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Revolution appointed by Saudi Equestrian for Online Role
Revolution Sports Marketing Group has been appointed by the Saudi Arabian Equestrian Team – Saudi Equestrian – to manage its website, and to also develop its online social media accounts including Twitter and Facebook.
In what promises to be an exciting year for Saudi Equestrian, with the 2012 London Olympic Games fast approaching, it is essential that fans are kept up-to-date with the team’s results, news and developments, including new acquisitions to this highly-regarded and constantly evolving outfit.
Saudi Equestrian was founded in January 2010 with the vision of taking the team through the 2010 World Equestrian Games in Lexington, Kentucky (USA), and to prepare for the 2012 London Olympic Games. Since its formation notable results include winning a team gold medal at the 2011 Pan Arab Games in Doha (QAT) and an individual silver medal at the 2010 World Equestrian Games in Kentucky (USA). The team comprises six riders and 12 horses, and is backed-up by a dedicated team of grooms, vets, farriers and management staff. The team is based at Haras de Wisbecq in Belgium, which is approximately 30km south west of Brussels.
Ziyad Abduljawad, Managing Director of Saudi Equestrian, himself a former show jumper, feels safe in the knowledge that Revolution has a broad and established understanding of equestrian, commenting: “Revolution impressed us with their creative thinking and knowledge of digital communications channels, coupled with their comprehensive portfolio of equestrian clients, and understanding of the sport. Revolution will be key in helping Saudi Equestrian develop its brand name, but also sharing its team news on a global scale.”
Following an Olympic qualifier in Doha (QAT) in December 2011, Saudi Equestrian gained official qualification to the London Games; this is the fourth time that a Saudi Arabian equestrian team has qualified for the Olympic Games, and the fifth time Saudi Arabia has been represented at the Olympic Games in show jumping.
On the team’s Olympic accomplishment, Ziyad Abduljawad commented: “This is a milestone for Saudi Equestrian and our country, and we are all thrilled that the years of preparation have paid off. We will be working closely with Revolution in the lead-up to the Games to maximise our exposure around the world through social media channels, and we are confident that they can help us achieve this”.
Rod Kohler, Managing Director of Revolution, commented: “We are delighted to have been appointed by Saudi Equestrian, and we look forward to working alongside such a dynamic and forward-thinking team. They have massive potential going into the 2012 London Olympic Games and we are excited to be part of their journey.”
Collins Stewart/Pinsent Masons British Handball Sponsorship Launch Coverage
Coverage obtained by Revolution of the sponsorship launch between Collins Stewart Wealth Management Group, Pinsent Masons International Law Firm and the British Handball Association.
City Firms partner to sponsor British Handball
Tuesday 31 January 2012
Wealth Manager, Collins Stewart Wealth Management, and international law firm Pinsent Masons, have joined forces to announce a major new sponsorship deal with the British Handball Association which will run throughout 2012.
Collins Stewart Wealth Management and Pinsent Masons have become Official Partners to British Handball, and both the Great Britain (GB) men’s and women’s handball teams will carry the Collins Stewart Wealth Management and Pinsent Masons logos on their shirts in all competitions and training matches in the build-up to the Olympics.
In addition to the sponsorship, Collins Stewart Wealth Management has also launched an initiative, which will see the company donating £10.00 for every goal scored, by both the men’s and women’s teams in the run up to the Olympics in August, to a Fund designed to assist the players who are making big sacrifices, to compete on the global stage.
Since London was awarded the 2012 Olympic Games in 2005, British Handball has been focussed on building two teams to mount a competitive challenge to the handball competition which will be played at the specially created handball arena at the Olympic Park.
Neil Darke, Head of Collins Stewart Wealth Management commented: “Handball is an exciting and dynamic sport to watch, and has great potential to grow in popularity throughout this Olympic year. We look forward to working alongside Pinsent Masons and the talented team at British Handball, to support the athletes who work so hard to help raise the sport’s profile in the UK, particularly during this exciting year.”
“We were attracted to British Handball as an organisation as, despite the sport being relatively unknown, their approach to building the game’s familiarity chimed with us. We were also very pleased as an anchor partner, to help bring Pinsent Masons to the partnership. Like Collins Stewart Wealth Management, Pinsent Masons’ business is built around its clients, which has given us a shared vision when looking to get involved with a sports organisation.”
Trevor Watkins, Head of Sport and a Partner at Pinsent Masons, said: “The sports sector is a key part of our firm’s business. We are delighted to take this opportunity to invest back into sport and make a real difference in doing so. It gives our staff across all of our offices a tremendous opportunity to be part of the GB Handball journey as the teams prepare for what will be one of the greatest sporting events in this country in our lifetime and to play their part by volunteering, supporting and helping to create a strong foundation for the sport beyond 2012.”
Paul Goodwin, Chief Executive Officer at British Handball, commented: “We are thrilled that the sport has attracted two high profile, award-winning companies as major partners; it demonstrates that British Handball is in a strong position in the build-up to the Olympics and we look forward to working closely with Collins Stewart Wealth Management and Pinsent Masons throughout the year to further develop the popularity of the sport into the future.”
The sponsorship will give a major boost to British Handball’s plans to make handball more popular in Britain. Handball is already one of the fastest growing sports in the country following its inclusion in the Change 4 Life programme, which has seen the sport introduced in more than 400 schools across the country. As a result of this, handball has seen a six-fold increase in the number of young people being introduced to the sport.
René Tebbel and Shalva Gachechiladze – The Rolex One to Watch riders for January 2012
25 January 2012
The Rolex One to Watch – January 2012
The Rolex One to Watch for January 2012 is jointly awarded to René Tebbel (GER) and Shalva Gachechiladze (GEO). The pair both jumped from number 304 to 238 during December – a move up the Rolex Rankings of 66 places.
Based in Emsbüren, Germany, 42-year-old René Tebbel had a very successful young riding career, winning gold at the German Junior Championships in 1986 and again at the European Junior Championships the following year. Tebbel went on to win team silver at the 1990 World Cup, and his victories did not end there.
Tebbel won gold in the German Championships in 2005 riding Source Homme, and won again in 2006 and 2007 riding Coup de Coeur. As well as his successes at the German Championships, Tebbel has also earned numerous first and second place rankings at various Grand Prix events with horses Radiator, Farina and Levien of Cabanes. Tebbel also trains his two children, Maurice and Justine, who are amongst the best young riders in Germany for their age groups.
Shalva Gachechiladze tasted success at an early age in 2009 when, aged only 20, he finished first riding Saturn at the CSI2* Tbilisi FEI World Cup Qualifiers. Together, Gachechiladze and Saturn have won Championships both in Georgia and the Caucasian League.
Gachechiladze’s progression up the Rolex Rankings stems from some strong results in 2011. At present, Gachechiladze competes in the FEI World Cup Caucasian League where he is currently ranked fourth. The young Georgian rider hopes to one day compete in the Olympic Games.
The Rolex One to Watch is an initiative which identifies the rider who has made the biggest jump within or into the Top 250 of the Rolex Rankings the previous month.
Photo Caption: Germany’s René Tebbel, pictured here riding Light On, shares the Rolex One to Watch for January 2012 with Shalva Gachechiladze of Georgia. Unfortunately, a high resolution image of Shalva Gachechiladze was not available.
Photo: SPORTFOT/Rolex
Rolf-Gӧran Bengtsson claims the Green & Gold
Swedish show jumper Rolf-Gӧran Bengtsson has claimed the coveted Green & Gold armband from Canadian rider and Rolex Testimonee, Eric Lamaze, after he was crowned the Number One rider in the world according to the latest Rolex Rankings. Bengtsson is the first ever Swede to become the number one ranked rider in the world.
Lamaze originally held the Green & Gold between July and August 2010, and also between September and December 2011; however, following impressive performances at the Rolex FEI World Cup™ Jumping qualifiers in Lyon (first place), Stuttgart (third place) and Geneva (second place), Bengtsson soon staked his claim to the Number One spot.
Bengtsson’s great run of recent form also includes fourth place in the Grand Prix at the CSI5* in Abu Dhabi (UAE); fourth place at the CSI5* in Paris (FRA); and fifth place in the Rolex FEI World Cup™ Jumping qualifier in London Olympia (UK). Not forgetting his individual victory at the FEI European Championships in Madrid (ESP), Bengtsson had a truly remarkable 2011; his achievements were duly recognised when he won Sweden’s most prestigious sports award at the Swedish Sports Gala 2012.
First launched in December 2009 and supported by the International Jumping Riders Club (IJRC), the Green & Gold is worn at all FEI competitions and bears the words “Number 1 Rolex Rankings”.
Since its launch, the Green & Gold has been worn by four riders – Marcus Ehning (GER), Pius Schwizer (SUI), Kevin Staut (FRA) and Eric Lamaze (CAN).
Rolf-Gӧran Bengtsson will be competing at this year’s Rolex FEI World Cup™ Jumping Final from 18-22 April 2012 where he will be aiming for his first victory in this pinnacle event in the Jumping calendar.
For details online featuring the Rolex Rankings please visit: www.fei.org/disciplines/jumping/rolex-rankings
Photo Caption: Rolf-Gӧran Bengtsson wearing the Green & Gold at the ninth qualifying leg of the Rolex FEI World Cup™ Jumping in Leipzig (GER)
Photo: Karl-Heinz Frieler / ROLEX
Horse and Country TV interview with Jennifer Saunders
Saudi Equestrian qualify for London 2012 Olympic Games
1 January 2012
Saudi Arabia’s equestrian Show Jumping team, Saudi Equestrian, gained official qualification to the London 2012 Olympic Games (27 July – 12 August) at the CSI-W4* Doha (QAT) on Friday 30 December 2011. 15 teams, each with four riders, are now qualified in the equestrian team Show Jumping competition, which takes place over three days from Saturday 4 to Monday 6 August at the World Heritage Site of Greenwich Park.
The Saudi team secured its place in the Olympics during the Group F (Africa and Middle East Region) FEI Select Olympic Qualification event held in the Qatari capital of Doha (December 27 – 30, 2011).
News of officially qualifying for the Olympics follows earlier success in Doha: The Saudi Equestrian team claimed the coveted Nations Cup and Abdullah Sharbatly won the Grand Prix.
15 Show Jumping teams are now lined up for the Summer Olympics. They include the host nation – Great Britain – and five teams – Germany, France, Belgium, Brazil and Canada – who automatically qualified from securing the top five places at last year’s FEI World Equestrian Games in Lexington, Kentucky, USA. The Saudi team took eighth place at these Games.
Saudi Equestrian was founded in November 2009 to take the team through the 2010 FEI World Equestrian Games and prepare for the London 2012 Olympic Games. The Saudi Equestrian team comprises six riders, including previous 2000 Sydney Olympic bronze medallist, Khaled Al Eid, and 2010 FEI World Equestrian Games silver medallist, Abdullah Sharbatly. Saudi Equestrian has its training facility at Haras de Wisbecq, Belgium and is backed up by dedicated support staff that includes experienced trainers, management, grooms, farriers and vets.
Saudi Equestrian first qualified for the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta where Khaled Al Eid, riding Eastern Knight, finished in 30th place. In the 15 years since then, it has developed into a highly respected outfit that has notched up exceptional results on the global equestrian stage. That includes an Olympic medal, the second in the nation’s history, at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games when Al Eid, aboard Khashm al-‘Aan, won bronze in the individual Show Jumping event. This is the first and only Olympic medal won by an Arab or African nation in any of the three Olympic equestrian disciplines (Show Jumping, Dressage and Eventing). In the individual Show Jumping competition at the 2010 FEI World Equestrian Games, Saudi Equestrian rider, Abdullah Al Sharbatly, won silver in the coveted Rolex Top Four competition – the Middle East’s first medal in Show Jumping at a World Equestrian Games.
Now the Saudis have reached their fifth Olympics in Show Jumping. Saudi Equestrian’s managing director, Ziyad Abduljawad, commented: “This is a milestone for Saudi Equestrian and our country. We are all thrilled that the years of preparation have paid off”.
Abduljawad, himself a former show jumper, continued: “There are impressive and formidable Show Jumping teams lined up for the 2012 Summer Olympics and Saudi Arabia is proud to have the opportunity for our nation to compete on the world stage.”
Prince Faissal bin Abdullah bin Muhammad Al Saud, Chairman of the Saudi Equestrian Board of Trustees, commented: “All of us in Saudi Arabia are overjoyed that the Saudi Equestrian Team has officially qualified to compete with the world’s best in Show Jumping at the 2012 London Olympics”.
Prince Faissal continued: “Our riders and horses continue to achieve impressive results in top level international events. They have earned their place along with the other 14 Show Jumping teams competing in the Olympics. Horses and horsemanship have always been closely woven into the culture and history of Saudi Arabia and we are proud that Saudi Equestrian will be representing the nation in this exciting equestrian event at the Summer Olympics.”
Photo caption (from left to right): Abdullah Sharbatly aboard Jalla de Gaverie; Ashraf (Sharbatly’s groom); Badr Alfayes; Ramzy Al Duhami; HH Prince Faisal; and Kamal Bahamdan aboard Delphi at the CSI-W4* Doha (QAT)
Photo credit: Saudi Equestrian
Notes for writers and editors
Olympic equestrian disciplines
There are three equestrian disciplines on the Olympic programme at Greenwich Park: Dressage, Eventing and Show Jumping. All three feature both Individual and Team events and a total of 200 riders will compete in the three disciplines.
75 riders will compete in two Show Jumping events: a total of 60 riders from 15 countries for the team show jumping event and 15 riders for the individual jumping event.
London 2012 – Team and Individual Show Jumping schedule:
Saturday 4 August
– Team Jumping – Qualifier for Round 1
– Individual Jumping – 1st Qualifier
Sunday 5 August
– Team Jumping – Round 1
Monday 6 August
– Team Jumping – Round 2 and Victory Ceremony
Wednesday 8 August
– Individual Jumping – Final and Victory Ceremony
The 15 teams in the team Show Jumping competition at the 2012 London Olympic Games are:
Great Britain, (Host Nation)
Germany, France, Belgium, Brazil, Canada (2010 FEI World Equestrian Games five best-ranked teams)
Australia, Ukraine, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, United States, Mexico, Chile and Saudi Arabia
The six riders of the Saudi Equestrian team from which four will compete are:
Khaled Al Eid, Ramzy Al Duhami, Abdullah Sharbatly, Kamal Bahamdan, HRH Prince Abdullah Bin Miteb, and HH Prince Faisal Alshalan
Billy Twomey wins Rolex IJRC Top 10 Final, Paris
Billy Twomey (IRL), won the 11th Rolex IJRC Top 10 Final in Paris, France, yesterday Friday 2nd December 2011.
Riding Tinka’s Serenade, Twomey won the two-round event featuring the World’s Top 10 riders as based on the Rolex Rankings, ahead of 2nd place Eric Lamaze (CAN) riding Corina Van Klapscheut and 3rd place Ludger Beerbaum (GER) riding Gotha FRH.
Rolex IJRC Top 10 Final, Paris 2011
