David Holmes, British Eventing Chief Executive, Lance Bradley, Managing Director of Mitsubishi Motors UK, and Hugh Thomas, Director of Badminton Horse Trials reveal the new trophies for the 2016 Mitsubishi Motors Cup in front of Badminton House
As if winning the use of a brand new Mitsubishi Shogun for a year and prize money was not enough, the winners of the inaugural Mitsubishi Motors Cup competition at the 2016 Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials will also get to take home a pretty fancy cup which has just been unveiled
The Mitsubishi Motors Cup, which takes over from the Mitsubishi Motors Grassroots Championship, is moving grassroots level competition for amateur eventing participants up a notch in 2016 and is creating huge interest.
‘What Mitsubishi Motors in the UK have done to this competition is fantastic’ says British Eventing Chief Executive David Holmes ‘For a lot of people, coming to Badminton and taking part in the Mitsubishi Motors Cup is their Olympic Games. To be able to win a trophy like this and the other prizes on offer is fantastic. Badminton is such an iconic location and we are so glad to develop this into such a phenomenal competition’
Qualifying for the Mitsubishi Motors Cup, which will take place on Tuesday 3rd and Wednesday 4th May 2016 at Badminton, is the fulfilment of many amateur riders’ dreams. The finalists for the BE90 and BE100 level competition that have qualified at regional events from July to October throughout the UK have just been announced (click here to view finalist list)
Last year when we spoke to Alex Farrar-Fry, the winner of the BE100 Grassroots Championship after the presentation in front of Badminton House, she told us that she was “Overjoyed with excitement – I’m still shaking from everything! At normal events you don’t get a prize giving like that – it was amazing to be in front of all those people”
Now, in addition to the commemorative plaque winners will also have the added excitement of the new trophy as well. Maybe they need to start practising holding it aloft!
Lance Bradley, Managing Director of Mitsubishi Motors in the UK, said: ‘The trophies look magnificent and it’s great to see them. The competition has been operating very successfully for a number of years but that shouldn’t stop you making it better. More prestigious trophies and prizes and the change of name raises the profile of what is already a fantastic competition and takes it to the next level. There’s nobody who wouldn’t want to win one of these trophies and they make it even more prestigious than it was to start with.’
Alexandra Farrar-Fry riding Grey Finnsky receives her awards from Lance Bradley of Mitsubishi Motors UK
