Grandstand Event Management Managing Director, Helena Pettit says: ‘We have invested very heavily in the British Open Show Jumping Championships over the last 8 years and within this time we have not had one profitable year.   We have therefore had to take a close look at the event and at this time we will use a break to consider options for the show.  Although we have a loyal audience base; for the show to be successful in the long term, we need to attract a larger number of visitors and also to increase our sponsorship.

We already have the perfect venue at the NEC and have trialled several new inclusions over the last few years.  However, we believe we do not have the format quite right and intend to look at the shows content with the possibility of re-launching the show again in the future with a new look, feel and revitalised schedule.  We wouldn’t be removing all the show’s existing content but we would have some new inclusions we feel will add to the audiences experience whilst offering them great value for money.   

We would like to thank our sponsors/partners, all of our officials and stewards, the societies and of course our visitors that have all supported us over the last 8 years.

Requirements: 
• A graduate with at least one year’s experience working in the Marketing/PR industry
• Computer literate – use of MS Word and Excel essential
• The ability to work within a team environment as well as being able to use own initiative
• Excellent communication skills (written and verbal)
• Ability to prioritise workload
• Flexible approach to work
• Good time keeping essential
• The ability to “think outside the box”
• An understanding of the Equine industry, whilst not imperative, would be beneficial to the candidate.

Duties include:
• Generally supporting the Marketing Department with various duties including:
- Organising Competitions & Promotions
- Design & Printing
- Press Accreditation
- Website & Social Media Profile Maintenance
• Distribution of Marketing Literature
• Drafting Press Releases & Editorial Copy
• Handling telephone and email enquiries from the press and public
• Database Management
• Proof reading
• Assisting in the production of the official programme
• General Administration

Tasks at an event:
• To assist in the set up and management of the Event Press Office
• Monitoring the activity of TV and radio crews on site
• Ensuring that accredited press sign in and out
• Answering enquiries from press and other accredited guests
• Distributing results
• Obtaining riders for interviews with members of the press
• Generally generating press coverage for the Event

Hours of Work:
• Monday-Friday inclusive 9.00 am – 5.00 pm
• Working at the events may require a minimum of 8 weekend days
• The applicant must understand the requirement for extra hours (within the basic salary contract) both prior to and during the Events.

Salary 
• Starting salary from £17,500 per annum (dependant on experience).
If you are interested in the position, please apply with your CV clearly detailing all qualifications together with a covering letter detailing why you feel are suitable for the role to press@grandstand.co.uk. Please quote reference “MAV” on all communication.

Deadline: 6th June 2010

Fronted by Karl Ude-Martinez, The Knights of Middle England completed a long qualifying journey to be crowned H Factor presented by Equimax & Eraquell winners and win the illustrious place at HOYS, appearing everyday alongside the renowned Frederic Pignon. After two gruelling qualifying rounds Karl and his team of talented knights spent four days at the British Open Show Jumping Championships this month competing for audience votes against the remaining finalists, Saffron Waldon Musical Ride, gladiator girls Equestrienne and stunt show Rockin’ Horse. All of the H Factor presented by Equimax & Eraquell finalists put a tremendous amount of effort into their displays and provided fantastic entertainment for the British Open audience. More than 5,000 people voted for their favourite act and with over 46% of the votes the Knights were declared winners. Already a crowd favourite, the Knights were delighted with the result and cannot wait to entertain the audience at HOYS in October.

Another hotly contested competition at the British Open was the commentary competition which aimed to find a new voice to join the commentary team at this year’s HOYS. The competition received unprecedented entries from budding commentators and the judging panel, comprising commentary guru and international commentator Mike Tucker, International show jumper Tim Stockdale and HORSE&HOUND’s Deputy Editor Jaki Bell, were challenged to select three finalists from the ninety entries received to compete at the final. The final took place on Wednesday 7th April at the British Open and the three selected finalists, Jo Thoenes, Adam Cromarty and Ian Scott, had the nerve-racking challenge of commentating live on a section of a show jumping, scurry and showing class so the judging panel could judge the finalists live in action. After a lengthy day for the finalists, and much deliberating from the judges, Jo was crowned winner.  Alongside the opportunity to join the commentary team at HOYS, Jo was also awarded a £500 voice training bursary.

The 2010 Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) promises to be another exceptional event not to be missed! It will host the finals of the most highly regarded showing and show jumping championships, alongside an exciting line-up of equestrian entertainment.

Horse of the Year 2010: 6th – 10th October
Box Office: 0844 581 82 82
Show information and online booking: www.hoys.co.uk

Entering the arena with a few last words of advice from father John, Robert looked set for the challenge. USA Today cleared the first few fences with plenty of space but his boisterous behaviour in between fences caused Robert to loose time. The atmosphere and tension in Birmingham’s LG Arena was electric with the last jump becoming the decider. At the final fence USA Today produced a characteristic buck just before take off and the combination rolled a pole at the final fence, finishing on four faults in a time of 51.65 seconds. With equal points but a faster time the Championship was Ellen’s. The crowd really appreciated this dramatic ending to four days of intense competition and Ellen and Equimax Ocolado’s fantastic consistency and skill earned them the prestigious title which has evaded them thus far. Ellen commented, “I am so happy! Equimax Ocolado jumped out of his skin and has been so careful every step of the way. This is one title I have been chasing for a while and one I really wanted to win so I am ecstatic with the result and the £25,000 first prize!”

An absolutely inspired piece of riding by Ellen Whitaker saw her take the honours in the Zinc Event Management British Speed Stakes this evening. In front of a packed house, Ellen and her most loyal of companions, 18yr old Kanselier tore the competition apart and finished on an unbelievable time of 49.93 seconds. Kanselier has won numerous speed titles in his career and can always be relied upon to jump cleanly and give it his all. At HOYS last year, the pair won the Vinopolis Speed Horse of the Year in the same flawless style.  Tonight’s class resulted in an all-girl top three with Tina Fletcher in 2^nd and last year’s winner, Laura Renwick, taking the third spot with her 8yr old up and coming star, Vernon G.

In the first show jumping class of the day, the best British junior riders took to the arena for the John Whitaker International JA Championship. The uncatchable Jessica Mendoza won the class on Tixylix in a time of 30.09 seconds. Timothy Wilks riding the striking skewbald The Colour of Money finished second in 33.66 seconds. Third place went to super speedy Amy Inglis and Nils D’ Hurl Vent who finished in a time of 30 seconds but was unlucky to have a fence down so finished in third place.   

The extremely poplar innovative H Factor competition saw the four finalists, Saffron Walden Musical Ride, Rockin’ Horse, the Knights of Middle England and Equestrienne battling it out all week to win the public’s votes for the opportunity to be part of Horse of the Year Show in October. All of the acts were praised for their hard work and preparation for the competition but there could only be one winner. The Knights of Middle England clinched first prize with the largest number of text votes. The crowd favourite provided great entertainment for the British Open audience and were praised by the judges for their polished and engaging performance.

The Working Hunter Grand Prix class returned to the show and proved to be popular with a selection of the top working hunter horses battling it out for the title.  The crème de la crème came to the British Open to claim the title and the judges were faced with a very tough task to pick the winner as all the competitors were finalists at HOYS. The leaders after the conformation judging were Louise Bell and Cracker but unfortunately she had four fences down in the jumping section so slipped out of contention. This left Emma Nettleton and Winterstorm to take first place. Keep Talking ridden by Joli Smith took reserve for the second year in a row.

For more information and full results click here.

The newly sponsored, Equiport Classic resulted in a win for Belgium’s Dirk Demeersman and the chestnut gelding Tymoon Caloo Meerchen. The pair’s perfect round finished in a time of 55.39 seconds. There was an unusual tie for second place as wildcard Tina Fletcher riding Promised Land and John Whitaker on Argento both finished clear in an equal time of 59.10 seconds. Ellen Whitaker and CS Online narrowly missed second place in time of 59.42 seconds to settle for third place.

The British Open Indoor Cross Country kicked off the evening entertainment. Twenty four international event riders took part and were cheered on by the packed arena. With an impressive record in this competition Mark Kyle and his twenty year old grey gelding Drunken Disorderly repeated last year’s success by winning the class with a super speedy clear round in a time of 54.72 seconds. Being last to go meant that Mark knew exactly what he had to do to beat, Lauren Shannon, who trains with Mark, and her bay mare Quixotic who’d raced round the course in 55.61 seconds. Oliver Townend, who finished second in last year’s class, took third place with a clear round in 56.95 seconds. 

Sam Hutton has made a real impression in the national classes at the British Open this year, two wins in two days! First he took the BEF World Class Development Programme Pathfinder yesterday and then today he sealed the deal in the PCA Rising Stars Championship jumping a perfect double clear, both with 8 year old gelding Astral 57.  Nineteen combinations lined up for this Championship with a healthy nine clears going through to the jump-off, including crowd favourite Robert Whitaker. Sam rode a perfectly executed round to clinch the title on a time of 38.74seconds, rounding off a magical two days for him at the British Open. What a star for the future.

The BEF World Class Development Programme Championship is a hotly fought contest with Britain’s best young riders battling it out for qualification throughout the year for their hard earned place in the Championship and to set them on the path to future success. Many illustrious winners have graced the winners lap, including William and Ellen Whitaker.  It was Emily Davies’ night tonight and she stormed to victory ahead of Ireland’s Antony Condon who was in superb form but had to settle for second with the experienced Eurocommerce Lanapoule. It was real spectacle and a treat to see such talented young riders coming through the ranks.

In the new British Showjumping, British Riding Club & Pony Club Team Competition sponsored by Horseprint’s Pop Up Spooky Fillers, Team Royal Leisure reined supreme. The team comprised 128cm rider Jodie Hall-McAteer on Hollyoaks, 138cm rider Millie Howell riding Montana Dawn and 148cm rider Emily Bell with Cuckolds Tiptoes. All teams included a rider for each height section and were assisted by an international show jumper who acted as a Chef d’Equipe, walking the course with the teams and giving vital coaching tips and guidance. One of the leading British lady riders, Tina Fletcher, guided Team Royal Leisure to victory. Jodie, Millie and Emily jumped superbly, only accumulating 4 faults in a total time of 29.40 seconds. Narrowly beaten into second place was Robert Whitaker’s allocated team, Team Rowallan, consisting of Sandy McLean, Kerstin Deakin and Isla Mowat who also finished with 4 faults in a fractionally slower time of 30.26 seconds. Third place went to the team coached by Ellen Whitaker, Team Stainsby Grange, which included Katie Waldock-Smith, Katie Pownall and Romilly Simmons who also finished on only four faults in a time of 33.64 seconds.

For more information and full results click here.

With over £159,000 of prize money on offer in the international classes at this year’s Show, International show jumpers, including the leading British riders and a host of foreign riders, have entered to compete over the four days of competition for the richest single indoor class in British show jumping and the esteemed title of British Open Champion 2010. (Please note: this list is subject to change with details correct at time of issue).

British International Riders:
Ben Maher
Michael Whitaker                                                      
Guy Williams
Robert Whitaker
Laura Renwick                                                                                        
John Whitaker                                                        
Ellen Whitaker
Tim Stockdale
Robert Smith
Scott Brash
Paul Barker (Addington Wild Card)
Tina Fletcher (Addington Wild Card)
Jemma Kirk (BS Wild Card)

Foreign Riders:
Geir Gulliksen (Nor)
Daniel Deusser (Ger)
Dermott Lennon (Irl)
Leon  Thijssen (Ned)
Billy Twomey (Irl)
Shane Breen (Irl)
Samantha McIntosh (NZ)
Dirk Demeersman (Bel)
Noora Forsten-Pentti (Fin)
Wilm Vermeir (Bel)
Mikael Forsten (Fin)
Eric Van Der Vleuten (Ned)
Alex Duffy (Irl)

There is more to keep you entertained alongside the show jumping, including on Saturday evening the world’s top eventers will compete at Britain’s most prestigious indoor cross country event. Famous faces such as Oliver Townend and Pippa Funnell will be taking part in this hugely popular competition. 

No need for Simon Cowell and Cheryl Cole for the inaugural H Factor competition as the amazing “H”orse acts won’t be singing but they will be entertaining! Four acts will battle it out in the British Open’s H Factor competition to follow in the footsteps of famous equestrian displays such as the Household Calvary, Jean François Pignon and The Metropolitan Police. The four H Factor finalists will be performing their unique routines every day of the British Open vying for your votes to win the H Factor 2010!

1. Here come the girls! An all action stunt show featuring solely female riders, Equestrienne.

2. Strictly come Dressage! Saffron Walden Quadrille Team performing dressage to music.

3. Knights in shining armour! Medieval jousting and stunt riding with a twist from the Knights of Middle England.

4. Rock & Roll with Rockin’ Horse! The eccentric, fast paced stunt show that will keep you rockin’.

And don’t forget:

Dressage
Olympian and Chef d’ Equipe to the British Team, Richard Davison will be hosting a dressage lecture demo on Friday 9th April. Richard will be demonstrating and teaching in the International Arena showcasing this fascinating sport exclusively for the British Open audience.

Dakota
The boy band with a difference! On Saturday Evening, show jumper Ben Talbot will provide the vocals alongside dressage guru Richard Davison’s son Tom on bass, Aaron Whelan on guitar and Rob Armitage on the drums. With such strong equestrian links, the boys are really looking forward to entertaining the British Open crowd!

Parelli Zone
The Parelli Zone is back by popular demand! ‘The Parelli method allows horse lovers at all levels and disciplines to achieve: success without force, partnership without dominance, teamwork without fear, willingness without intimidation, and harmony without coercion.’ See it demonstrated every day at the British Open!

Osborne Refrigerators Scurry Racing
Hold on to your seats and prepare for some fast and furious scurry racing! The louder the crowds cheer the faster the ponies will go in the Osborne Refrigerators Scurry Challenge! In a nail-biting competition, spectators will be treated to a thrilling action-packed race as the double harness scurry carts whiz around the tight arena obstacles.

Shopping
A record number of stands are expected to form part of the British Open Shopping Pavilion. Selling everything from tack to tweeds under one roof, it’s the perfect place to treat you and your horse!

For show information and full timetable details, please click here.

With the show’s close links to the Household Cavalry, donating tickets is one of the great ways for the British Open organisers, Grandstand Event Management Ltd, to support the men and women who fight for our country, through the charity Help for Heroes and also the Military Ward at Selly Oak Hospital. Both organisations will benefit from the tickets by using them in their fundraising activity and also offering them to servicemen and women and their families for a day out over Easter.

Helena Pettit, Managing Director of Grandstand Event Management, commented: “I am delighted that the British Open can provide support to these very worthy causes. Both Help for Heroes and Selly Oak Hospital offer essential support to our troops and this is a great way showing appreciation for what the Armed Forces do for our country.” 

As well as providing tickets to both Help for Heroes and the Military Ward at Selly Oak Hospital, the British Open will also offer a special discount to all servicemen and women. They can receive £5 off adults & £2.50 off concession tickets when booking for opening day, Wednesday 7th April, only. Customers must quote their Military ID number & the offer code – BOHFH10.

The British Open promises to be an Easter treat for all the family where world-class riders from Britain and abroad will be invited to compete for the Championship title and the £25,000 top prize. Leading British rider and three times Champion, Robert Whitaker will return to defend his title as the 2009 British Open Show Jumping Champion and compete in the top speed and jump-off international classes on offer at this FEI 4* event. The crowd favourite Puissance competition, featuring the legendary red wall, will also take place during Friday’s performance.

The unique format of the British Open Championship involves four competitions held over consecutive days with each competition designed to test the riders’ skill and ability in different ways. Round one commences on Wednesday with two further rounds on Thursday and  Friday, after which a ‘cut’ will decide the top twenty riders who will go forward to contest Saturday’s Final.

In addition, the jam-packed British Open also features a range of national show jumping and showing classes.

New classes for 2010:
Ponies UK Super League
John Whitaker International JA Championship
British Showjumping, British Riding Club & Pony Club Team Competition sponsored by Horseprint’s Pop Up Spooky Fillers
BS Winter Grade C

Entertainment includes:
The H Factor
British Open Indoor Cross Country
Dressage Lecture Demonstration with expert Richard Davison and Family
Dakota
Parelli Zone
Osborne Refrigerators Scurry Racing
Plus The Shopping Pavilion featuring over 100 trade stands, catering for you and your horse’s every need!

The British Open Show Jumping Championships takes place at the NEC, Birmingham from Wednesday 7th – Saturday 10th April 2010. For tickets, call the Box Office on 0844 581 1301 or click here.

Helena Pettit, Managing Director of Grandstand Group, commented ‘We are thrilled to launch our new online booking system and really feel we are offering the user a fast and efficient way of securing their reservations with us. The system has been carefully designed and will be of real value to people limited to making bookings in the evenings and weekends as with this process we are now able to operate a 24 hour booking system!’

To book Hotel Accommodation, Season Tickets, Packages or Hospitality for the British Open please click here. If you would prefer to make your booking over the phone, please call 01582 711 411 and our reservations team will be happy to help.

The British Open Show Jumping Championships takes place at the NEC, Birmingham from Wednesday 7th – Saturday 10th April 2010. For further information visit the official website at www.britishopenshowjumping.com.

Grandstand Group is now taking entries for those who feel destined for the commentary box! For your chance to introduce world-class riders and famous displays at Horse of the Year Show and the British Open Show Jumping Championships, visit either shows’ websites (www.hoys.co.uk or www.britishopenshowjumping.com ) for details on how to enter and the competition terms and conditions. The finals will be held at the British Open 2010 in April and will be judged by three special guest judges. The winner will join the HOYS 2010 commentary team to be part of the world’s most famous horse show in October. Entries close on 3rd February 2010. 

The British Open Show Jumping Championships takes place at the NEC, Birmingham from Wednesday 7th – Saturday 10th April 2010. For tickets, call the Box Office on 0844 581 1301 or visit the official website by clicking here.

Show jumper Ben Talbot will provide the vocals alongside dressage guru Richard Davison’s son Tom on bass, Aaron Whelan on guitar and Rob Armitage on the drums. The British Open audience is in for a real treat during Saturday’s performance which includes the prestigious Championship final, the H Factor final, the Working Hunter Grand Prix, more show jumping in the shape of the BSJ JA Championship and the British Speed Stakes, the exciting Osborne Refrigerators Scurry Racing Final and, of course, live music from Dakota – an amazing line-up for any equestrian enthusiast or family looking for a great day out!

Lead vocalist, Ben Talbot commented, “We are really looking forward to playing at the British Open and performing songs from our debut album “Heart and Soul”. It’s out in March and getting a great reaction from the media. As a rock band we love performing live and hope the British Open audience will enjoy our set as much we will!”

The British Open Show Jumping Championships takes place at the NEC, Birmingham from Wednesday 7th – Saturday 10th April 2010. For further information click here.