Press room

Petplan Equine, the UK's specialist equine insurance provider, and British Dressage have announced competition dates for the 13th annual Petplan Equine Area festivals.

One of UK equestrian sport's longest running sponsorships, The Petplan Equine Area festivals have become known in the dressage world as 'The Petplans' and are recognised as the country's foremost competition series for amateur dressage riders.

The qualifiers run from August to October and culminate in a final held alongside the British Dressage Winter Championships at Hartpury College in Gloucestershire the following April. Held at 17 venues throughout the UK The Petplan Equine Area festivals attract around 3,000 amateur dressage riders and provide a rare opportunity to compete in top class arenas and experience true championship conditions.

Any horse and rider combination that has achieved a minimum of two scores of 62% or above for Preliminary to Elementary level or 60% or above for Medium to Prix St Georges at any affiliated competition since 1st January 2012 can take part in one of the 17 Petplan Equine Area festivals that run from August to October this year.

The 2012 series kicks off at Warwickshire's Weston Lawns and West Wilts Equestrian Centre in Wiltshire from 17th–19th August 2012 and riders will be aiming to qualify for one of ten Petplan Equine Area Festival Championship titles ranging from Petplan Equine Area Festival Preliminary Champion to the Petplan Equine Area Festival Prix St Georges Champion.

The competition is also open to non-members of British Dressage, who may qualify for the Area festivals on 'Class Tickets'. However, once the scores have been obtained the rider must become a full member of British Dressage in order to take part in the Area Festival. All horses too must be registered before entering the Area Festival.

Isabella Von Mesterhazy, Head of Marketing for Petplan Equine said: "We are very proud to support this fantastic competition, which continues to go from strength to strength. As someone who has recently returned to competitive riding, I know how much this opportunity means to the dedicated amateurs who are the lifeblood of British Dressage."

Maggie Jackman, British Dressage Sponsorship Manager, commented; "The Petplans are one of the most popular competitions in the UK dressage calendar and give thousands of riders the chance to be part of something really special and gain valuable experience. For many, competing in the Championship will be the pinnacle of their careers but for some it may be an important step on the road to even greater success."

The dates of the 2012 Area festivals are as follows:

Venue	County	Date
Weston Lawns	Warwickshire	17-19 August
West Wilts	Wiltshire	18-20 August
Rowallan Activity Centre	Ayrshire	24-26 August
Sparsholt College	Hampshire	26-27 August
Norton Heath	Essex	31 August-2 September
Wellington Riding	Hampshire	3-6 September
Kingswood EC	Staffordshire	6-9 September
Tall Trees	Cornwall	7-9 September
Northallerton EC	North Yorkshire	22-23 September
Patchetts EC	Hertfordshire	22-24 September
Sheepgate Equestrian	Lincolnshire	6-7 October
Gordon Dressage Group	Aberdeenshire	6-7 October
Allens Hill	Worcestershire	5-7 October
Pachesham EC	Surrey	13-15 October
Arena UK	Lincolnshire	20-21 October
Myerscough College	Lancashire	27-30 October
Pencoed	Glamorgan	27-29 October

Further information about the Area festivals is available from the Petplan Equine website at www.petplanequine.co.uk/events.

To enter an Area Festival or to purchase ‘Class Tickets’ contact British Dressage on 024 766 98830 or visit www.britishdressage.co.uk

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For more information please contact the Petplan press office on:

Name	Telephone	Email
Charlotte Collyer	0208 707 8335	[email protected]

Petplan Equine is the UK's leading horse insurance provider offering a wide variety of flexible horse insurance and rider insurance policies which cater for all levels of experience.

Established more than 20 years ago, Petplan Equine is part of Allianz Insurance, one of the largest general insurers in the world.

For more information about a Petplan Equine horse insurance policy, please visit:
petplanequine.co.uk/insurance/quote.asp

Note to editors:

• Petplan Equine was founded in 1988.
• It is part of Allianz Animal Health, the largest provider of animal health insurance in the world and part of Allianz – one of the largest general insurers in the UK.
• In addition to horse and pony insurance options, Petplan Equine provides dedicated products for veteran horses and rider only insurance cover.
• It is the sister brand of Petplan, the largest provider of small animal insurance in the UK.
• Petplan Equine believes in supporting the equine community and provides more financial support to equestrian sports and activities than any equine insurance provider in the UK.
• The Pet Plan Charitable Trust was founded in 1994 to raise much needed funds for animal welfare and veterinary projects. Money is raised by Petplan and Petplan Equine customers giving an optional £1.50 to the Trust when they take out or renew their policy. To date, almost £5 million has been awarded by the Trust.
• Petplan and Petplan Equine are specialist insurers. As such, the company employs more horse riders and owners than any other and more former veterinary practice staff than any other to ensure the provision of specialist knowledge.
• Petplan Equine is the only insurer to offer illness and accident cover for older horses, up to the age of 25 as long as the policy is taken before your horse reaches the age of 20.