Bolesworth International – 4 Day Event (Thurs 12th – Sunday 15th June)

A four day world class show-jumping and entertainment held in the beautiful grounds of Bolesworth Castle, Cheshire from 12th to 15th June 2014. Now in its 7th year The Bolesworth International has gained three star international status for 2014 attracting riders from all over the world.  This promises to be a fantastic event, not just for equestrian enthusiasts, but with all-round entertainment for the whole family and free admission for under 12's with extreme sports, classic cars with opportunities to see and experience rare birds and animals. The Bolesworth Food, Fashion and Lifestyle Festival will also celebrate the very best in local food and drink, holistic beauty and lifestyle with fashion shows and even more family entertainment.

Corporate hospitality is available throughout the four event days in the brand new hospitality marquee and on Friday 12th June, Nina Barbour, Director of the Bolesworth Estate will host a business lunch, with guest speaker Malcolm Walker, CEO of Iceland Foods.

Blue Concert (Friday 13th June)

The evening of 13th June will see a live open air concert from boy band Blue from 7pm, this is a brand new addition to the four day Bolesworth International show-jumping event held in the beautiful grounds of Bolesworth Castle.

Thirteen years on and Blue are still on top form, with their fourth studio album due for release later this year. They are also on the road once again, with a full schedule for 2014. Blue are one of the most successful British acts of the last decade selling more than 15 million albums worldwide, with all three of their previous studio albums having reached the #1 slot.

Tickets are available at http://www.seetickets.com/event/bolesworthinternational/bolesworth-castle/770166/ 

The concert ticket price also includes entrance into the Bolesworth International main event on Friday 13th June during the day.

In June of this year, Bolesworth Castle will host their first international show jumping event in the heart of Cheshire, attracting riders from all over the world.  Several Olympians have confirmed plans to attend this year's event, including London 2012 gold medallist Nick Skelton, US squad member Laura Kraut and local celebrity Geoff Billington.  International status will elevate Bolesworth into the top 5 show jumping venues in the UK, alongside Hickstead, Windsor and Olympia.  Horses and riders will compete for a share of an impressive £125,000 prize fund and will have the chance to gain valuable world-ranking points over three Longines Ranking Classes.  The show will run from 12th – 15th June, with the feature Grand Prix event taking place on Sunday 15th June at 2pm.

Maria Clayton, Head of Communications at British Showjumping said:

'To have another 3* International Show in Great Britain is something that the sport was desperately in need of.  British showjumpers have put the sport back on the global map by not only winning Team Gold at the London 2012 Olympic Games and two individual medals at the European Championships last year, but also dominate the World Ranking list with Brits Scott Brash and Ben Maher currently taking the top two places.  Bolesworth will allow spectators to enjoy watching the sport at its very best, and will give our riders the opportunity to gain valuable international experience on home soil.'

The event is a huge boost to the local economy and sits within the Bolesworth Estate, traditionally a dairy farming estate that now boasts over 125 commercial lettings, which  employ over 850 people.  Several key sponsors have been confirmed, including local waste management firm Gaskells, investment managers Cazenove, and foreign exchange specialists IFX.  Bolesworth is also proud to be supporting World Horse Welfare, the UK's largest equine rescue and re-homing charity and local children's hospice Claire House.

An exciting feature of this year's event is a live open-air pop concert from boy band Blue on the evening of Friday 13th June, with warm up acts to be announced next month.  Concert-goers will be able to enjoy a great family day out during the daytime before the concert as part of their ticket price.

Boy band Blue commented: 'We are really excited to be coming to Cheshire this summer to perform in the stunning grounds of Bolesworth Castle.  Tickets are already selling fast.  The Bolesworth International is a world class event with all round entertainment for everyone and our fans will get the fantastic opportunity to enjoy the whole event programme on the Friday daytime before coming to our open air concert that night.'

Bolesworth is not just an event for equestrian enthusiasts, but a whole programme of activities and attractions scheduled for the entire family.  Grandstand seating and parking are free with adult entrance tickets, priced at £10 online and children under 12 go free.  The vast array of activities on offer include a rare opportunity for camel riding and  the chance to experience some animal magic with an exotic reptile show, micro pigs, birds of prey, Newfoundland rescue bears and parrot displays.  More adrenalin-fuelled activities include stunt bike displays, funfair, land & water zorbing, indoor caving and an 18ft climbing wall.  The extensive shopping village will be packed with a huge variety of trade stands and full catering and bar facilities will be available.  The Bolesworth Food, Fashion & Lifestyle Festival will be running during the event from Friday 13th – Sunday 15th June and will be celebrating all the very best in local food and drink, holistic beauty and lifestyle with fashion shows and demonstrations with Celebrity Chef Brian Mellor.

To celebrate being awarded 3* International status, Bolesworth is planning an opening ceremony following the Longines Ranking Class on Thursday 12th June, featuring top international carriage driver Boyd Exell and Olympian Nick Skelton.  Local school children will have the chance to be part of this special day, as Bolesworth is hosting a schools' day offering groups free entry on Thursday 12th June with a full programme of educational activities, including the chance to meet and talk to some of the UK's top riders.

For more information, full details of the event programme and to purchase tickets go to:

www.bolesworthinternational.com

Tickets for the event are also available at:

http://www.seetickets.com/event/bolesworth-international/bolesworth-castle/770166/

For all media enquiries & press accreditation contact Laura Young on 07919004116 or email l.young@marketingcheshire.co.uk For further event information please go to www.bolesworthinternational.com and for all other event enquiries please contact Alison Sharp at the Bolesworth International Show Office on 01829 782 210 or email: alison@bolesworth.com