- Land Rover North America announced as ‘Official Vehicle Sponsor ’ of the FEI World Equestrian Games™ Tryon 2018
- Land Rover to host the ‘Ultimate Stable Experience’ and off-road test drive experience on site at the Tryon International Equestrian Center for ticket holders to enjoy
(MAHWAH, NJ) – September 7, 2018 – Today, Land Rover North America announced the brand will continue its longstanding support of equestrian sports as Official Vehicle of Eventing and Official Sponsor of the FEI World Equestrian Games™ Tryon 2018, held at the Tryon International Equestrian Center (TIEC) in Mill Spring, North Carolina. Taking place every four years in the middle of the summer Olympic cycle, the games are a leading international competition for equine sport, bringing together the world’s finest horses and riders across a wide range of disciplines.
The FEI World Equestrian Games™, which are the property of the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI), the worldwide governing body of equestrian sport, will take place from September 11 – 23. The major international championship, which offers qualifying slots for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, features the eight core equestrian disciplines of Jumping, Dressage and Para-Equestrian Dressage, Eventing, Driving, Endurance, Vaulting and Reining.
As part of Land Rover’s partnership with the event, Land Rover will host the brand’s ‘Ultimate Stable Experience’ located within the vendor village from September 11-23 and will feature the Range Rover Evoque vehicle. The ‘Experience’ will provide attendees insight into the six different Land Rover models, each which encompass their own defining characteristics, personality and positioning. Ticket holders will have the opportunity to explore the ‘Ultimate Stable Experience’ which will include a range of top equestrian apparel and equipment.
Land Rover will also showcase a selection of the brand’s latest vehicles on a specially designed off-road demonstration course where ticket holders are invited to test-drive the most recent Land Rover models. Featured vehicles will include the most recent Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, Range Rover Evoque, Discovery Sport and the all-new Discovery models. The test drive experience will be open daily in the vendor village from September 12-23.
Aimed at introducing young adults ages 14 years old and up to the exhilaration of driving, while maintaining the importance of car control and safety behind the wheel,, Land Rover has created the ‘Start Off-Road’ Teen Driving Experience1. Teenage drivers attending the FEI World Equestrian Games™ will have the opportunity to drive either the Land Rover Discovery Sport or Range Rover Evoque on a multi-terrain course all under the watchful and highly trained eyes of a Land Rover Driving Instructor on both weekends.
“We are proud to be returning to the World Equestrian Games, taking place this year in our home country,” said Kim McCullough, Vice President, Marketing, Jaguar Land Rover North America LLC. “Land Rover has a long and successful history supporting equestrian sport and this prestigious competition is the perfect platform to showcase the features and performance of our vehicles to an equestrian audience.”
The Land Rover brand has a long-established involvement with equestrian sport and international sponsorship such as its U.K. support of the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials, and the Royal Windsor Horse Show. In 2010, Land Rover established its partnership with the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) including the sponsorship of the Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team who will compete at the FEI World Equestrian Games™ in Tryon. In 2018, Land Rover stepped up their support becoming the title sponsor of the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event, in Lexington, KY, and creating a private offer for members of USEF.
The 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games™ has the potential to be the largest sporting event in North Carolina history with over $400 million dollars of projected economic impact and 500,000 spectators over the 13-day event.
“Land Rover has been a longstanding partner of ours for many years, continually supporting our equestrian endeavors and believing in our ambition to expand equestrian sport around the globe,” said Mark Bellissimo, CEO of Tryon International Equestrian Center and Managing Partner of Tryon Equestrian Partners (TEP). “Their deep connections with the sport of Eventing generated the perfect platform to showcase their vehicles and brand at the largest equestrian sporting event in the world this year. We are appreciative of their ongoing commitment and dedication to equestrianism around the globe.”
The inaugural FEI World Equestrian Games™ were hosted in Stockholm (SWE) in 1990. Since then the Games have been staged in The Hague (NED) in 1994, Rome (ITA) in 1998, Jerez (ESP) in 2002, and Aachen (GER) in 2006. The Land Rover brand’s support of the Games started with the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ in Kentucky (USA) 2010, the first Games to be organized outside Europe, where 800 human athletes and their horses represented 57 countries. The Games returned to Europe for the 2014 edition, the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™, which was held in Normandy (FRA) and Land Rover again was on board as the Official Vehicle.
An average of 500,000 people are expected to attend the Games over the two-week period. TIEC is preparing for a daily attendance of 40,000 – 50,000 people. The 2014 Games in Normandy delivered over $400 million in economic impact, and attracted 984 athletes, 1,234 horses, 74 nations, 1,900 accredited media from 52 countries and 575,000 spectators.
The event will be telecast on the NBC Sports Group on three different platforms, including NBC, NBC Sports, and the Olympic Channel. Go to https://tv.fei.org/ or www.NBCsports.com for livestream details.
To learn more about the FEI World Equestrian Games 2018 Tryon™, visit www.tryon2018.com.
To learn more about Land Rover and equestrian sport, visit www.LandRoverUSA.com.
1All participants will be required to complete an introductory safety briefing prior to participation and participant’s parent or guardian must sign a waiver. “Start Off-Road Teen Driving Experience” participants must be 14 to 20 years of age, meet height restrictions and be accompanied on course by a parent or guardian. Participants in the "Junior Drive Experience” must be four to eight years old. Description of programs are subject to change. Open to ticket holders only.