Welcome to Leg 1 of the ERM 2018 Season from the Dodson & Horrell Chatsworth International Horse Trials

On behalf of the entire Event Rider Masters (ERM) management team, a very warm welcome to the first leg of the 2018 series here at the Dodson & Horrell Chatsworth International Horse Trials in the grounds of the magnificent Chatsworth House.

Starting the series for a third year here at Chatsworth, we are again excited by the calibre of entries received and look forward to welcoming 5 of the World’s top 10 ranked riders to this weekend’s competition. The field includes New Zealand’s Jonelle Price, fresh from her incredible victory last weekend at the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton International Horse Trials CCI4* and our reigning ERM Series Champion Gemma Tattersall, who returns determined to defend her 2017 title.

The quality of entries is testament to the growth of the series and its appeal to top class riders and their owners. 2017 saw significant growth in the audience for ERM which resulted in over 1 million unique viewers of our live streams. This was primarily due to the high quality of our broadcast output in both our television highlights shows and live streams and in 2018 we have 31 broadcast partners around the world who will be airing our highlights shows to even more sports fans.

Technical innovation is at the heart of ERM. This year, working closely with our partners SAP, SCG, Rechenstelle and Digital Marmalade, we have developed the BRAND NEW live and interactive scoring aspect to our website. The ERM site will now feature as-it-happens, movement-by-movement dressage scoring as well as live trending scores throughout all phases, showing instantaneous updates.

Our Technical Partner SAP, continue to innovate across a plethora of sports as well as within Eventing and in addition to their Audience Judging App, their Cross Country Tracking App will now be available both on site and online during the broadcast of each event.

2018 will see the introduction of a new feature, Stats Corner. In regular spots each day, resident expert Diarmuid Byrne of Equiratings will focus on the magic numbers ahead of the action, adding even more depth to the fans’ appreciation of the competition.

We are also delighted to introduce our Official Clothing Supplier, Noble Outfitters, who are launching a new ERM branded merchandise range here at Chatsworth and online at www.eventridermasters.tv

Social media is key to the communication with our audience and you will see some interesting developments this year. With more key moments being shared across all our social media platforms,you will get to see even more of our great video content produced by Broadcast Partners Red Handed TV, delivering the right content, to the right platform, at the right time.

I hope you enjoy what we deliver this weekend. Make sure you get in touch with us on our social channels to let us know what you think.

Jim O'Toole

CEO Event Rider Masters