Rising Lions

Overview

Rising Lions developed the Blenheim Challenge, a new competition concept designed to bring a fresh format to eventing while creating opportunities for riders and supporting charitable initiatives.

I was brought in to lead the PR and media strategy, building awareness of the new competition, educating the media on the format and generating sustained coverage before, during and after the event.

The Challenge

As a new competition concept, the Blenheim Challenge needed to establish itself within the sporting calendar and give media audiences a clear reason to understand and engage with the event.

The challenge was not simply to generate coverage, but to develop a compelling story around the concept itself, communicating what made the competition different while creating anticipation around the riders, format and event.

The campaign also needed to highlight the wider opportunities created by the competition, including its support for young riders and charitable impact.

The Strategy

The PR strategy focused on targeted media engagement across specialist equestrian and local publications.

Key messaging was developed to ensure consistency across all communications, while press Q&As, rider stories, quotes and photography were used to make the competition easier for journalists to understand and provide compelling editorial angles.

The Solution

The campaign delivered press releases across the pre-event and live competition period. Proactive media engagement continued throughout the event, with updates, rider quotes and photography supplied to journalists to strengthen and extend coverage.

The approach created a stream of updates, allowing the competition to remain relevant across the full campaign period.

The Outcome

The campaign generated 30+ pieces of media coverage across specialist industry and local media, with awareness of the new competition concept established, while generating sustained editorial interest before, during and after the event.

Key results included:

• 6 press releases delivered

• 30+ pieces of coverage generated

• 10+ pre-event media placements

• 20+ post-event articles

• Coverage across specialist and local media

• Sustained media interest throughout the campaign

• Editorial focus on riders, innovation, young rider opportunities and charitable impact