Organisers of the resurrected 2021 European Eventing Championships (23-26 September) are calling on the equestrian community to help support the event via crowdfunding.
Host Avenches in Switzerland has launched an appeal in the hope of raising funds for the championships, stating that lack of time has made finding sponsors for this year’s event difficult.
Following the postponement of last year’s Tokyo Games, the FEI cancelled the Europeans in all three Olympic and Paralympic disciplines. Although the showjumping and dressage championships were reinstated in October 2020, the eventing remained off causing debate on social media.
“When the FEI said there would not be a Europeans we said ‘that can’t happen – there must be a championships for the riders’, so we fought for it and in the end we got it. But it’s not easy to get the money,” Avenches sport director Danièle Vogg told H&H.
“Normally you have two years to organise a European Championships. We got the news in March that the championships could happen so we have had only five months and this means we haven’t been able to get the sponsorship from big companies.
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“Lots of people from different nations said they would help and support us but we hadn’t had any money until we launched the crowdfunding in May.”
The crowdfunding target has been set at €50,000 (£42,700) and has raised €9,000 (£7,686) so far. Ms Vogg confirmed the championship will still go ahead even if the target is not met.
“We have a private individual that said they will help if we still need more money, but we don’t want to do that,” she said.
“We are happy to be able to give our community something to look forward to during these difficult days”
“We would like to raise more. Any money we get will go towards helping us hold a better championship with better prizes.”
Ms Vogg has urged riders and the equestrian community to help share the crowdfunder.
“We are all volunteers, there’s not a company behind it. We’re here for the sport and every little donation is something,” she said.
Will you be donating to the crowdfunding campaign? Or would you like to send a message of support to the event organisers? Email hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance to have your letter published in Horse & Hound magazine and you could win a bottle of Champagne Taittinger.
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Since joining H&H in 2018, Becky has covered a broad range of equestrian news including welfare matters, veterinary studies, FEI Tribunal hearings and road safety campaigns. She has also interviewed top riders including Scott Brash, John Whitaker and Ian Stark, to name just a few. Becky’s reporting has taken her to Canada for Spruce Meadows and France for Pau five-star, as well as the Royal Highland and Blair Castle International Horse Trials closer to home. She was also a key part of the remote reporting team for the Tokyo Olympics and the Europeans.
