Attracting Sponsors as a Rider

Sponsorship in equestrian sport is rarely a goldmine, and almost never the starting point of a career. It's an exchange: a brand provides products, a discount, or money, and gets visibility and credibility in return. This guide describes the types of sponsors that exist, how to present yourself, and what you can reasonably expect at your level.

What a Sponsor Expects From You

A sponsor isn't buying performance, but reach and association. A tack dealer wants its brand seen by riders considering the same purchase; a feed producer wants a face that talks credibly about feed. That means competition results carry less weight than often assumed, and visibility and image carry more.

In practice, a brand looks at a combination of:

• Reach — followers on social media, but especially how many people actually engage, share, and click through.
• Target audience — does your audience match who the brand wants to reach? A sub-elite dressage rider is more valuable to a tack brand than a larger account without that focus.
• Reliability — do you keep your agreements, deliver content on time, and present yourself well at competitions and clinics?
• Story — a recognizable path (developing young horses, a comeback from injury, a particular riding style) makes you more interesting than isolated results.

Riders who rely on results alone fall out of favor as soon as results dip. Riders with an audience and a story stay valuable to a brand.

Types of Sponsors

Not every sponsor gives money — most, in fact, don't. Broadly, you'll see these forms:

The realistic entry point for most riders is an equipment sponsor or discount partner. A cash sponsor is typically a local business with a personal connection (a parent who runs a business, an employer, a company from your town), not a large brand you approach cold.

What You Need Before Reaching Out

Before you approach a brand, make sure you have something to offer and can explain it clearly. A sponsorship proposal is short, concrete, and honest about your reach.

A workable proposal includes:

• Who you are — level, discipline, horse(s), where you ride and train.
• Numbers — followers per channel, average engagement, how many competitions per year, what audience.
• What you offer — concrete details: number of posts, a mention on your rug or truck, presence at clinics, content the brand may use itself.
• What you're asking for — products, a discount, or an amount. Be specific; "some sponsorship" isn't something a business can evaluate.
• Why this brand specifically — show that you know and use their products. Generic emails sent to dozens of brands at once stand out immediately, and not in a good way.

Keep the proposal to one or two pages, with a few good photos. A professional-looking presentation says something about how you'll handle the relationship with the brand.

Realistic Expectations by Level

What's achievable depends heavily on where you stand. The figures below are rough orders of magnitude; reality varies by discipline, region, and how active you are online.

• Starting out in competition — expect mostly a discount at a local tack shop or an affiliate code, rarely more. At this stage, focus on building visibility and a consistent online presence.
• Sub-elite / regionally known — equipment sponsorship (tack, clothing, feed) becomes realistic, plus possibly a local cash sponsor with a personal connection. A mention on your rug and clothing is standard.
• (Inter)national top level — multiple equipment sponsors, one or a few main sponsors, and in exceptional cases a paid brand partnership. Even here, sponsorship usually covers only part of a competition stable's costs; the rest comes from trading horses, giving lessons, and boarding.

The biggest misconception is that sponsorship makes the sport affordable. For nearly everyone, it's a supplement, not an income. See also What Does Horse Riding Cost? for the real cost side.

Putting Agreements in Writing

Even for a small deal, it's wise to put agreements in writing — even if it's just a short email both parties confirm. Record what you get, what you do in return, how long the agreement runs, and what happens if either side wants to end it.

For larger or paid deals, pay attention to a few points:

• Duration and termination — usually per season or per year, with a clear end date.
• Exclusivity — a tack brand often doesn't want you featuring a competitor at the same time. Check whether this limits you with other sponsors.
• Tax — sponsorship income and free products can count for tax purposes. For your own situation, consult an accountant or the Belastingdienst.
• Use of content and images — who may use which photos and videos, and for how long?

For a substantial contract, it's worth having someone knowledgeable read it before you sign.

Getting Started

Sponsorship rarely comes on its own, and at the start it costs more than it delivers. The sequence that works for most riders:

1. Build a consistent, recognizable online presence first — not the biggest, but a clear one.
2. Start small and local: the shop where you already buy, a business in your area, a brand you actually use.
3. Deliver on what you promise. A satisfied sponsor renews and recommends you — that's worth more than ten cold emails.
4. Only scale up to bigger brands once you have something concrete to show — reach, results, and proof that you keep your agreements.

Treat a sponsor as a business relationship, not a favor. That's exactly how the brand sees it too.

See also: What Does Horse Riding Cost? · Level: For Professionals · Glossary for this level