Sponsorship

 

There is no doubt about it eventing is an expensive hobby, I am very lucky to have support from my Mum, we both work full time and put all our money into progressing up the eventing ladder. I also take on additional part time work when I can. It is doubtless becoming more and more of a struggle financially both as we do higher level events and the fuel bills rise again.

 

Costs?

 

This is something I hate doing and I try never to add up the full costs of my hobby otherwise I would be in hospital with a very early coronary! However I will just give you a flavour of the costs involved in doing a one day event:

 

• Entries - Range from £55 (BE100) to £150 (Advanced)
• Start Fee – £10-20
• Stabling (nearly always required) - £20 to £35 per horse per night
• Fuel – Average £200 but depends on distance (most things are a long way)

 I took both two horses to Hambledon in May, stabled both for 3 days total cost approx £500

 

Day to day cost include all the normal such as livery, vet, farrier, feed, training and keeping the lorry on the road. Invariably things such as the luxuries like training suffer when perhaps they are the thing that would make the biggest difference.

 

What do I look for in sponsorship?

 

A new lorry and £10,000 a year!

 

Seriously I recognise that it is unlikely (I can still dream though) that anyone is going to sponsor all my eventing costs. What I would like to do is get together a team of sponsors that can either make a contribution towards costs or provide services or products that I use or need.

 

What can I offer?

 

I would like to think that companies would like to be associated with an articulate and humorous individual that recognises and demonstrates the commitment and hard work required to compete successfully amongst the professionals. I also hope that a lot of the equestrian community will relate to my struggles to fit in the eventing and all the associated work and training around a full time job.

 

On a more practical level I am quite happy to offer the following:-

• Advertising space on the saddle cloths and rugs
• Written updates or articles for any sponsors
• Mentions at all BE events by the commentator when competing
• Links, features and prominent positioning of sponsors logos on my website
• Feedback and testing of new or existing products
• Photo opportunities with the horses and / or me
• Anything I can practically do to help my sponsor

I have a good local and national profile being well known in Cornwall where I successfully compete in the full range of equestrian activities. My eventing takes me all over this country and occasionally abroad. I have an active website which is constantly updated and have been featured in both local and national media including Ridgeway Rider, The West Briton, Western Morning News and Horse and Hound.

 

Would you like to become part of my team of sponsors?

 

Please contact me direct for a chat about how we can help each other.

 

sjb@shoestringeventing.co.uk