(NB – this is the prepared text not a transcript of the speech so words and phrases may have been altered or added at the time of delivery. Any extract taken from this must be used in the form of a quote.)
Ladies and Gentlemen, on behalf of the Burghley Horse Trials Committee, I would like to express our delight that we have Land Rover as our Title Sponsor for Burghley Horse Trials. Over the years we have enjoyed a tradition at Burghley of attracting the most prestigious sponsorships, and in reaching this agreement with Land Rover, we have secured yet another top notch quality company. We are most grateful to you Land Rover for joining us in what I’m sure will be a successful joint venture and also for organising today’s press conference which announces the biggest new Sponsorship in Eventing for many years.
Although I have used the term “Sponsorship”, we, at Burghley, look upon this very much as a mutually exciting commercial partnership which, on the one hand will play its part in the continuing success of Land Rover in the important 4-W-Drive market, and on the other, allow us to develop both our Event and the Sport.
I would also like to make the point that although we can run a successful Event without an overall commercial partner, it is only when we can achieve the sort of relationship we have established with Land Rover that we can make really significant strides forward, especially in the development of our infrastructure and in what we can offer to our participants, their connections and our public.
On the world stage Burghley is second to none. It is the most popular major Event in the Autumn season and achieves the biggest non-Championship television audience of any Eventing competition in the world. But it is not just the sport which attracts so many to Burghley. With over 600 shops to choose from, we provide an unparalleled shopping experience for our visitors. Indeed, many come not just for the Horse Trials, but for the shopping alone and this provides a real opportunity for the sport to market itself to groups who have little or no knowledge of Eventing.
Nevertheless we are not complacent about our position. Every event must constantly evolve in order to meet the changing needs of both audience and rider. We strive constantly to improve in all areas as we prepare for the next and future Burghleys and this is where Land Rover is going to be important to us.
As you may know, British Eventing owns Burghley Horse Trials – we are the governing body’s flagship event. It is, therefore, our continuing and increasing success, which makes our position so vital to the future of the sport; a point which you will hear from the sport’s Chairman in just a moment.
During the course of the coming months we will be letting you know about the initiatives that we have planned for this year’s Event. One of the most significant, which we have already announced, is the appointment of Captain Mark Phillips to the role of Course Designer for a period of three years from 2005. Mark’s designs will no doubt provide an innovative approach possibly causing a little controversy - like the man himself!
I am certain that this is the first day of a long and mutually beneficial association with Land Rover and, again, I am very grateful to the Board for organising today and to you all for attending, to mark this important occasion for both Burghley and the sport nationwide.