Shukers at the Bitterley Point to Point, Ludlow, with Subaru rather than Land Rover this year

While the successful Bitterley Point-To-Point steeplechase has remained largely unchanged for this year, Rob Marshall reports that one of its main sponsors has raised a few eyebrows.

With South Shropshire basking in glorious spring sunshine, over three thousand visitors flocked to the Point-to-Point steeplechase at Bitterley, in mid-April. Surrounded by the wondrous beauty of the Clee Hills, the course hosted the well-established equestrian tradition once again, the popularity of which swelled for 2011.

Even though many people brought their own supplies with them, not only could adequate refreshments could be purchased on-site but many extra activities were also provided to keep visitors occupied, especially for those who were too young to indulge in a flutter. Naturally, most interest centred on the horses, which the public could inspect up-close, prior to each race, as they were led around the parade ring.

Apart from providing an exceptionally enjoyable day out, the purpose of the event has always been to raise funds for the long-established Ludlow Hunt and many individual and national sponsors came forward to lend their support. Complete races could also be backed and Philip Dunne, MP for Ludlow, and Lord Hodgson sponsored a race together, entitled imaginatively ‘First Past The Post’, to reference the Conservative party’s stance on the controversial AV referendum.

Breaking barriers

Many attending businesses have deep associations with Shropshire and one of the primary companies has a long and proud heritage of catering for the needs of a specific group of Shropshire motorists.

Many people would be surprised to discover that Shukers established a retail operation, by selling tractors and farm implements in the 1960s, at its first site in Battlefield, Shrewsbury. The Land Rover franchise was a logical evolution and the subsequent strong local demand for those ‘go anywhere’ vehicles was so great that an additional dealership in Ludlow was established. This year sees the company’s South Shropshire base celebrate its twentieth anniversary and the business has been a long-established supporter of the Bitterley Point-To-Point for many years.

However, for 2011, not a single Land Rover graced the Shukers’ corporate stand. Instead, the pitch was filled with four all-wheel-drive Subaru models, from the Forester SUV, the luxurious Outback and Legacy estates, to the high-performance Impreza WRX STI.
“Actually, Subaru is a natural progression for us”, highlighted Sales Manager, Nick Apperley. “Shukers is upholding its credo of selling the finest four-wheel-drive vehicles in Shropshire and Subaru has over forty years experience of combining all-wheel-drive to superlative Japanese dependability.”

As Shukers’ Managing Director, Vernon Hogg elaborated, “From a local perspective, Subaru representation has been missing from Ludlow for over a decade, although we have discovered that owners have remained loyal to the brand. Now, not only can Shukers Ludlow help them to look after their older models but we can also offer advice, should they be considering a part-exchange. Times have changed, since Subaru was last in Ludlow, and one of the most significant developments is the new ‘boxer’ diesel unit, which is a high-efficiency engine that Subaru has created uniquely for its own models.”

Concluding Shukers’ 2011 sponsorship of the Point-To-Point steeplechase, Apperley was emphatic that it was the right time to re-introduce Subaru to the County and he added, “Shukers also sponsored the Mens’ Open Race and judged the Best Turned Out Horse at the event. We have had such a positive response from visitors, who chatted to us about Subaru, that I am sure that we shall return again next year."

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