sponsorship

summertoots

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Is there anyone here who has managed to get sponsorship? I know someone who has a very talented horse and she herself is a gifted rider. She bought this horse un broken and has backed him and schooled him on. He is about to go pre-novice and by the end of the season will be novice, aiming for Burgie and Blair 2* for 08. The problem is she is on a really tight budget and even though both she and her horse are capable of doing well and getting even further she just doesnt have the money for entry fees and deasel.
She doesnt expect someone to cover all her costs but a contribution in exchange for advertising who sponsors her would certainly aid her situation. So if there is anyone out there who has done anything like this or tried to I would be gratefull of any advice you could give.
 
The BE site has some good info downloads on sponsorship & what companies look for. I think basically try & put together a kind of leaflet detailing her results & a bit of a biography & aims & send to lots of local companies.

Hope to see her at Blair next year then!

Also silly question: Can I ask where the name Toots comes from? Not a lorry by any chance?
 
Hardest thing to pick up you have to be in the right place at the right time. Does she have any contact in horsey world/business world that she can tap into. You'll only pick up sponership if she'a already got a name for producing and having a good record.
When looking for sponsorship you got took look at it the other way around what can she provide a company that they can't get from an 'named rider'???
 
No not a lorry. Its my little girls nic name, called her that since the day she was born.
grin.gif

Thanks for that, never thought of looking on BE, though bit obvious now I think about it!! Have started draughting a letter type thing and included all they have done so far, so perhaps we are going about it the right way.
 
She works in the horse world, but up here that isnt huge!! However she is very well known and respected, if she didn't work with horses she might have some money to do all she is more that able to do.
We are contacting local firms who know us and would benifit from advertising at local events first. Just wanted to know if this was the right plan of action.
 
If it was me i work on the hospitality side of eventing. IE they turn up to watch she her event then get a lovely lunch. Every month get progress report, plus idea of whats next. If was me i would mock up a report and suggestion of hospitaility at events
It doesn't have to be fancy, or cost a huge amount you just have to pitch it the fun side of eventing, not the long hours stuff.....
 
Thanks I think you have a very good point there so I shall add that in.
Of course you are right, buisnessman with a few clients admiring "his" horse, isnt it handsome blah blah, she shows face to report how wonderfull he is for backing her, etc. He drinks wine gets a bit of buisness, and all go home happy. And he thinks he has climbed way high up the social ladder as he now does "eventing". Mmm very good point.
 
depends on what you mean by sponsorship? My friend and I dont have sponsorship in the way of money exactly but we are now sponsored by the company I work for in respect of all dry cleaning of our gear and all rug cleaning, plus they chip in for entry fee's and provide human clothing etc.

www.white-knight.co.uk

And also we are sponsored with www.pony4u.co.uk which is not even launched yet! - hopefully by April 2007, and we have an array of baby blue and pink fleeces for us and the horses! Plus we get a page all to ourselves on their website!

So its something!

BTW we are only unaffilated SJ/XC types in it for fun, so their assistance with gear has definately helped out in this weather!
 
Pondering on this in fact, your best bet is to decide what your potential sponsor could get from the fact they are parting with services or goods OR money! You need to give them a reason to want to part with it!

White Knight are a local company to me, and I work for them, it costs them nothing to provide things but I DIDNT even know they did horse rugs until last year! - they do the queens guards horses gear. So I suppose by us flying their flag, if it brings in a couple more regular customers their sponsorship has paid for itself.

It is wise to also offer local newspaper coverage for them if they are a local company, advertising for a company is expensive but if you can get it in a sports section for nothing, most companies will be happy with that.
 
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