paralympic stars Sophie Christiansen, who is the Bucks RDA group president, and Natasha Baker, who started riding with the group, also attended.South Bucks RDA offers riding lessons for therapy, enjoyment and achievement to riders with a wide range of physical disabilities and learning difficulties.The centre currently has 18 horses and ponies that are used for RDA group lessons.Sophie’s ride in the 2008 Olympics, Lambrusco III a 20-year-old 16.3hh Dutch warmblood is based at the centre.He has recently started to experience digestive problems so the Protexin donation has come at the right time. Lambrusco has taken eight para-riders to international level.
Saddle brand Amerigo is to sponsor eventing and dressage rider Ruth Edge.The Amerigo collection offers event, dressage, showjumping and showing saddles.Ruth said: “It was by chance that my relationship with Amerigo came about, a horse I had in for training arrived with an Amerigo saddle.“I now ride in them all the time and cannot believe the difference the saddles have made to my horses movement. The scores are reflecting the improvement and I am truly delighted.”

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A self-confessed newshound, farmer’s daughter and journalist of many years' experience, Charlotte worked on regional papers before joining H&H in 2007. A regular rider, she visited Ireland in 2010 to investigate the fate of Irish horses through the recession, to much acclaim, and reported from the FEI General Assembly in Rio de Janeiro in 2011. She left Horse & Hound in March 2013.