Support the Countryside Alliance and British Equestrian Team

The opening day of the November Meeting at the world-famous Cheltenham Racecourse (Friday, 17 November) will be Countryside Day again this year, showcasing the close connections of country sports and National Hunt racing. This year's event will be even more special for those attending because it is anticipated the day will feature some of the UK's best equestrians as well as top­ class racing as we help raise vital funds for both the Countryside Alliance and British Equestrian Team: Mission Paris. 

British riders excel in every arena, and every four years, in the run-up to the Olympic Games, the worlds of hunting, racing, dressage, eventing, para­ equestrianism and show jumping come together at the Gloucestershire racecourse. The depth and breadth of horse sport in the UK is what makes our teams so successful and we are looking forward to supporting those aiming for Paris in 2024. 

Ian Renton, regional director for Cheltenham and the south west, said:

"Our Countryside Day is always an incredibly popular fixture and we are very proud of how much we raise for charity each year. We look forward to boosting the funds to support Britain's equestrian teams ahead of the Olympic Games being held in Paris in 2024. We have some exciting events planned for race day and expect a crowd in the region of 20,000." 

Support the team

The main fundraising initiatives will be an online silent auction that will be running in the lead-up to race day and the live auction lots - auctioned on the day - that have been so generously donated. Desi Dillingham, the Canadian-born former President of the British Horse Society and the founding Chairman of British Dressage Ltd, has been instrumental in pulling together incredible auction lots ever since she became involved in raising funds for Britain's Olympic team ahead of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. 

Desi said:

"In the year before an Olympic Games, we are honoured to be invited to be a charitable partner again and hope that we can make this an outstanding year for both the live and silent auctions. There is a lot of synergy between the Olympic disciplines and the racing world and this day gives us an opportunity to open our disciplines to a wider audience and on a higher platform." 

Place your bid

Trainers, riders, owners and friends of equestrianism and racing have pulled out all the stops to help make the fundraising auction an outstanding success for British Equestrian Team: Mission Paris. 

Here is a flavour of some of the exciting lots that will be available, with funds supporting the work of the Countryside Alliance and helping our athletes to Olympic medal glory. More details will be circulated on our website, by email and on our social media platforms as race day approaches. 

• A private tour of Windsor Mews for four followed by a three­course lunch at The Barn at Coworth Park with a trip through Windsor Great Park in a four-in­hand carriage. 
• An invitation for four guests to visit Jackdaws Castle, home to Jonjo O'Neill Racing, for a behind-the-scenes tour with a champagne breakfast. 
• A one-week stay for up to seven people in an apartment just one minute's walk from the beach near Marbella, Spain. 
• A hospitality package for Burghley Horse Trials 2024. 
• Unique opportunity to "Bag a MacNab" in lnverdale, Scotland. 
• A day with dressage star Annabella Pidgley. 
• Behind-the-scenes experience with Alice Fox-Pitt at ITV Racing. 
• Gatcombe Festival of British Eventing hospitality package and course walk. 
• Many more items including holidays, experiences of a lifetime, fine art, plus racing and eventing packages which are not to be missed. 

Helen Nicholls, Performance Director for British Equestrian expressed the importance of the fundraising:

"The British Equestrian Teams are busily preparing for our mission to Paris next year to make sure that our athletes and their horses can perform to their very best. The Equestrian World Class Programme and our championship teams are generously funded by The National Lottery, via UK Sport, but in an Olympic and Paralympic year we fundraise and go that extra mile - it's often those extra special touches that can make the difference between winning or finishing fourth. Everyone who supports Countryside Day plays a part in the British Equestrian Teams' success." 

Christopher Hodgson, Chairman of the Countryside Day Committee enthused:

"Since its creation, Cheltenham's Countryside Day has matched the enthusiasm of country sports followers with high class jump racing over the famous Cheltenham fences. The first day of the November Meeting includes a vibrant shopping opportunity for fashionable clothing and other valued items, country sports displays and a parade of hounds, while raising valuable funds for the Countryside Alliance and our charitable partner, which is supporting those aiming for the Olympic Games in Paris 2024." 

Image: Georgina Preston Photography