The Injured Jockeys Fund is to be the charity of the year at this year’s London International Horse Show at Olympia from 16-22 December 2014. Markel International, the specialist insurer, will sponsor a unique class on Friday 19th December. The Markel Champions Challenge for the Injured Jockeys Fund is set to be one of the highlights of the evening, featuring some of the UK’s best known flat and jump jockeys with the additional spice of top show jumpers. A team of three flat jockeys and one top name show jumper will compete against three jump jockeys and one top name show jumper in a series of different challenges including jumps and pony club style games. The line-up of names is set to be announced early in the autumn and is likely to include Markel’s Ambassador jockeys, Sam Thomas and William Buick (see link below – photography credits to Matthew Joseph). Lisa Hancock, Chief Executive of the Injured Jockeys Fund, says: “We are delighted to be the official charity of the London International Horse Show at Olympia in our 50th anniversary year. The Markel Champions Challenge for the Injured Jockeys Fund is sure to provide a fun - and highly competitive – spectacle for the crowd, plus will help raise awareness of the important work we do at the IJF in supporting injured jockeys and their families.” Juliet Redfern, Markel’s UK Divisional Managing Director of Equine and Livestock, says: “We are thrilled to be announcing this exciting collaboration with the Injured Jockeys Fund at Olympia in December and hope that it raises lots of money for what is a fantastic charity.” Simon Brooks-Ward, Show Director, The London International Horse Show Olympia, says: “We are very pleased to be supporting the Injured Jockeys Fund this year. It is a charity that does tremendous work for riders - not just in horseracing but across all equestrian sports. The Markel Champions Challenge for the Injured Jockeys Fund will see professional jockeys demonstrating their equine skills in the Olympia Exhibition Hall in an event which promises to be great fun. It will be a great spectacle which is sure to entertain the Olympia audience, as well as hopefully raising lots of money for a very worthy cause.”
