A new, world class sporting event to be held in Liverpool will kick off the sporting and Olympic year of 2016. The Liverpool International Horse Show will be staged at the Liverpool Echo Arena on January 1st, 2nd and 3rd on the city’s historic waterfront.
The event is being organised by equestrian promoter Nina Barbour, from the prestigious Bolesworth International, in Cheshire. The Liverpool International Horse Show will build on the city’s equestrian and entertainment heritage by combining top class show jumping and entertainment.
Barbour said: ‘We want to bring equestrian sport to the heart of the city. We see this as our Olympic legacy. I watched the equestrian events in the heart of London at the 2012 Olympics and I wanted to bring that kind of world class sport to the north west of England.
‘Liverpool is world famous for its sporting and entertainment heritage and we want to put the city on the map as a centre of excellence for show jumping. We’re really proud to be working with such a go-ahead city and we hope we’ll become a key feature of Liverpool’s sporting and entertainment calendar.’
London 2012 Olympic show jumping gold medallist, Liverpool-born Peter Charles, who launched the new show by clearing the London Olympics ‘Abbey Road’ show jumping fence on the Liverpool waterfront said: ‘Liverpool’s famous for Beatlemania and we hope to bring a bit of Horsemania to the city.
‘The Liverpool International Horse Show will be the hottest event for the world’s best show jumpers who are all preparing for the Rio Olympics. I’m a Liverpool football fan so I know how much this city loves world class sport. I can’t wait to perform in front of a Merseyside crowd in such a spectacular setting.’
Iain Graham, chief executive of British Show jumping, added: 'British Show jumping is delighted that Britain has a new, world class show jumping event. The Liverpool International Horse Show will be a terrific start to the Olympic year as our riders prepare for Rio 2016. To have show jumping in the heart of the city of Liverpool will bring our sport to a new generation of equestrian fans and promote our sport in the north west of England.'
The Liverpool International Horse Show will have its own ‘Grand National’ of Shetland ponies and a spectacular display by six shire horses who will thunder across the arena. Musical connections with the city will be highlighted with a performance by the Bootleg Beatles.
The Horse Show will be the centrepiece of the New Year celebrations in the city and is likely to attract thousands of visitors and tourists. Joe Anderson, the Mayor of Liverpool, said: 'I'm absolutely delighted that Liverpool is to stage a brand new, world class sports event. The city has a proud sporting heritage and to see the world's best riders in action on the Liverpool dockside will confirm our status as one of the leading global sports cities. It will be a great start to the New Year and the event will contribute a huge amount to the city's economy.'
The event will also include VIP hospitality packages and exclusive viewing boxes with fine dining and excellent views of all the action. And for spending that Christmas gift money, there will be a huge shopping village selling a range of goods from all things equestrian to designer fashion, gifts, jewellery and exclusive clothing.
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