Stena Line launches second year as title sponsor of the 2019 Dublin Horse Show

LEADING ferry company Stena Line has commenced preparations for its second year as title sponsor of the Dublin Horse Show including the launch of a special booking rate as Official Ferry Partner for the 2019 Stena Line Dublin Horse Show.

The Show, now in its 146^th year, is not only the highlight of the equestrian calendar in Ireland but it is also one of the most iconic social events of the year attracting over 100,000 visitors each year to the famous RDS venue.

This year’s event takes place from 7–11 August at the RDS and in addition to world class international equestrian competitions it will also include a range of other activity, including over 300 shopping stalls, roving entertainment, food and drink outlets around the grounds and National Show Jumping finals for all ages. Over 1,500 horses and ponies will compete across 132 classes and competitions during the five-day event. All Equine competitors in the show and Exhibitors are advised to email salessupport.uk.roi@stenaline.com or call +353 1 7047115 to avail of exclusive Stena Line Dublin Horse Show commercial travel rates.

Diane Poole, Stena Line’s Travel Commercial Manager (Irish Sea South) commented: “The 2018 Stena Line Dublin Horse Show was a great occasion for us, which also included the appointment of Bertram Allen, one of the rising stars of Irish show jumping, as a brand ambassador for Stena Line. Our customers really engaged with the event and we are currently working on a number of exciting initiatives to ensure that the 2019 event will be an even bigger success for Stena Line. As Ireland’s leading ferry company, partnering with such an iconic Irish event as the Dublin Horse Show provides a perfect opportunity for Stena Line to engage directly with a wider audience and further demonstrates our commitment and support for a range of audiences and communities across Ireland.”

Diane Poole added: “2019 is a very important year for Stena Line in Ireland as we prepare the way for the launch of our new Stena Estridvessel, the first of our new generation state-of-the-art E-Flexer ferries currently being built in China, which will be deployed on our Dublin - Holyhead route in early 2020. Already in 2019, we have been awarded the Irish Independent’s Reader Travel Award for Best Ferry Experience and with our continued support for the iconic Stena Line Dublin Horse Show staring to build real momentum, we are looking forward to being associated with another unique piece of sporting and cultural life in Ireland.”

Michael Duffy, Chief Executive of the RDS said: “We are already looking forward to a special Dublin Horse Show this August and are delighted to have Stena Line partner with for this 146^thedition. It will be a fantastic week with sport, social and style mixing freely throughout. We look forward to working with Stena Line on making it a really successful event for all involved, particularly the sport horse industry itself, which plays such a significant role in the economic life of rural Ireland.”

Stena Line is the largest ferry operator on the Irish Sea, offering the biggest fleet and the widest choice of routes between Ireland and Britain including Dublin to Holyhead, Rosslare to Fishguard, Belfast to Liverpool and Heysham and Belfast to Cairnryan, a total of 232 weekly sailing options. Stena Line also offers a direct service from Rosslare to Cherbourg with three return crossings a week.

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For more information on Stena Line visit www.stenaline.ie

For more information on the Stena Line Dublin Horse Show visit http://dublinhorseshow.com/

NOTE TO EDITOR: For further information please contact Ciara Kinkead of Duffy Rafferty Communications on +44 (0) 28 9073 0880.