The challenge
For the Agria Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials to be selected to host the Agria FEI Eventing European Championship in September 2025 was a major coup for our client Stable Events and an opportunity to showcase a unique venue – a UNESCO World Heritage site – and the expertise of the entire team involved. The last time a European Championship was held in the United Kingdom was over 10 years ago at Blair Castle in Scotland in 2015 which the Coate PR team were also privileged to be involved in.
Working for Britain’s most prestigious equestrian fixture in 2025, Coate PR was required to put together a campaign across print, socials, digital and international media, work closely with the FEI, the International Federation for Equestrian Sports, to meet the requirements of such an event and manage a media centre on event catering to the different needs of over 150 representatives from all over the world. Whilst simultaneously feeding instant quotes, imagery and video to remote global media.
Key to our success was planning meticulously over the time of all phases of the campaign from beginning to end.
How we helped
Pre-event precision:
We integrated feedback from the FEI and the International Equestrian Journalist Alliance (IEJA) directly into our planning of accreditation and Media Centre management. We curated the horse trials’ social campaigns and directly liaised with the media with special exclusive features and competitions. We also hosted an exclusive Preview Day for sponsors, stakeholders, media and influencers, featuring a course walk with acclaimed Course Designer, Captain Mark Phillips, afternoon tea, meet and greet with the official charity partner, Riding for Disabled ponies and an exclusive roof top tour of Blenheim Palace which generated a high number editorial and real time engagement.
On-event operations:
With a team of 12 experienced professionals we ran a myriad of overlaid activities, including two mixed zones, a press tribune, multiple press pens across the venue – all while handling real-time social media content production, live updates, and community and media engagement across platforms. We managed a WhatsApp group for instant press updates, and daily live press conferences compèred by Coate PR.
Simple tactics like having an information board, this hub provided essential resources including key timings, detailed press facility maps, remote photography request procedures, as well as access information for the main arena. Providing clear locations of the pre-planned press pens and a dedicated Photo Manager as a point of contact, we ensured optimum picture quality and ease of planning for all the photographers and videographers.
By committing a team of three in the Mixed Zone we were able to capture rider reactions and upload them instantly to our online Media Centre, this gave remote journalists immediate access to the action.
From influencer collaborations to sponsor support, editorial placements to on-the-ground logistics, our remit was broad, strategic, and hands-on – ensuring that every story told from Blenheim was as compelling as the competition itself.
Reporting and analysis: Our job didn’t end when the journalists left. We provided a complete media coverage report which analysed the success of the media outreach, preview day, pre-event campaigns, and total social media impact.
The results
Our fastidious, but personal approach enabled massive global visibility. By bridging the gap between on-site activities and international media, Coate PR secured 374 pieces of targeted coverage that generated a total reach of 701 million.
Thanks to directed digital and traditional outreach, the event achieved an online readership of 354 million, a print readership of 6.01 million plus over 6.8 million organic social media views.
We each have our own personal highlights of the week we spent at Blenheim in September 2025, but we all agreed that Tom McEwen winning individual Bronze and Laura Collett achieving a stunning individual Gold medals topped everything. Every member of the Coate PR team had a specific role and responsibility throughout the campaign and we all think of our time working on this major project, alongside Stable Events and various other expert suppliers, with great pride and satisfaction.
Get in touch to discuss how we can help elevate your evet: april@coatepr.co.uk