Brooke Becomes Official Charity of FEI World Equestrian Games™ Tryon 2018

LEXINGTON, Ky (March 28, 2018) The Organizing Committee of the FEI World Equestrian Games™ Tryon and Brooke USA are proud to announce that Brooke (sister charity of Brooke USA), the world’s largest international equine welfare charity, has been chosen as the “Official Charity for the FEI World Equestrian Games™ Tryon 2018 (WEG).” The games will take place at Tryon International Equestrian Center in North Carolina, USA this September 11 through 23.        

WEG, which takes place every four years, is the major international championship event for the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI)-regulated disciplines of Jumping, Dressage and Para-Equestrian Dressage, Eventing, Driving, Endurance, Vaulting and Reining.

This year, the WEG will be held at the 1,600-acre Tryon International Equestrian Center at Tryon Resort, co-founded in 2014 by the Tryon Equestrian Partners, which is comprised of six equestrian families who are all committed to the long-term development and growth of equestrian sport: Mark and Katherine Bellissimo, Roger and Jennifer Smith, Lisa Lourie, Jenji and Diana Mercer, Howard and Gwen Dvorkin, and Joe and Cindy Mitchell. 

Headquartered in the UK, Brooke is an international charity that protects and improves the lives of working horses, donkeys and mules, whose labor keeps millions of poor families in developing countries around the world out of poverty.

The charity designation is courtesy of Katherine Bellissimo, who serves on the board of Brooke USA, which is headquartered at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington. Brooke USA is dedicated to significantly improving the welfare of working horses, donkeys and mules and the people they serve throughout Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America by raising funds and responsibly directing them to the areas of greatest need.

The overarching theme for the 2018 WEG is “Celebrate the Horse, Celebrate the Sport: #Together,” which commemorates the deep connection and interdependencies that have existed between humankind and equines for millennia. For much of the developed world, this relationship has become one of leisure and sport, but for more than 600 million people, the relationship is still one of survival.

Katherine has championed Brooke’s work for a number of years before becoming part of Brooke USA in April 2016. She said, “I am pleased to have Brooke named as the official charity of the FEI World Equestrian Games Tryon 2018. The work that Brooke and Brooke USA do for both horses and humans around the world is incredibly admirable and embodies our organization’s goal of celebrating the ways we depend on this beautiful creature through this event. It is only natural that the world’s largest working equine welfare charity be chosen as a beneficiary of the world’s largest equestrian competition.

“Brooke USA is one of only two boards I choose to serve on and it’s because I believe our work has a great and lasting impact on Brooke’s global efforts, not only for the equines but also the humans who rely on them.” 

Emily Dulin, Executive Director of Brooke USA, said, “100 million horses, donkeys and mules around the world are doing the hardest jobs in extreme environments, from the brick kilns of Nepal to the coal mines of Pakistan and the small farms of Ethiopia and Nicaragua, they are paying the price for their labor with injuries, exhaustion, dehydration and malnutrition. Brooke works to make long lasting improvements to their lives.”

Petra Ingram, Chief Executive of Brooke stated, “We are so proud to be a part of WEG this year. The theme of humans and equines through time also ties in with our Every Horse Remembered campaign, which honors the horses who worked side-by-side with soldiers in World War One. We’re looking forward to working together with Tryon International Equestrian Center to organize Brooke-themed activities and raise funds for working horses, donkeys and mules around the world.”

As the “Official Charity of the FEI World Equestrian Games™ Tryon 2018,” Brooke is planning to build a commemorative walkway called Brooke Breezeway at Tryon International Equestrian Center that will feature dedicated “Brooke Bricks” in honor of both this iconic event and the important service provided by working equines around the world. “Brooke Bricks” will be made of bricks manufactured humanely in the United States and can be purchased online at www.BrookeBricks.org,  a custom Brooke USA microsite, and be installed in dedication of a person, horse or organization.  The website will launch later this spring.

Find out more about the charities at www.BrookeUSA.org or www.TheBrooke.org. To learn more about the FEI World Equestrian Games™ Tryon 2018 and to book tickets, visit www.Tryon2018.com.   

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Media Inquiries:

For US-based media inquiries relating to Brooke’s presence at the FEI World Equestrian Games™ Tryon 2018, please contact Cindy.Rullman@BrookeUSA.org or 859-296-0037.

For UK media enquiries relating to this announcement, please contact the Brooke press team: Jamie.Whear@TheBrooke.org / Ellie.Williams@TheBrooke.org  0207 653 5843/0207 653 5876.

For media inquiries about the FEI World Equestrian Games™ Tryon 2018, please visit www.Tryon2018.com or contact one of the following press officers:

International Press Officer – Niki McEwen at Niki@RevolutionSports.co.uk or 0044(0) 203 176 0355

National Press Officer – Carly Weilminster at Cweilminster@Tryonweg.com or +1 (828) 863-1144

For more information from the FEI, please contact Shannon Gibbons at Shannon.Gibbons@FEI.org  or 0041-78-750-6146.

About Brooke USA:

By funding Brooke’s work, Brooke USA aims to improve the lives of working equines, both now and in the future. Brooke USA ensures that contributions from generous donors are put to great use as they equip people in the developing world with the knowledge and skills to give their horses, donkeys and mules better lives. www.BrookeUSA.org  

About Brooke:

Brooke is an international charity that protects and improves the lives of the working horses, donkeys and mules that give people in the developing world the opportunity to work their way out of poverty.  Over 100 million of these animals are currently working worldwide, earning an income that around 600 million people rely on to put food on their tables, send their children to school and build better futures for themselves and their families. Sadly, many working horses, donkeys and mules are suffering, so Brooke works in more than 11 developing countries, with owners, communities, service providers, governments and international organizations to make long lasting improvements to the lives of animals and their owners. www.TheBrooke.org   

About the Tryon International Equestrian Center:

Tryon International Equestrian Center at Tryon Resort, host of the FEI World Equestrian Games™ Tryon 2018, is one of the world’s premier equestrian lifestyle destinations. From carousel to competition, the mission of Tryon Resort is to celebrate the magic of the horse, grow equestrian sport, and increase access to this majestic animal. With first-class facilities for hunter/jumper, dressage, and eventing competitions, the facility will soon accommodate all eight equestrian disciplines. Tryon Resort is a spring, summer and fall haven for equestrian competitors and enthusiasts, and a year-round destination for connoisseurs of diverse cuisine and shopping, lodging getaways, and family entertainment. Learn more at www.Tryon.com

About the FEI World Equestrian Games™:

The FEI World Equestrian Games™, held every four years in the middle of the Olympic cycle, is the property of the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI), the world governing body for horse sport recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). It is one of the biggest events on the global sporting calendar, combining World Championships in the Olympic disciplines of Jumping, Dressage and Eventing, the Paralympic discipline of Para-Equestrian Dressage, as well as Driving, Endurance, Vaulting and Reining.

The inaugural FEI World Equestrian Games™ were hosted in Stockholm (SWE) in 1990. Since then the Games have been staged in The Hague (NED) in 1994, Rome (ITA) in 1998, Jerez (ESP) in 2002, and Aachen (GER) in 2006. The first Games to be organized outside Europe were the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ in Kentucky (USA) 2010. The Games came back to Europe for the 2014 edition, the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ in Normandy (FRA), which attracted more than 500,000 on-site spectators and a worldwide television audience of 350 million, as well as delivering an economic impact of €368 million to the French economy.

For more information, visit www.tryon2018.com and http://www.fei.org/tryon-2018