SportsDirect.com Takes a Look at The Badminton Horse Trials

On the 7th May this years Badminton Horse Trials begin, an event in which riders and their horses take part in three phases of the competition including cross country, dressage and show jumping. The event begins on Wednesday 7th May with the first inspection, followed by two days of dressage, a cross country test and finishing on the final day with the jumping test.

The first inspection involves all horses being checked over by a vet to ensure they are fit and healthy enough to take part. The first phase of the competition is the dressage, which takes place over two days. Dressage involves a test of 26 movements each worth a maximum of 10 marks. Additional marks are also awarded for submission, rider, paces and impulsion bringing the top score to 300. Penalties can also be added if movements are not performed correctly.

The second phase of the competition is the cross country test, the most physically demanding part of the event. There are around 45 jumps to be made throughout the test and there is a set time limit in which to complete each jump. Failure to do so in the set time will result in a penalty.

After the second phase horses are taken for a final inspection to ensure they are still fit and healthy after the cross country test has been completed. Once they have passed the inspection they are then able to complete the final phase of the event, show jumping. Horses and riders must demonstrate speed, accuracy and agility in this test by completing a course of show jumps. Jumps can be up to 1.30m high and 2.30m wide. This test requires fitness from both the horse and rider and penalties can be added if fences are knocked down.

At the end of the event there will be a presentation of prizes to the winners. The whole event takes place over 5 days and tickets can be purchased separately for each day, or one ticket for the whole event.

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UEFA Champions League Semi Final

Last night was the first of four semi final games in the UEFA champions league and saw Chelsea take on Atletico Madrid at the Vicente Calderon stadium in Madrid gathering a crowd of over 52,000 fans. The champions league began with the first leg on the 18th February with a round of 16 followed by the quarter finals and now the semis. The four qualifying teams are Chelsea vs. Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid who will each play two games to determine the two qualifying teams for the final, which will be held in Lisbon on the 24th May.

Throughout the competition Atletico Madrid have scored 22 goals in total with 8 wins and 3 draws. Chelsea have accumulated 18 goals with 6 wins, 2 draws and 3 lost games.  Bayern Munich have achieved 24 goals with 6 wins, 2 draws and 3 lost games. Real Madrid have managed to gain 32 goals with 8 wins, 1 draw and 1 lost game.

Atletico Madrid have never previously made it this far in the UEFA champions league and have waited 40 years to reach the semi finals. Throughout the competition they have had a perfect home record until last night where both teams failed to score any goals.

Real Madrid are on excellent form and with Cristiano Ronaldo back in training after a knee injury, things are looking hopeful if the top goal scorer is fit to play again after missing the past four games. Real Madrid have been knocked out in the semi finals by German teams for the past 2 years and in 2012 Bayern Munich beat them on penalties to make it through to the finals.

Tonight, Real Madrid take on Bayern Munich in the first leg of their semi finals at Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, kicking off at 20:45. Following this on the 29th and 30th April the second leg of the semis will commence with Bayern Munich and Real Madrid playing at the Allianz Arena in Munich and Chelsea taking on Atletico Madrid at Stamford Bridge in London. The two teams with the most goals across the first and second leg of the semi finals will then go head to head in the final later in May.

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Easter Staycations On The Rise

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Easter is only a few days away and with a four day weekend to look forward to, many families are off on their holidays. Tighter budgets and the economic downturn mean many people have been looking to save some pennies and get a better deal on this years Easter break. This has led to many Brits opting for a staycation and exploring more of what the UK has to offer. Sportsdirect.com takes a look at some of the reasons and statistics people are staying close to home this Easter.

According to Visit England, in 2013, 2.7 million people  took their Easter break in the UK and this year is set to see a similar figure. It is estimated that UK holidays will generate a huge £2 billion to boost the economy. Hotel chain Travelodge,  reported that this year 65% of people are planning to spend their holiday in this country, compared to 41% and 35% from the previous two years. 22% of people say they’re taking more  holidays in the UK and less abroad.

There are many reasons for the boost in UK holidays compared to abroad, predominantly, the economic downturn has a lot to be blamed for. Visit England reported that the main reasons for choosing to stay in the UK were:

• Visiting family and friends
• Cheaper than going abroad
• They like England
• Exploring somewhere new
• Returning to a place they've been before
• Easy to plan a last minute trip
• Easier to holiday in England
• They got a good deal
• Recommended by friends or family

Along with these reasons, there is also a huge variety of locations, attractions and sights to see right here in the UK. When it comes to entertaining children over the Easter holidays there are plenty of day trips and short stay trips for holidaymakers to choose from.

When booking up short breaks there are lots of last minute and special offers to be found. It is easy to pick up all of the essentials whether it's a last minute trip or planned well in advance. For short trips  with the family, holidaymakers can invest a large family suitcase to fit everyone’s belongings in and save some extra room in the car. There are also lots of travel accessories including games for the journey to keep children entertained on the way.

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Sportsdirect.com’s #WearWithPride Selfie Competition

In celebration of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, sportsdirect.com have launched their very own selfie competition to get fans involved and excited about the upcoming tournament. The competition  gives two lucky winners the chance to win a £200 voucher to spend at sportsdirect.com.

Following the pre release of the new England shirt early last week, there were mixed reactions regarding the price of the new kit. Sportsdirect.com have discounted the shirt to £47.99* and the new kits are now available to buy online and in store. To further reward dedicated fans who have purchased the shirt, the selfie competition was launched.

The competition asks participants to send in their #wearwithpride selfies of themselves  wearing the England shirt. The selfies can be entered by either Facebook or Twitter using the hashtag #wearwithpride. Entries received via Twitter will have a winner chosen at random where as Facebook entries will under go a vote to decide the winner. You may vote for as many selfies as you like, however only one vote per user will be counted on each photograph. Votes on your own entry will also not be counted.

The competition runs throughout April and will close at 1pm on the 30th April. The two winners will each be given a £200 voucher to spend at sportsdirect.com. To enter the competition submit your selfies through the Facebook app at https://www.facebook.com/SportsDirectUK/app_1391002151122265 or tweet us at https://twitter.com/SportsDirectUK using the hashtag #wearwithpride.

Full Terms and Conditions:
Prize is 2x £200 voucher code to spend on www.sportsdirect.com.
One winner will each be selected from Facebook and Twitter.
Twitter entries must be made by tweeting a selfie in an England shirt using the #wearwithpride tag and winner will be selected at random and notified via twitter.
Facebook entries must be made through the app and winner will be decided through the photo voting system and notified via e-mail.
If a winner does not respond within 5 working days another winner will NOT be chosen.
Voters can vote for as many pictures as they like, however only one vote per picture will be counted from any one individual user.
Entrants cannot vote for their own photograph. All personal votes will be removed from the final vote count.
Promoter is SportsDirect.com, Unit A Brook Park, Shirebrook, NG20 8RY.
No correspondence will be entered in to.
By submitting your e-mail address you agree to receive promotional material from the SportsDirect.com group.
Competition closes Wednesday 30th April 2014 at 1pm.

*Price correct as of 08/04/2014

Visit http://www.sportsdirect.com/englandpreorder for SportsDirect.com’s range of England kits with the adults replica shirt only £47.99!

England's World Cup Shirt Revealed

Monday 31st March saw the launch of this years England shirt, which will be worn during the World Cup in Brazil over summer. You can now pre order your England kits from Sportsdirect.com and they will be available to buy from the 3rd April. England were one of the last teams to reveal their new kit with other countries such as Germany, Italy and Brazil themselves revealing their kits earlier this year. The World Cup kicks off on the 12th June with hosts Brazil competing against Croatia in the very first game. England’s first game against Italy will take place on the 14th June.

This years shirt has been stripped back to basics and accompanies an all white kit and alternative red and white kit to be worn during the games in Brazil. The white shirt features a subtle pinstripe design along with satin strips along each shoulder. The shirt has an original cut off overlapping v neck collar along with the Nike swoosh logo and of course the 3 lions crest.

The inspiration behind the design appeared to resemble the 1970s kit worn by Sir Alf Ramsey’s defending champions. In 1966, when England won the World Cup for the first and only time to date, the teams performance was not so entertaining and the players put their efforts into playing the game well, rather than putting on a show for the excited fans watching. This years shirt represents this attitude towards the game and focuses on the performance enhancing qualities the kit brings to players, rather than the aesthetic design to appeal to fans.

As the World Cup is being hosted in Brazil, the temperatures will be significantly higher than those players are used to back home. Whilst designing this years kit, Nike have utilised their current technologies to ensure the kit they provide for the England team will enable them to play in such heat and to maximise comfort throughout each game. With built in Nike Dri Fit technology the England kit has sweat wicking properties within the dual knit fabrication that helps pull moisture away from the body into a separate layer of material where it can evaporate. This will enable the player to stay cooler and dryer and therefore more comfortable, thus improving performance start to end.

When the shirt was revealed earlier this week there were mixed reactions from fans. Many were outraged at the price of the players shirt, with exact copies costing up to £90. Others were impressed by the design and features of the kit and with replica shirts costing a lot less than exact copies, fans can still get behind their team and #wearwithpride this World Cup.

Visit http://www.sportsdirect.com/englandpreorder for SportsDirect.com’s range of England kits with the adults replica shirt only £47.99!

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