Calls have been made to bring back the hugely successful and adrenaline-pumping Red Bull Foxhunt to Rostrevor following a four-year absence.
Independent Councillor Mark Gibbons has called on Newry, Mourne and Down District Council to do everything they can to bring the event which is beamed around the world on various platforms.
Councillor Gibbons says now is the time to “grab the Red Bull by the horns” and bring back this iconic event, “before another Council or organisation swoops in”.
“By working in partnership with others, such as Tourism NI, NMDDC should act immediately to secure this event in our area,” he said.
Red Bull Foxhunt is one of Red Bull’s most recognisable worldwide events, with each event attracting a large global audience, and competitors from continental Europe and beyond.
In 2018, the beautiful landscape of Rostrevor and Kilbroney Park was broadcast to a global audience and generated over 10 million media visual hits, with YouTube, Facebook, Instagram to name but a few, helping to promote tourism and sports in the South Down area with help from the Red Bull PR machine that has now become a global giant.
Councillor Gibbons added: “I am not an expert on this subject, but I have reached out to organisers and fans of the event-and the truth is, there are some great courses right through Ireland, but the Rostrevor, Co. Down course and set up really is the best show in town.
“We, as a Council who work hard to promote tourism and large scale fun festivals and events within the district, really need to endeavour to cox the fox to the top of our mountain. I will continue to work behind the scenes to support, advise and most importantly-listen for what needs to be done to make this happen.
The hunt is on.”
What is the Red Bull Fox Hunt?
Red Bull Foxhunt is a mass-start enduro downhill race with a difference. The challenge here is not just for competitors – the ‘hounds’ – to be the first to reach the bottom of the course, but for them to avoid being caught by the ‘fox’, normally one of the renowned Atherton siblings.
