BETA's brilliant Blair début

BETA’s début at Blair Castle International Horse Trials as part of the trade association’s 40th-anniversary celebrations was hailed a great success. During the event, BETA supported the Scottish Grassroots Eventing Festival, which saw wins for Sophie Bultitude on Laghey Clover (BE90) and Rose Macpherson on Ballingowan Carrie (BE100), organised the Best Stand Awards and hosted an extremely well-attended Tradestand Holders' Drinks Reception.


“We were thrilled to be at Blair and our experience proved to be nothing short of fantastic,” said BETA executive director Claire Williams. “The event enjoys a tremendous reputation throughout the equestrian world and we can certainly see why. The organisation was first-class and the large audience of horsey people it attracts is phenomenal. It certainly kept the trade busy and gave us a fantastic opportunity to engage with riders of all abilities and from a wide range of backgrounds. People were keen to hear about BETA's many exciting initiatives and the excellent services offered by our members.”


Throughout the event, visitors made their way to the BETA stand for free riding hat and body protector checks. In return, they were given discount vouchers worth 10 per cent off the price of a new safety garment when bought from a participating BETA retail member.


Horse owners were also able to find out about the trade association's two feed assurance schemes, designed to help avoid feeds that have been contaminated by naturally occurring prohibited substances and highlight products that are best suited to horses and ponies prone to, or at risk from, equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS).


The spirit of competition that ran through the event was burning brightly on the BETA stand, where visitors took the BETA Test, with a goody bag prize for those who passed.


Blair visitors were also invited to play their part in helping to shape the future of our sport by joining the BETA National Equestrian Research Panel, where they can share their views on all things horsey with the industry. As a token of the trade association's appreciation, everyone who signed up was automatically entered into the BETA Prize Draw, with the chance to win £1,500 worth of clothing, feed and equipment for horse and rider.


As part of its commitment to supporting the equestrian trade, BETA was extremely pleased to host the Best Stand Awards at Blair and you could almost hear a pin drop as the winners were announced. The competition is divided into three categories – Equestrian & Saddlery, Lifestyle, Pet & Fashion and Food & Beverages, with each stand judged according to BETA's set criteria and awarded either a gold or silver standard.  This year the emphasis was very much on customer service and the passion shown for their products. 


In Equestrian & Saddlery, Treehouse Sporting Colours and TopSpec Equine were awarded gold, while silver went to Just Chaps, Baileys Horse Feeds and Libby's International.


In the Lifestyle, Pet & Fashion section, gold was won by Scotia Cabins, which also won Best in Show, Equafleece, Carl Scarpa and Grays, with silver going to Massage Cushions, Rugby Plus and Ruff & Tumble.
Food & Beverages saw gold go to Aelder, The Gin Bothy and Clootie Dumpling.