Press Release from Sponsors Beazley

Specialist Lloyd’s insurer announces collaborative tie-up with RHS Chelsea Flower Show exhibitor and British Fencing

Beazley Group, the specialist Lloyd’s insurer and premier partner of British Fencing, will join forces with Hillier Nurseries and Garden Centres at the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Chelsea Flower Show, to bring a fencing themed garden exhibit entitled ‘Duel and the Crown’ to the 2012 exhibition.

This innovative tie-up will celebrate the Olympic sport of fencing by bringing it to life through plant and garden design. The exhibit will feature live fencing displays by members of the Beazley British Fencing team, appealing to horticulturalists and sports fans alike.

This will be fencing’s return to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show site, where tournaments were regularly fought at Ranelagh Gardens until 1939. The Epée Club still fight for the Ranelagh Cup in the grounds of the Hurlingham Club every summer.   

The fencing exhibit will also be a tribute to Her Majesty the Queen, the Patron of British Fencing, as the nation prepares to celebrate her Diamond Jubilee.

Andrew Horton, Beazley Chief Executive said: “People may ask why we are seeking to combine fencing and horticulture, but for us the link is clear. Fencing is an elegant, stylish sport and by aligning it with the Chelsea Flower Show we are expressing the artistry of the sport in a unique and interesting way. 

“We are proud of our sponsorship of British Fencing and we hope that people find the link-up with Chelsea engaging and thought-provoking.”

Andrew McIndoe, Managing Director of Hillier Nurseries said: “We are delighted to be working with Beazley and British Fencing on our Garden Exhibit at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.  As a proudly British company, we often look outside horticulture for inspirational collaborations, and in 2012 the Beazley British Fencing team gives us a dramatic and topical theme as we enter a year of national celebration.”

Piers Martin, Chief Executive of British Fencing said: “This opportunity from Beazley to link up with Hillier at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show gives us a unique platform via which we can engage a new audience with fencing. We are looking forward to being a part of this prestigious event, and to getting new people interested in the sport, particularly so close to the Olympics.”

For further information, please contact:

Beazley Group

William Pitt

T: +44 (0) 207 674 7490

Louise Nash

WSM Communications

T: 44 (0) 207 183 4615

E: [email protected]