All Star Academy, have you got All Star appeal? Horse & Country TV, in partnership with Blue Chip Feed, is launching a nationwide search for an elite group of equestrian all-stars to join our blogging team and become faces of the channel.
The Blue Chip All Star Academy
There are millions of horse riders in Britain, and from these we are seeking out a handful of riders who want to share all the details of their equestrian life with Horse & Country’s viewers.
Our video-blogging – or vlogging for short – team will produce regular updates about themselves, their horses, their training and competing, and all the highs and lows of horse ownership.
After the initial application process, a select group of eight riders will be invited to take part in a three-day training camp, which will be filmed to be shown on Horse & Country TV.
The training camp
The camp – which will be held at Talland School of Equitation on 28-30 April 2016 – will be an experience most riders dream of. You’ll have the opportunity to train with some of the best riders and trainers in the country; you’ll immerse yourself in horsecare learning and discussions, and you’ll meet some of the most influential and biggest names in the horse world.
Over the course of the three days you’ll take part in a number of modules designed to test not just your horsey knowledge but also your media and creativity skills. Are your tweets up to scratch? Are your Instagram shots perfectly cropped? When the camera’s on you, do you freeze or do you flourish?
And all of our contestants will be kitted out with over a thousand pounds worth of amazing kit from some of the best brands in equestrianism. All this and you get to spend a blissful, uninterrupted three days focusing on you and your horse – what more could you ask for!
The prize
From the eight riders we select to attend the training camp, four winners will be chosen by our panel of experts (including Blue Chip founder Clare Blaskey and H&C’s Jenny Rudall) to be H&C’s All Star vloggers, the best exposure any budding horsey star could wish for.
And, from these four, the judges will select an overall 2016 Champion, who will also receive a year’s supply of Blue Chip products and the chance to co-host a forthcoming episode of Rudall’s Round-Up with Jenny.
Who we want
We’re not looking for four-star event riders or Grand Prix dressage gurus. What we want is real riders, who love nothing better than riding, training, competing and sharing all the details of their equestrian life, and who want further exposure in the horse world and the chance to show off their talent.
You should be at least 18 years old and have your own horse (though loan horses and share horses are welcome too, if you have the owners’ permission). Horses or ponies should be over four years old and fit and able to take part in a busy three-day training camp.
You should be competing at lower affiliated level at least (or an unaffiliated equivalent) and can be doing any discipline – though ideally you should be comfortable doing flatwork and some jumping. Lessons and training sessions will be grouped according to ability.
And this isn’t a contest to find the best rider. We want people who have some ability in the saddle but more importantly, a desire to improve, to share their learning and advice, and to make a name for themselves. We want our viewers to root for you and to fall in love with your horses. We want people who have a good knowledge of stable management but also a real keenness to learn. And we want people who are fun and entertaining, who our viewers can relate to.
How to apply
Applications are open now, and it’s super simple to apply – go to the website and fill in a form to tell us a few details, then upload a short one/two minute audition tape introducing yourself and your horse, and telling us why you would like to take part in the Blue Chip All Star Academy. To give you an example of the kind of thing we’re looking for you can see our very first audition from Jemma Peakman on the site.
You have until Wednesday 20th April to apply, and successful applicants will be notified by Friday 22nd April.
Riders must be available for the training camp on 28-30 April 2016 and be able to transport themselves and their horse to Talland.
Suzanne Ashton, Founder of Everything Horse (Est, 2012), has a BA Hons in Marketing Management and a Diploma in Equine Science. Suzanne has ridden and owned horses all her life and has twelve years of experience in marketing, writing, design, SEO, and website creation.