Subaru Strikes Gold

COLESHILL, United Kingdom – January 12 2009: Subaru (UK) Limited are proud to announce the appointment of three Brand Ambassadors from the sport of Three Day Eventing following their recent sponsorship of Equestrian Team GBR. The three highly successful riders each receive a liveried vehicle and will promote Subaru at the events they compete in throughout the year.

Oliver Townend has taken delivery of Subaru’s widely-acclaimed new Forester Boxer Diesel; Sharon Hunt, Olympic bronze medal winner in the team event will receive an Outback 2.0D REn and Emily Llewellyn, team Gold in the Young Rider European Championships and Individual Gold medal winner in the Young Rider European Championships, the totally new Impreza 2.0RX.

Probably the busiest event rider in the country, 25-year-old Oliver finished the 2008 season in second place on the British Eventing leaderboard.

Leicestershire-based Oliver, said: “I’m thrilled to be associated with such an emotive global brand as Subaru.”

Sharon Hunt is ranked among the top 50 eventers in the world and secured a well deserved team Bronze medal representing Great Britain in this year’s Beijing Olympics.

Currently competing on not one but 10 horses at all levels – including the World Equestrian Games, Burghley and Badminton – Sharon is also a motivational speaker and gives mounted demonstrations at a variety of equestrian, sporting,corporate and other events throughout the country. In addition, she provides private tuition, takes on her own working pupils and advises a number of fledgling eventers.

Emily Llewellyn, 19, has been selected for the World Class Development Programme 2009-2011, a Lottery-funded programme, via UK Sport, that seeks to identify and develop riders who have shown the potential to reach the world stage.

Selected for the 2008 Young Rider team, Emily won the Individual and Team Gold at the European Championships in Germany. Her medal tally stands at an impressive four gold, one silver, and one bronze and she is the only rider to have won both U18 and U21 British National Championships in the same year.

John Fossey, Brand Director, Subaru (UK) Limited, said: “We’re well aware that personal recommendation for a niche brand such as Subaru is a vital element in our marketing drive and Oliver, Sharon, and Emily will be at all the major competitions throughout the summer with our vehicles. This also ties in perfectly with our other sponsorship activity in 2009 and beyond. We are delighted to be partnered with such committed and talented competitors and we see this arrangement as very much a long-term commitment.”