Horse & Country TV (on Sky 253 and on smartphone, tablet and laptop via horseandcountry.tv /everywhere) will be providing viewers with a dressage-packed TV schedule this Autumn thanks to a new agreement with the sport’s governing body, British Dressage.
This year the passionate audience for dressage will be able to watch the very highest level of domestic competition on television. The LeMieux National Dressage Championships take place at Stoneleigh Park in Warwickshire between September 18 and 21 and specialist equestrian broadcaster Horse & Country TV will be on hand to produce two one hour specials featuring the very best of the action.
The first programme, which premieres at 9pm on October 9, will focus on the top classes, with highlights from the LeMieux Grand Prix and the Horse Health Grand Prix Freestyle, which features the dancing horses that were such a sensation at the London Olympics in 2012. The other programme, premiering at 9pm on October 16, will present an overall view of the Championships with sections on the Shearwater Young Horse classes as well as interviews with riders and personalities from across the sport. There’ll also be a chance to see some of this year’s HorseQuest Master Class from Gareth Hughes and a look behind the scenes at what it takes to run a successful major championship.
In addition to the broadcast coverage, Horse & Country TV will also produce extensive online video footage from the Championships, with full tests from top riders and interviews available to view on the day they take place via H&C’s website and the Channel’s social media platforms. Charles Owen and Pikeur are jointly sponsoring all of Horse & Country TV’s activity around the Championships across broadcast, online and social media platforms.
The coverage comes as part of a wide-ranging partnership between Horse & Country TV and British Dressage. Both parties are committed to generating greater awareness and coverage of a sport that was one of the great success stories of the Olympics and where Team GBR’s Charlotte Dujardin is current reigning Olympic, European and World Champion. The programmes will also be broadcast on Horse & Country TV’s channels in the Netherlands and Sweden, adding further momentum to this great British success story.
Jason Brautigam, Chief Executive of British Dressage said, “We are delighted to be working in partnership with Horse & Country TV to ensure our National Championships reach as wide an audience as possible. The popularity of dressage continues to grow and with Team GBR enjoying such tremendous medal success, there is greater interest from the public than ever before. We look forward to showcasing the best that our sport has to offer this week.”
Richard Burdett, Managing Director at Horse & Country TV added, “We know just how passionate and committed the dressage audience is so we’re delighted to be able to bring them this unprecedented level of coverage. Overall, this is further evidence of the value a specialist broadcaster can bring to a sport, and how enlightened partnerships can drive the sport forward to the benefit of all.”