Turning kilos to sterling to support equine welfare charity, plus more partnership news
Long-standing sponsor continues support
Baileys Horse Feeds marks its 21st consecutive year of supporting British Eventing (BE) by becoming the organisation’s official feed partner through the British Eventing Business Partnership.
The feed company is BE’s longest-standing sponsor and as part of the new partnership it will deliver nutritional advice and guidance via The Howden Way regional academies.
Baileys Horse Feeds marketing manager Jane Buchan said: “As long-term supporters of British Eventing, we’re excited to embark on this new partnership and are looking forward to the opportunities it brings, in particular working with a wider range of members, as we deliver nutritional advice through our new role as official feed partner.”
Maria Haig, head of commercial and marketing at BE, added: “Baileys Horse Feeds brings a mine of accessible information and nutritional expertise and we couldn’t be happier to have them as our official feed partner.
“They have been keen supporters of eventing for many years now and this new partnership will allow them to support and be of benefit to our membership across all levels.”
In other BE sponsorship news, Harry Hall One Club is revealed as title sponsor of the ACE [Anyone Can Enter] series and championships, which will carry the brand’s prefix.
The ACE series, launched in October, is an arena eventing-style competition, culminating in a final at Aintree in June 2023.
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“We are absolutely delighted to be supporting British Eventing’s fantastic new initiative, the ACE series and the championship finals at Aintree in June next year,” said Liz Hopper, chief executive of Harry Hall International Limited.
“We’re horse owners and riders too and we understand that this is a lifestyle, not a hobby. That’s why we created the One Club where our members benefit from our mission to make horse ownership more affordable. We’ve been helping horse owners for over 100 years and we’re delighted to be encouraging today’s riders to go eventing with the Harry Hall One Club ACE Championships. We’re really looking forward to Aintree in June where we’ll be celebrating everyone’s achievements.”
Ms Haig added: “We are looking forward to working alongside the team at Harry Hall who are just as enthusiastic about the new ACE Championships as we are at British Eventing.
“The Harry Hall One Club brand is a perfect fit with ACE and we couldn’t be more delighted to be aligning with them in this way”.
Spillers support Redwings
Feed merchants Spillers donated £5,000 to Redwings Horse Sanctuary in return for horse owners joining Spillers’ “Kilos to £££” weight loss project last year.
The project, which was designed to help overweight horses slim down, involved owners registering the number of kilos their horses or ponies lost. These lost kilos were then converted to sterling, resulting in the five-figure donation to the equine welfare charity.
“We are thrilled to be able to start the new year with such a good news story,” said Sarah Nelson, product manager at Spillers. “Our £5,000 donation is not only supporting our favourite charity’s vital equine welfare work, but the project has also helped to draw attention to the risks posed by equine obesity and has supported and encouraged safe, sustainable weight loss for many overweight horses and ponies in the UK.”
Redwings chief executive Lynn Cutress said: “This is a fantastic way to start 2023. We are very grateful to Spillers for supporting us through this important campaign.
“Redwings is a charity 100% funded by donations, and we could not do the work we do, caring for over 1,500 rescued horses, ponies, donkeys and mules every day and rescuing hundreds more, without donations like this.”
Nicola Jarvis, head of veterinary services at Redwings, added: “Fat has long been regarded as just an innocent way to store excess calories, but we now know fat produces chemicals that negatively affect our horses’ metabolism and health, as it does in humans.
“By helping our horses safely reach an ideal body condition score we decrease their risk of laminitis and the agony and suffering this condition brings. At Redwings we empathise with the challenges of managing weight, especially in our cobs, Welsh ponies and Shetlands, but getting an honest opinion as to whether your horse is overweight is essential. Don’t wait for laminitis to strike before seeking advice.”
British Riding Clubs signs new deal
Ri-Dry Clothing is confirmed as the new sponsor for British Riding Clubs’ (BRC) Ri-Dry Clothing Intermediate Winter Championships.
The championships feature dressage and showjumping for juniors and seniors. Qualifiers are being held in 20 BRC areas with a final in April at Onley Grounds Equestrian Centre in Warwickshire.
“Ri-Dry are delighted to sponsor the BRC Winter Championships 2022/23. Like so many BRC members, we understand what it means to ride in all weathers and the dedication that it takes to prepare and compete at the qualifiers, and hopefully the finals,” said Ri-Dry managing director Daniel Watt.
Title sponsor continues support for Big Star Championship
Italian saddle manufacturer Prestige Italia is continuing its support of British Showjumping’s Big Star Championship, following a successful three-year term as title sponsor.
Formerly known as the National Six-Year-Old Championship, the event was renamed Big Star Championship in recognition of the 2009 winner Big Star, who went on to win team gold at London 2012 and individual gold at Rio 2016 with Nick Skelton.
“We are really proud to support British Showjumping again and be part of this amazing event. We look forward to working with them and doing big things together!” said Prestige Italia’s Caroline Rossi.
BS commercial manager Jess Bowling added: “We are delighted to head into 2023 with the support of Prestige Italia.
“They epitomise the reason we run these young horse classes; to carefully produce and showcase future superstars. Their support to British Showjumping is invaluable, we look forward to once again working alongside them in the years to come.”
Lycetts renews Charlie Deutsch deal
Insurance broker Lycetts has renewed its sponsorship deal with National Hunt jockey Charlie Deutsch, who it has been supporting since 2017.
“I’m delighted not only by Lycetts’ continued support, but by its long-standing dedication to the world of racing, especially during these challenging times,” said Charlie.
“The support that Lycetts gives to me and my fellow jockeys is tremendously important. Being backed by them is a real demonstration of confidence.”
Lycetts regional director William McCarter added: “Support for Charlie, and our other jockeys, is important to help them reach the heights their talent deserves. We are delighted to invest in their careers.
“Lycetts also recognises all the hard work and commitment from the wider industry – beyond race day – which is why we are proud of our leadership and team champions awards. Launched in 2017, these recognise and reward the most outstanding racehorse training yards in Britain.”
Festive support for World Horse Welfare
Haygain revealed last month that two percent of all sales from 6 to 31 December would be donated to World Horse Welfare.
“We greatly admire the work World Horse Welfare does for individual horses at their four facilities in the UK, for horses throughout the world and in promoting responsible horse-human partnerships in all types of equestrian activities,” said Haygain chief executive Edzo Wisman. “World Horse Welfare’s mission is very close to our heart.”
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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.