10, December 2009

The International Jumping Riders Club (IJRC), in partnership with The Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI), today launched a major new initiative to recognize the world’s best rider according to the Rolex Rankings.

Starting at the 2009 Rolex IJRC Top 10 Final in Paris, the leading rider will wear a Green & Gold armband featuring the words, “Number 1, The Rolex Rankings”, at all FEI Jumping events throughout 2010.

The Rolex Rankings are updated every week and officially released at the start of each calendar month. The Number 1 ranked rider will wear the Green & Gold for as long as they remain in the top position, handing it over to another rider only when they are knocked off the Number 1 spot.

Presenting the first Green & Gold to Marcus Ehning, FEI Bureau Member Christian Paillot said, “There are many famous items of clothing which recognize sporting excellence including the Yellow jersey in the Tour de France and the Green Jacket at The Masters Golf – the sport of Jumping now has its own.”

Marcus Ehning, the first rider to receive the Green & Gold from IJRC President Rodrigo Pessoa, said, “It is a great privilege to be the first holder of the new Green & Gold armband and I hope to wear it for many months to come! The Rolex Rankings are the only true guide to a rider’s current form, and the Green & Gold is a great way for equestrian fans to quickly identify the leading rider when they compete in competitions throughout the world.”

The World Jumping Riders Rankings were originally launched by the FEI in the 2000 and became the Rolex Rankings in 2007. Points are awarded to riders who compete in FEI events throughout the year and they are the only rankings which provide up to date rider standings on a monthly basis.

Ranking points are awarded to riders who compete in both team and individual events throughout the year, with the number of points dependent on the level of the competition and prize money available. The top rated events for individual riders include The Rolex FEI World Cup™ Final, the final competition of the European Championships and a number of 5* competitions. Top rated team events include the FEI Nations Cup™ Top League competitions, the team competitions at the Olympic Games, the FEI World Equestrian Games and FEI European Championships.

ENDS

For further information please contact:

Rod Kohler                    Tel:             +44 207 928 9999
Revolution Sports         Mobile:        +44 7770 647662

3, December 2009

Polo legend Gonzalo Pieres Jr, a 10 goal handicapper on three continents and currently the World Polo Tour No.1 ranked player, has signed an exclusive partnership with iconic watchmaker Rolex.

Gonzalo joins the select group of Rolex Testimonees – exceptional individuals who excel in their chosen sport – who all share Rolex’s philosophy: the constant pursuit of perfection. These include the world’s longest standing No 1 tennis player Roger Federer, golfers Phil Michelson and Loreno Ochoa, show jumper Rodrigo Pessoa and Three-Day Event rider Zara Phillips.

Commenting on the partnership, Gonzalo Pieres said, “It is a great honour to have been asked to become a Rolex Testimonee; my approach to life is to strive for perfection in everything I do and these principles are shared by the Rolex brand.”

He continued, “I have grown up watching Rolex Testimonees compete at the highest level in sporting events around the world and, like them, I have aspired to be considered the best in my chosen sport of polo. Becoming a Rolex Testimonee is not only a privilege but also recognition of what I have achieved in the sport.”

Jean-Noel Bioul, Co-Director Sponsoring at Rolex, said, “Gonzalo is the world’s No. 1 ranked polo player and this has been achieved by focus, dedication and a constant desire to improve. We are delighted that Gonzalo has joined the Rolex family and look forward to working with him over the coming years.”

26 year old Gonzalo Pieres Jr is the son of legendary polo player Gonzalo Pieres who won the Palermo Open with the Espadaña team on six occasions. Gonzalo has won major honours at the highest level of the game including, in the last 12 months, the Grand Slam Sotogrande Cup and Masters Series British Open and US Open, as well as the Argentine Open in 2008. He first played in the Argentine Open, arguably the finest polo tournament on the international stage in 1999, and has competed every year since. He is best known for playing for Ellerstina.

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A Podcast featuring Rolex Testimonee, Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum, has been created and is now available to download from iTunes at:

http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=313208812

It is also available as an mp3 file at:

http://www.mixbroadcast.com/podcasts/rolex_podcast_002.mp3

This is a copyright free file and is available for use as a radio or website broadcast.

For further information please contact:

Rod Kohler  Tel: 0207 928 9999
Revolution  email: rod@revolutionpr.co.uk

7, September 2009

Oliver Townend completed the British four-star double yesterday when he added the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials title, on board Carousel Quest, to the one he won at Badminton in May. The combination produced an immaculate clear round show jumping to add to their clear round cross-country and stunning lead dressage score of 39.8 on day one of the competition.

“I’m still celebrating Badminton,” said Townend afterwards. “It’s amazing and there’s no point in saying anything else because it hasn’t sunk in yet and it probably won’t for another year. Hopefully this puts me in a position to keep going forward for the future and to have more top class horses.”

Townend went into the arena with two show jumps in hand, but jumped a perfect round on Carousel Quest to finish 8.7 penalties clear of the rest of the field.  Townend’s result now sets up a thrilling competition in Lexington, Kentucky next April, when he could become only the second rider, after Pippa Funnell, to scoop the $350,000 Rolex Grand Slam for winning Badminton, Burghley and Kentucky consecutively. “I intend to go all out for it!” Townend said.

LAND ROVER BURGHLEY HORSE TRIALS 2009 FINAL RESULTS

1. Oliver Townend on Carousel Quest (GB) 43
2. Polly Stockton on Westwood Poser (GB) 51.7
3. Sam Griffiths on Happy Times (AUS) 52.3
4. Phillip Dutton on Truluck (USA) 54.5
5. Clayton Fredericks on Poilu (AUS) 55.7
6. Paul Tapner on Inonothing (AUS) 58.3
Notes to Editors

The Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials is one of the three competitions in the Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing. In order to win this prestigious award the rider must win the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials, the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials, and the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, all in succession. So far the Grand Slam feat has only been achieved by Pippa Funnell, who won all three competitions in 2003 on two different horses.

In January 2008, Rolex announced that any rider who can duplicate Pippa Funnell’s achievement will now win an increased prize of $350,000.

The 2010 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event is from 22-25 April.

Photo courtesy of Kit Houghton: Oliver Townend and Carousel Quest at Fence 14 - Rolex Combination, Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials 2009.

ENDS

For further information please contact:

Merrick Haydon
Tel: 0207 928 9999
email: merrick@revolutionsports.co.uk

Pat Gibson takes a look at the TurfTrax Weather System on trial at the The Brit Oval that is helping Bill Gordon to prepare a perfect Test pitch

For further information please contact:

Rod Kohler  Tel: 0207 928 9999
Revolution  email: rod@revolutionpr.co.uk

The Brit Oval has become the first cricket ground in the world to install a state-of-the-art TurfTrax Weather System.

In an Ashes series which has been highly influenced by adverse weather conditions, the TurfTrax Weather System promises to provide The Brit Oval ground staff, television & radio commentary teams, media and fans with up-to-date and accurate data affecting the ground’s playing surface and environment.

The TurfTrax Weather System will allow for better informed decisions to be made regarding the condition of The Brit Oval’s wicket and outfield.

Clive Stephens, Operations and Development Director at The Brit Oval said, “The TurfTrax Weather System will provide us with the opportunity to precisely monitor the weather and playing conditions during what will be a vital Ashes Test. In essence we now have our very own, highly sophisticated meteorological device giving us climate information specific to The Brit Oval”.

This exciting addition to The Brit Oval will see the TurfTrax Weather System become an essential component for effective and high quality turf management within cricket.

The TurfTrax Weather System will provide ground staff at The Brit Oval with a comprehensive log of historic and live atmospheric and ground conditions including:

• Rainfall (mm)
• Air Temperature
• Soil Moisture
• Soil Temperature
• Relative Humidity
• Wind Speed
• Gust Speed
• Wind Direction
• Solar Radiation

The TurfTrax Weather System is extremely user friendly requiring negligible knowledge of meteorology to operate the technology and interpret the resulting data. Information can be accessed either through a password protected website or handheld device. SMS messages can also be sent out to warn ground staff of any adverse or unusual weather conditions affecting The Brit Oval’s playing surface.

To date, the TurfTrax Weather System has been used on all the UK’s leading racecourses, including Newmarket, Cheltenham and Ascot. Sporting clubs and venues like Arsenal FC, Twickenham RFU and currently, Chelsea FC, have also used the TurfTrax Weather System to monitor ground and climatic conditions in and around their stadiums. 

TurfTrax was formed in 2000 by a group including soil physics/sports turf lecturers to build on the expertise at Cranfield University and provide solutions to ground management services such as improved drainage design and ground scanning.

ENDS

For further information please contact:

Rod Kohler  Tel: 0207 928 9999
Revolution  email: rod@revolutionpr.co.uk

1 August, 2009

The Revenge of the Open d’Argentine presented by Rolex.

For the first time outside of Argentina’s borders, a top-level professional polo game could be seen at Deauville this afternoon –  in “The Revenge” of the Open d’Argentine presented by Rolex. The world’s two best teams, which were both finalists of the last Open d’Argentine in Buenos Aires before 18,000 spectators in December 2008, were competing against each other once again. This “French revenge” finished by Ellerstina’s victory after a match in which neither of the two teams tried to spare the other.
This Deauville event did not assemble the same number of spectators as the final Buenos Aires matches – high level polo still stays a relatively unwellknown sport in Europe – but it was nevertheless able to arouse excitement among fans. More than 2,000 spectators came together around the “terrain Normandy” of the Racetrack of la Touques, and over 100 media followed the match, while fans in 102 countries were able to see the live transmission thanks to Eurosport. “It’s the first time that a polo match is broadcasted in so many countries” comments Philippe de Nicolay, the president of the Polo de Deauville. “I already got some feedback and it seems that the results are formidable. It’s a big step forward for polo… and this happened in Deauville!”
Whoever had believed the promise of an extraordinary match could not have been deceived as the score was so close that there were only ever a few goals difference between the two teams at all times, even though at first Ellerstina seemed to have taken the course of the game in its hand with Pablo McDonough’s first goal which was quickly followed by his fellow team players Juan-Martin Nero and Facundo Pieres: 3-0 ended to be the biggest gap in the score. Adolfo Cambiaso managed to save the team’s face in the first chukker with a penalty from a distance of 30 yards.
From then on until the end, the two teams competed neck and neck with incredible phases of quality, even though Lolo Castagnola’s injury in the second chukker lead to his replacement by  Guillermo Terrera (who unlike the rest of the players is a handicap 7). Thankfully Castagnola’s injury was not too bad (he overstretched his thumb) but thanks to this incident Deauville’s audience was able to discover or re-discover the talent of young Terrera, who played in the La Dolfina team for the first time and seemed to be aware of this twist of destiny as he showed several beautiful solo actions during the match, for which he finally received the distinction of “most valuable player”. “He’s a good friend of the team”, assures Adolfo Cambiaso “and he was a great replacement. In any way thanks to him we were able to stay on Ellerstina’s level and in the end this match stayed in the line of oppositions of our two teams.  The game today was quite a tough battle.” Terrera was also the cause of today’s second big shock when he ripped the left goalpost out of the field during the fourth chukker (and yet managed to stay on his horse) – but this spectacular accident caused more fear than pain.
Thanks to the two goals that were achieved in the final chukker of the game, Ellerstina was able to confirm its title of the Argentinean Open and Facundo Pieres didn’t hold back his excitement about a job well done: “You have seen a very tight match. I think it was a pleasure to watch it with just a few errors and therefore almost no interruptions except for Lolo’s accident, which fortunately didn’t end too badly. I think it was an incredible day for polo.  It has given us confidence for the Argentinean season that’s to come… I think that we are going to win the title again next December!!!”. All this said with the uttermost seriousness.
A celebration for polo and a beautiful day for Patrick Guerrand-Hermès, president of the International Polo Federation: “An achieved dream. Although the conditions were not exactly great with the rainy weather at the beginning of the game - and yet we saw an excellent match. Afterwards the players came to ask how the game had been perceived by the audience which proves that each of them had the desire to show how great this sport is. This match was magnificent and unforgettable.”

Ellerstina Etiqueta Negra: Facundo Pieres 10 (3 goals, 2 of which were penalties), Gonzalito Pieres 10 (3 goals), Pablo Mac Donough 10 (4 goals) et Juan Martín Nero 10 (1 goal)
La Dolfina Peugeot: Adolfo Cambiaso 10 (2 goals one of which was a penalty), Lucas Monteverde 10 (3 goals one of which penalty), Mariano Aguerre 10 (3 goals) et Bartolomé Castagnola 10 replaced by A. Terrera in 2nd chukker (2 goals)
Ellerstina – La Dolfina : 3-1 ; 4-3 ; 5-5 ; 8-6 ; 9-9 ; 11-9
-END-

For further information:
Pascal Renauldon  Tel: +33 (344) 620 621
R&B Presse      email: p.renauldon@rbpresse.com
Photo R&B Press/Adrien Renauldon, The Revenge Polo de Deauville : Elerstina Winning Team

Rolex, the world’s leading watch company, has announced a major partnership with Polo Club de Deauville to become the presenting sponsor of ”The Rematch” – a rematch of the 2008 Argentine Polo Open between the Ellerstina and La Dolfina teams from Argentina.

The Argentine Polo Open takes place annually in Buenos Aires before 18,000 spectators and is the equivalent of the polo World Cup final. “The Rematch” is the first time a rematch has taken place outside Argentina and it is the only Fédération Internationale de Polo affiliated game in Europe which features eight of the eleven best players in the world with a 10-goal handicap.

Among the eight players will be the greatest of all time, the “Maradona of polo” as he is called by his compatriots, a player who has had a 10 handicap ever since the age of 19, Adolfo Cambiaso.

Jean-Noel Bioul, Co-Director of Sponsoring at Rolex, said, “’The Rematch’ will be the highlight of the European polo season and the only time that players with such a high handicap will compete against each other this season. We are very excited about the match and delighted to be the Presenting Sponsor of this prestigious event.”

Patrick Guerrand-Hermès, President of the Fédération Internationale de Polo, said, “This is the greatest polo match to be played outside Argentina ever since the beginning of the modern era of polo, and having the support of such a globally respected world-class brand highlights how very prestigious ‘The Rematch’ will be.”

This historic match on Saturday, 1 August 2009 will open the month-long Deauville polo season, which includes the traditional Silver Cup and Gold Cup. Many other great names from the world of polo will participate with their teams.

-END-

For further information:

Pascal Renauldon  Tel: +33 (344) 620 621
R&B Presse   email: p.renauldon@rbpresse.com

26 July, 2009

Howard Wright reports on the appointment of promotional experts Revolution by TurfTrax

For further information please contact:

Revolution Sports Marketing Group: +44 (0) 207 928 9999

merrick@revolutionsports.co.uk

26 July, 2009

TurfTrax has appointed Revolution Sports Marketing Group to promote its range of turf management products beyond the horse racing arena into new sports including football, rugby, cricket and golf.

To launch the move, a preview event took place at Ascot Racecourse on Friday 24th July 2009.  Attendees included leading turf media and associations, as well as Premiership Football Clubs, Test cricket grounds and premier golf courses.

Since the start of the year, and under the regulation of the British Horseracing Authority, the TurfTrax GoingStick has become an established feature in racing, providing consistent data and statistics on the going at each of the 59 turf racecourses in the UK. In addition 27 of the leading racecourses,, as well as one Premiership football club, utilise the TurfTrax Weather System. The system automatically uploads accurate and up to the minute information on the localised weather conditions to any pc, laptop or handheld device connected to the internet.

Adam Mills, Chairman of TurfTrax said, “TurfTrax manufactures and operates products which are relevant to all sports where turf management plays a crucial role. Racing is a key market, but the timing is now right to expand into new areas.”

He continued, “We look forward to working closely with the Revolution team on a range of initiatives to take our products into new marketplaces. We have appointed Revolution as our marketing partner because of their valuable range of experience both in racing and the sports we now wish to target.”

Merrick Haydon, Managing Director, Sponsorship said, “As the finances involved in international sport continue to rise, the state of the playing surface has become increasingly important and we believe that TurfTrax has a major role to play in providing consistent and reliable information for turf professionals across a range of sports.”

ENDS

For further information please contact:

Merrick Haydon    Tel:  +44 (0) 207 928 9999
Revolution Sports Marketing  email: merrick@revolutionsports.co.uk