New sponsor for Eventing Grand Prix
Mitsubishi Motors are the new sponsors of Hickstead’s Eventing Grand Prix challenge at the Royal International Horse Show this month.
The winner of this year’s Eventing Grand Prix at the Golden Jubilee Royal International Horse Show (24 -28 July) will drive home an all-terrain car worth £13,500.
The competition, which takes place on Friday 26 July and is worth a Mitsubishi Shogun Pinin to the winner, is unique to Hickstead and will bear the sponsor’s prefix – the Mitsubishi Eventing Grand Prix.
This unique challenge is run over a course combining showjumping and cross -country fences and since its inception five years ago has developed into a match between showjumping and eventing riders.
This year local rider Pippa Funnell – twice European eventing champion and this year’s Badminton Horse Trials winner – goes for her fourth win. She will be pressed hard by Michael Whitaker, who has twice been narrowly beaten into second place.
Mike Evans, Mitsubishi’s dealer principal in Brighton, said: “We know how exciting this competition is and how popular the all-terrain Shogun Pinin is to people who follow equestrian sports and also want a vehicle to tow their trailers. It will certainly give the riders something to aim for.”
The Mitsubishi prize could bring Pippa Funnell’s winnings since the competition began five years ago to more than £60,000 – three cars and a cash prize .
Never miss out on the latest happenings in the equestrian world
Find out how you could WIN free tickets to this exciting event, plus a coursewalk with a leading rider, on this site tomorrow (Friday 5 July)
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