A change in the position of the general partner of the Velka Pardubicka. An opportunity for new partnerships opens up.

One of the oldest partnerships in Czech sport is coming to an end. After a quarter of a century of collaboration, the time has come for a change. Česká pojišťovna, the general partner of the Velka Pardubicka, the toughest and oldest horse race in continental Europe, has decided to give other companies an opportunity to share in the development of horse racing.
Česká pojišťovna first became the general partner of the Velka Pardubicka in 1991, and has sponsored the race every year since 1995. Together with Dostihový spolek a.s., organisers of events at Pardubice racecourse, Česká pojišťovna has been developing the tradition of the race for the last quarter of a century, and has been helping to build up a distinguished and prestigious internationally famous event. “A quarter of a century of working together is an occasion to evaluate our long-term partnership and to recapitulate everything that we have achieved together over that period of time. It is also the moment when we have reached the decision to withdraw from our position as general partner. However, that does not mean that we are going to leave horseracing altogether. We will be negotiating with Dostihový spolek about other ways in which we can collaborate,” says Radek Moc, member of the top management of Česká pojišťovna responsible for sponsorship.

Dostihový spolek a.s. has been organising the Velka Pardubicka since 1993, when the association was founded. Almost throughout its existence, Dostihový spolek has been building up and maintaining a solid partnership with Česká pojišťovna. “Twenty-five years is a long time. Česká pojišťovna together with the Velka Pardubicka, that is to say together with Dostihový spolek, has lived through very good times and some bad times, but has always been a solid and stable partner. We thank the leadership of Česká pojišťovna and all the people who have participated over these twenty-five years in providing support for racing at Pardubice. The time has now come to move on. We are looking forward to having a new general partner that will appreciate the opportunity to link its name with this phenomenon, which is at the same time the oldest Czech sporting event and enjoys enormous popularity,” says Martin Korba, deputy chairman of the board and executive manager of Dostihový spolek, a.s. 

The Velka Pardubicka, which was first run in 1874, attracts tens of thousands of racegoers to Pardubice racecourse each year, and millions watch the race on television and on their mobile devices. It is a sports event that is spoken about not only in the Czech Republic but also abroad. The legend of the race reaches beyond the second Sunday in October. A series of four qualification races leads up to the Velka Pardubicka, and provides further options for building up to the horseracing festival.

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Česká pojišťovna [Czech Insurance] is, like the Velka Pardubicka, an old Czech institution, established in the 1820s.  

Dostihový spolek [Horseracing Association] was set up in 1993 by supporters of sport in Pardubice to take over the management of Pardubice racecourse.