Top groom to win car at Liverpool, plus the latest sponsorship news
The title sponsor of Liverpool International is providing the use of a car for a year to the show’s top groom.
Theraplate UK will provide a trophy and the use of a Toyota Aygo to the groom of the best turned-out horse, judged on condition and overall wellbeing, which has tried the Theraplate at the show.
“The Golden Groom Award recognises the groom’s role within the equestrian industry,” said business owner Dominic Fox.
“Equestrian sport regardless of the discipline would not be the same without the endless hours of hard work and dedication from our grooms.
“The Golden Groom Award is a great way for TheraPlate UK to support and reward this commitment. The winning groom will receive a trophy and the use of a Toyota Aygo for a year.”
A second new prize — the Peak Performance Award — will be presented to the rider, owner or trainer of the horse from the Golden Groom prize.
They will win a trophy and the use of a Theraplate for six months.
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“We hope that the Peak Performance Award and the Golden Groom Award reflects our understanding and commitment to the equestrian industry,” added Mr Fox.
“Performance and wellbeing go hand in hand and it takes a team to succeed, these awards will certainly make a difference to the winning team.”
The presentations will be made after the grand prix on New Year’s Eve.
Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials
The CCI4* (CCI5* from next year) has chosen the Jon Egging Trust as its official charity of the year for 2019.
The trust was founded in memory of Red Arrows pilot, Flt Lt Jon Egging and helps young people overcome adversity through accredited learning programmes and access to inspirational role models and life-changing opportunities.
“We are very grateful for the time and effort that so many charities put into their applications this year and are thrilled to be supporting the Jon Egging Trust,” said event director Elizabeth Inman.
“Through their pioneering work, the Jon Egging Trust is making a real difference to young people’s lives and we are looking forward to working closely with the trust throughout 2019.”
Jockey Club
Insurance broker JLT Specialty, the specialist arm of Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group, has been revealed as an official partner of the Jockey Club.
This new three-year agreement builds on JLT’s racing sponsorships with the Jockey Club, at the Cheltenham Festival and the Randox Health Grand National at Aintree, and at Ascot, Newbury and York racecourses.
JLT is already the Jockey Club’s specialist insurance broker and as part of this new agreement, it will receive digital, branding and content rights at all 15 of The Jockey Club’s racecourses, as well as access to race tickets and hospitality for key clients and staff across JLT’s UK regional offices.
In other news, the Jockey Club has announced to maintain the contribution it makes to British racing’s prize money from its own resources in 2019 at the expense of other areas of investment.
This is significant as the Jockey Club faces a multi-million pound reduction in revenues from licensed bettin office media rights following the government gambling review earlier this year.
The Jockey Club has budgeted paying £27.1 million in prize money in 2019 across 347 programmed fixtures, mirroring its planned 2018 contribution, which was across 348 scheduled fixtures.
“We’ve had some tough decisions to make and we’ve chosen to prioritise our contribution to prize money because we know how important it is to racing’s participants,” said chief executive Paul Fisher.
“We will maintain this record contribution from our resources for as long as we can, which comes at a cost to other areas of investment, such as improving our facilities.
“We already reinvest every penny we make so a reduction in revenues means less to go back into the sport.”
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Lucy is an experienced news journalist, reporter and presenter. Since joining the Horse & Hound team in 2015, Lucy has reported from major global sporting events including the Tokyo Paralympic Games and multiple European Championships, as well as Badminton, Burghley and London, to name a few. She has covered current affairs and sports news across the full spectrum of equestrian disciplines and racing, as well as human and equine welfare, industry news and court cases.