Petplan Equine and British Dressage Build a New Era of Festival

Petplan Equine and British Dressage Build a New Era of Festival

Petplan Equine, one of the UK’s specialist horse insurance providers has sponsored the Area Festivals for 17 years and is looking to the future with an even bigger competition for 2017/18.

The new Petplan Equine Area Festivals, which will involve more horse and rider combinations than ever before, has had a whole new tier of Festivals added.Twenty-seven Petplan Equine Area Festivals and eight Petplan Equine Festival Finals will culminating in the Petplan Equine Area Festival Championships which are part of the Winter Dressage Championships at Hartpury College, in Gloucestershire in April 2018.  In addition there will be a dedicated competition for under-18 riders.

‘Festival Fever’ will begin in May 2017 with Petplan Equine Area Festivals taking place from Aberdeenshire to the Channel Islands.  The celebration of dressage at all levels from Preliminary to Intermediate II is already the most participated in series, hosted by British Dressage. The new format will undoubtedly increase participation so that even more grassroots riders have the chance to qualify to go to an Area Festival with all the atmosphere of a top dressage event.  It will be a thoroughly memorable experience for horse and rider.  The under 18 section has been introduced as a result of feedback from  British Dressage members asking for an age limited competition for young riders.

“Working with British Dressage to develop the new look Petplan Equine Area Festivals for 2017/18 has been very exciting,” commented Kate Hopkins, Marketing Executive at Petplan Equine. “The Area Festivals have been a huge success and we want as many riders as possible to experience the thrill of competing in championship-style conditions, so are encouraging all grassroots riders to aim for the stars! We are looking forward to continuing our long standing partnership with British Dressage and being part of Festival Fever in 2017.”

This sponsorship with Petplan Equine, which is now continuing into its eighteenth year is highly valued in the equestrian community and currently about a third of all British Dressage members take part.  The levels of participation are expected to increase in 2017 as more events take place around the country.

“Next season will herald a new chapter for this dressage favourite and to have Petplan Equine involved for this momentous year, with commitment for a further two, makes it all the more exciting.   The new format is the result of a great deal of planning and member consultation to arrive at a series within reach for so many riders,” commented British Dressage CEO Jason Brautigam.

He continued; “We hope our current members will benefit from increased opportunities to taste the big time whilst inspiring riders looking to join to come on board with the aim of qualifying.  We’d like to thank the team at Petplan Equine for their vision and loyalty and look forward to plenty of festival action in 2017.”

To find out more information about plans for the 2017/18 series please visit our website: www.petplanequine.co.uk/area-festivals

Suzanne Ashton

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.