Hello there and welcome to the 5th edition of the BEMA Bulletin, our in-house newsletter which has news, useful information on events coming up and plenty of items of interest to all BEMA members. Hope you enjoy it - do tell me if you’d like to see something included in our July issue.
FEI SPORTS FORUM
Firstly, some news from me. I recently attended the FEI’s annual Sport Forum in Lausanne, Switzerland. Over two days 300 delegates from every sphere of the equestrian sport and all over the world heard presentations, took part in debates and networked furiously in and out the conference hall. Issues under discussion included rule changes, Olympic qualification, horse welfare, the new FEI President - even dressage bridles policy which had very animated contributions! I made one or two new contacts, mostly lawyers for some reason, and it was an interesting insight into the FEI’s decision making process. I know they can be easily criticised, but well done the FEI on having this annual get together, engaging all areas of equestrian sport to help formulate policy.
PICTURE: Charles at the FEI’s Sports Forum.
CARRIAGE DRIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS
Something different on the domestic show front. Sarah Dance, carriage driving commentator, has been in touch about a BEMA media day at the Sandringham Festival of Carriage Driving on Friday 27th June which she’s hosting, and you’re invited!
The timetable is:
- 10.30am - coffee & welcome with event director Robin Hyde-Chambers
- 11-5pm – various aspects of carriage driving:Driven dressage on all day – small pony singles to horse teams. A judge can talk us through the movements & marks.
- Walk marathon obstacles with FEI 4* international course designer Johan Jacobs (NED) and a four-in-hand driver.
- Talk from Coaching Club President Mark Broadbent of Fenix Carriages, including showing a Coach he has restored and now uses.
- Discussion about Attelage de Tradition with AIAT GB Chair Rosemary Neale and tour of traditional carriages on site 120
- 12.30-1.30 lunch, approx. £25 (tbc)
Ideally attendees manage their own transport, but if necessary I’m sure Sarah can arrange collection from Kings Lynn station if they are there by 10am.
However, she won’t have a car on site, she’s in her horsebox for the weekend, so people may need to be prepared to take a taxi to & from Sandringham.
Email Sarah to register your interest – sounds fascinating! info@carriagecommentator.com.
LATECOMERS SUBS DUE NOW!
Our stalwart Treasurer Lynne Reid is on the warpath about BEMA members who won’t pay their subs. “Can you once again remind members who have STILL not yet paid their subs these MUST be paid by the end of this month. I don't know how much firmer I can be, really! As our directory is already printed there is nothing we can currently do until October”, she adds, but for 2026 onwards they’ll be removed”.
CHRISTMAS DIARY DATE
Diary date – for those who like to plan, the popular annual BEMA lunch and awards event will take place on the opening day of the LIHS at Excel on Thursday 18th December. We’ll have more details on timings and tickets in the summer issue.
INVITATION TO BOLESWORTH
Bolesworth International, presented by Al Shira'aa, is delighted to extend an invitation to BEMA members for this year's Equestrian Excellence hospitality session, taking place on Monday 30 June. The session will be hosted by Richard Davison, with the day dedicated to equestrian industry networking. There will be inspirational insights from top equestrian industry leaders, along with a panel discussion centred around ‘What it takes to win in our world’ with confirmed panellists Robert LeMieux (MD of LeMieux) and Fields Wicker-Miurin, the newly appointed Chair of British Equestrian.
Places are limited owing to cost, so any interested BEMA members who would like to attend please email eloise.vp@bolesworth.com, including your postal address plus any special dietary requirement. Accreditation will also open soon for the show itself, which runs from 27th June – 6th July, so check https://bolesworth.com/event/bolesworth-international-2025 for all the details.
A CLEAR ROUND WITH…
Now our regular feature, “A Clear Round with ….”, where we spotlight a leading BEMA member to find out what makes them tick.
For this issue it’s over to the ‘Carriage Commentator’, aka Sarah Dance:
What 3 words describe you? Enthusiastic, instinctive, curious.
First horsey memory? I was brought up on a farm in Aberdeenshire and have a very horsey mother who was a farmer, Pony Club District Commissioner, judge, breeder and trainer. I loved the newborn foals and spending every moment with my first ponies, a strong-willed Shetland called Freddie, and a saintly Welsh Section A called Serena.
How did you start working in equestrian sport? In my 20s and 30s I ran the Reading Carriage Sales and was an auctioneer. The business sponsored a national show driving championship. At the final the commentator didn’t turn up, so I took the microphone and talked all day about what was happening. That was 30 years ago!
Favourite memory from equine sport? Being in the vast Friends Arena in Stockholm in November 2024 about to commentate on the FEI Driving World Cup. Just before the class started there was a frenzy of glittery activity as kids on ponies of all shapes and sizes raced around the arena, whipping up the crowd. The energy, spectacle and sheer enjoyment oozing from everyone was intoxicating.
Name someone you admire in the equestrian world. The late Prince Philip. We owe him so much in driving and the broader equestrian world. He was innovative, dedicated and generous, and is still much missed.
What’s your current equestrian working life? It’s lovely to be able to combine writing, horses and driving on my multi-media website ‘The Carriage Commentator’. I’m the FEI’s Driving commentator, sports reporter and forum moderator, Chief Driving Steward at the Royal Windsor Horse Show, a judge for Attelage de Tradition and Coaching, and sometimes drive horses on film sets.
What one change in equestrian sport would you like to see? I’d like us to celebrate and communicate the things we do brilliantly, without so much emphasis on the negative aspects that grab the headlines.
Describe life away from collecting rings, media centres and PR releases: We have a smallholding in Hampshire where there’s always plenty to do, feed, muck out, mend and tend. I’m DC of the Vine Pony Cub, have a team of four Welsh Section A mares, my daughters each have a riding horse, so we’re often competing or doing something horsey at the weekends. Ski occasionally, read books, practice yoga, drink wine, try to eat and cook healthily.
Tell us a little-known fact about yourself. I am terrible at tennis.
Who’d play you in a Hollywood film? A young Penelope Keith.
PICTURE: Sarah Dance commentating at Royal Windsor
EUROPEAN THREE-DAY EVENT CHAMPIONSHIPS MEDIA DETAILS
April at Coate PR has sent me info about the Agria Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials, which hosts the Agria FEI Eventing European Championship from 18 – 22 September:
We look forward to welcoming all types of media to the Agria Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials Media Centre. This year it’s at the other end of the site next to the organisers office, to accommodate the larger infrastructure. The Media Centre is situated on the buggy route to the main arena, and a buggy service will run between the press parking area and the media centre.
The Media Centre will be open from Tuesday morning – Sunday evening, and we have an accreditation page here https://www.bpiht.co.uk/media-centre-accreditation.
We will be hosting an evening drinks reception for accredited media in the VIP Pavilion on Friday 19th September. Invitations will be included in the information packs which will be sent out a few weeks before the event. If you would like to be added to our mailing list please contact team@coatepr.com using a subject line: Blenheim Mailing List.
To register your interest in attending the Preview Day at Blenheim Palace on Wednesday 10th September please get in touch as spaces are limited. We have been working closely with our Official Travel Partner ZIP Travel to give accredited media a discount on accommodation at the Holiday Inn Oxford and Warner Heythorp. The discount code will be added to the Media Centre and Accreditation page on the website.
We are currently working with a range of media outlets to obtain editorial features and broadcast coverage, specifically within equestrian, local, and national spheres. To fully capitalise on the Europeans, we are also looking to engage with wider media with the aim of highlighting the event's importance within the sporting calendar, and the unique attributes of the venue to the global press.
PICTURE: Laura Collet takes a fence at the Blenheim three-day event.
GETTING MEDIA EXPERIENCE – SOME ADVICE
One of our BEMA members asked me recently: “I would love to see a piece in the next issue on getting media accreditation as a freelance, or how to get into the media side of photography. I have done a bit here and there, but do not know how to really break into this area. I never know who to ask or where to get the information. Any advice or signposting would be much appreciated”. I asked three experienced BEMA members for their thoughts:
Hickstead press officer Victoria Goff: “We always asked that freelance journalists and photographers have an advance commission and check these with the commissioning editor. We also accredit photographers working for established agencies. Occasionally freelancers offer us a selection of images in return for accreditation, and if we like their portfolio, we allow them access for a day. The other possibility is to approach event photographers, who supply images to the competitors, to see if they are looking for any other photographers. The equestrian press will often use images from our event photographers. It’s an effective way to build your portfolio, make contacts, and get access to major events. Plenty of amateur photographers simply buy tickets to our shows and take images from the stands. Often they will get some great shots from outwith the arena, and this would be a way of showcasing your skills. A final route is a commercial content creator. supplying images for commercial clients for their marketing or social media. Again these arrangements must be confirmed in advance. There is a charge for accreditation on this basis, unlike media accreditation which is free.”
Debra Hargrave, PR consultant: I would class content creators as videographers, and they are directly commercial. Many, but not all, events are charging and occasionally limiting the number of videographers. The problem with photographers in this category is they are affecting on the ‘official’ photographer, so it’s finding a happy balance to keep all happy. It’s difficult to give accreditation to an amateur who is doing it for fun or wants to have a starting point, as we must prioritise space to working media. They also impact on Wi-Fi speed, and if this is affected it really frustrates working media. It’s sometimes a case of buying a ticket, what I do if I don’t have a valid reason to apply for accreditation. Finally they could approach their local newspapers and offer their services. Offer them 300 words and a nice picture on an event or competitor for a free commission?
Leading photographer Ellie Birch: My photography career started in earnest in 2018 - at the age of 49! Having approached a small agency, I found myself accredited for the Badminton Horse Trials. A few thousand steps and a steep learning curve later I had some images used in print and in online articles - a promising start. I slowly but surely started to receive commissions and image requests from other publications. I worked hard, listening and talking to my contemporaries to continually improve. Get creative, try things out. They don't always work, but you must step out of your comfort zone to progress! Build a portfolio - it takes time - and nowadays social media is our portfolio, which makes it easier in some ways for potential clients to notice you. Do not expect to be an overnight sensation, as it takes years to hone your skills both behind the camera and building relationships with media/press officers, journalists and picture editors. I would suggest not "pigeon-holing" yourself in one sport, as the skillset needed for one sport can greatly improve your workflow, photography and people skills in your equestrian work. In essence - work hard, love what you do, ask lots of questions and always aim to take a better photograph than you took the day before - complacency kills creativity.
I hope all those tips help anyone at the start of their media careers. You’ve also done a very sensible thing in joining a trade body like BEMA!
ELLIE’S HEADLINE NEWS
Someone who has had great success in the media, with broadcast work plus news and feature articles in the major UK newspapers and many magazines, is BEMA member Eleanore Kelly. She’s recently been busy on another project with partner Mike, as you can see below. She was pictured introducing baby boy Phin, named after her favourite event horse, to her pony Allegra. Congratulations to all.
