Amazing Results from Ecogold Saddle Pads in Pressure Scans!

Wow! Independent, Certified Saddle Fitter Brita Rizzi of Dynamic Equine Saddle Fitting recently shared the results of tests that she conducted with a pressure scanner, and the results are clear: ECOGOLD saddle pads and half pads reduce pressure on the horse’s back under a variety of circumstances.

Rizzi, who has an excellent reputation in the industry, uses the technology in her regular saddle fittings and decided to give it a try for testing ECOGOLD pads. ECOGOLD did not order or participate in the testing in any way. The independent saddle fitter was curious to see if the high-tech saddle pads live up to their reputation when put to the test. Needless to say she was very impressed with the result.

"I did quite an array of comparison pressure scans with ECOGOLD saddle pads and the results are amazing," said Rizzi, "It even improved the fit of a way too tightly fitting saddle. Usually, extra saddle pads make it a lot worse since you are creating more bulk under an already too-narrow tree. Another impressive feature is that ECOGOLD half pads stay up in the gullet and don't come pressing down on the horse's withers."

Here are the results

As the result of a scan using a pressure saddle pad that is contoured to the horse’s back and consists of 256 thin sensors sewn into a textile-like material, computerized images are generated that show that pressure is greatly reduced when using the ECOGOLD Secure™ saddle pad, most notably in comparison with a plain cotton saddle pad.

“While we were amazed looking at the results of these pressure scans, we weren’t that surprised at the superior performance of ECOGOLD half pads and saddle pads,” said Patricia Da Silva, ECOGOLD’s Marketing VP. “Our expertise in textile engineering and high-tech materials, results in innovative products that make a leap forward in the protection of your horse.”

The products tested were Ecogold's Memory Foam Triple Protection Half Pad and the Secure line of Saddle pads, shown in the images below. Ecogold's Forward Flap Hunter Saddle Pad and the Stabilizer half pad offer the same impact protection as the Secure Saddle pad.

Ecogold Triple Protection Half Pad - Click on the image for info

Secure line of saddle pads - click on the image for info

Visit ECOGOLD's online shop here >>.

Much more information about pressure scan testing is available at Rizzi’s website.

Helmet Cam Alert! Doug Payne on Running Order at the AECs

ECOGOLD Saddle Pads, The Choice of Top Riders at the Burghley Horse Trials

William Fox-Pitt, photo by Tracy Porter

Top riders competing at The Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials CCI4* in England will have something in common: their ECOGOLD saddle pads. ECOGOLD North American sponsored riders at this year’s Burghley Horse Trials CCI**** include Sinead Halpin, Boyd Martin, Kyle Carter, Jessica Phoenix and Hawley Bennett. ECOGOLD is also supplying saddle pads to the Land Rover US Eventing Teams competing at Burghley and Blenheim (England), Boekelo (the Netherlands) and the Pan-Am Games (Mexico).

"Christmas came early to Gladstone; the boxes kept coming!” said Sara Ike, Managing Director of Eventing for the USEF. “Our Land Rover Eventing Team will be using crisp new saddle pads. ECOGOLD went above and beyond."

Ecogold Saddle Pads are also used by Burghley competitors William Fox-Pitt, Lucinda Fredericks, Hamish Cargill and Dag Albert. “The ECOGOLD Saddle Pads are fast becoming a competition favourite for me,” said William Fox-Pitt, World and British leading Three-Day Event Rider. “It is imperative that my horses remain comfortable during their work and the fantastic non-slip, breathable fabric ensures just that, whilst also looking extremely smart.”

The choice of leading three-day event riders, the ECOGOLD Secure Saddle pad is specially designed to improve the safety, comfort and performance of horse and rider. This means no slipping and no sliding, even in the worst conditions!

"In addition to our sponsorship of individual riders, it is a great honour to supply the US and Canadian Eventing Team's official saddle pads for international competitions. It proves a great confidence in ECOGOLD products," said Marketing Director Patricia Da Silva of ECOGOLD.

“We absolutely love riding in the ECOGOLD pads,” said Lucinda Fredericks. “Whilst being cool and breathable for the horse, the non-slip properties mean they sit brilliantly on the horse and distribute any pressure evenly. I can’t recommend them highly enough!”

The 100% breathable high-density foam in the seat area protects the horse's back from impact without adding extra bulk while the ergonomic shape and ultra-thin flaps provide the rider with a more stable position. The high-tech, 100% breathable materials quickly evaporate moisture away, keeping the horse cool and dry, even on the hottest days.

About Ecogold

ECOGOLD is a Canadian textile engineering company making innovative saddle pads and horse boots to improve your horses’ safety, comfort and performance. For more information or to order ECOGOLD saddle pads, please visit www.ecogold.ca or call 1-866-432-6465.

by Amber Heintzberger

*Helmet Cam Alert* Ecogold-rider Clayton Fredericks on Pigrella - XC Novice

*Helmet Cam Alert* Hawley Bennett and Gin & Juice - Cross-Country Ride at Rebecca Farm

Congrats to Ecogold-rider and good friend Hawley Bennett and Gin & Juice for winning the 3* at Rebecca Farm!!! And she wore a helmet cam. Enjoy the ride!

Great rides with ECOGOLD pads: "We had fun and felt totally secure"

We just received this email from a client:

"Hello!
  

Having ridden with several non-slip pads before, my expectations of the Jumper "secure" pad were not overly high. I was very pleasantly surprised to experience otherwise!

I showed my young TB gelding at his first jumper show this weekend, which is usually more "hairy" than jumping a bigger fence with a more experienced horse! I used a combination of the Secure Jumping pad and the Memory Foam Triple Protection pad. 

Because Sensation Treeless saddles require a little more firm support padding than a traditional saddle, the combination was perfect for me. I didn't budge. I was so impressed at the stability even with the huge overjumps my athletic 17 h horse threw at me, that I told my student to borrow it for the Derby class, which incorporates Cross Country fences as well as stadium fences. 

Up and down, over all types of fences, it stayed put! She paired it with her current half pad, and rode the best ride ever on her little horse. We're not Olympians, nor are we even classed with "the big guys" at the show, jumping 3'6" +... yet! But we had fun and felt totally secure. 

Thought I'd send along a couple photos for you. I love the one of the leg/pad combo where a friend captured my horse and I sizing up the jumps during warmup. It shows my Sensation English trail (the only Canadian-made Treeless Saddle) right beside the Canadian flag on the pad.... how perfect! 

The other photo is of Mikaela riding Lacey over a spread fence.

Melissa

Thank you Melissa for your great feedback!!! :)

Ecogold Pad in Action: Thai Event Rider Nina Ligon at the London Test Event

We spotted an Ecogold Secure XC pad in action at the London Test Event, used by Thai event rider Nina Ligon on her horse Jazz King. Here's the video of her cross-country ride:

Nina Ligon at Olympic Test Event Cross Country from Nisha Ligon on Vimeo.

Video - Clayton Fredericks at the London Olympic Test Event

Ecogold-rider Clayton Fredericks talks to Horse and Country TV after walking the course for the London Olympic Test Event (his interview is right after the short commercial)

Cool pics and Kyle Carter and Sharon White - the long lost interview

First, a cool story about a saddle pad bought to benefit Boyd.

This is Jennifer Pavlinich's horse Buggers (I suppose that's his barn name) showing off his new Ecogold XC pad. Jennifer bought one of the six original pads in memory of the horses lost in the fire. 

Buggers with his "Boyd pad", as we call them here.

What is really special, is that she will use the saddle pad for the first time, this Wednesday at the Boyd Martin Clinic at White North Stable and South Farm in Ohio (clinic info here). How fitting is that?

Then, a couple of pics from our Canadian-sponsored rider based in France, Mathieu Boisselier. He got a sponsorship from Volvo and just received his flashy new ride. Go Canada! (or I should say "Allez le Canada!). Mathieu is planning to compete in the 2* at Pau.

Nice wheels!

The guy in front has a view of the Maple Leaf. Love it!

Third, cool pic here - sent by Trish Bosch and published on our Horse Junkies United blog.

And to conclude this mix-and-match blog post, I have no idea how this happened, but I forgot to upload this interview from Bromont. Here are two of the most fun riders I know: Kyle Carter and Sharon White. Enjoy!

Congrats to our PR agent Amber Heinztberger on her new arrival!

Heinztberger baby #2... pic from Amber

Amber Heinztberger is our PR agent, who we share with Ecogold sponsored-rider Boyd Martin (he found her first), Kristin Schmolze and many others... 

All her clients and friends (including moi) have been waiting impatiently for the past few days as the due date came and went... but the baby was staying put.  We could not be more thrilled to see that he's finally decided to come out.

Big congrats to Amber and her husband Juergen!

and... Welcome to the world little one!

Ecogold-riders Hawley Bennett, Jessica Phoenix, Rebecca Howard and Kyle Carter are going to Burghley

Ah...Burghley (pic from our 2009 trip)

Well... we knew Equine Canada would give four grants for riders to compete at the 2011 Burghley Horse Trials and the riders have just been confirmed today. 

All four selected are Ecogold-riders:

• Hawley Bennett on Gin & Juice
• Jessica Phoenix on Exponential
• Rebecca Howard on Riddle Master
• Kyle Carter on Madison Park

Congrats and good luck!!!! 

We went to Burghley in 2009 and there were only 2 Canadian riders competing at the time. It's fantastic to see the progress of the Canadian Team since then (maybe it has to do with some saddle pads they've been using....lol!)

Here's our video of Kyle at Burghley in 2009.

Show Jumping Puissance 2.19m London 1980 - before our saddle pads were born...

Found this amazing puissance video from 1980. Gary Gillespie and Goldfink going over a 2.19 meter wall (that's 7.16 feet!)  in a saddle pad that looks very similar to our Forward Flap Hunter Pad (the one McLain Ward rides in..)

Gary Gillespie - Goldfink - Puissance 2.19m London 1980 

And then, there's this...

$8,032.50 Can you believe it????

$8, 032.50 - Ok that's HUUUUUUUGE. A big Thank You to everyone who bought a saddle pad and who sent us emails etc.. Your generosity & kindness is a blessing and it will be imprinted in our minds for a very long time. (And thank you for your patience as we struggle with delays in delivery...doing the best we can to get those pads out asap).

Here's the official Press Release from the wonderful Amber Heintzberger, who is about to have a baby any minute now...

Ecogold raises over $8,000 to help Boyd Martin

Following the devastating fire that killed six horses at True Prospect Farm in West Grove, PA on May 31, 2011, resident trainer and four-star event rider Boyd Martin’s sponsor ECOGOLD decided to take action and start a fundraiser to benefit Martin’s recovery efforts.

Initially ECOGOLD donated six saddle pads, one in memory of each horse that died in the fire. The response was so positive – all six saddle pads were sold within an hour – the company offered an unlimited number of saddle pads for sale over five days, during which 50% of the proceeds would be donated to Martin.

 "As soon as we put those six saddle pads online, we were overwhelmed,” said Patricia Da Silva of ECOGOLD. “It was a huge wave of generosity; I've never seen anything like it in my life. Orders were coming in left and right, from all parts of the world: dressage riders, hunter-jumper riders and eventers came together to help a fellow rider. We were still getting orders at 11:59 pm on the last day of the fundraising sale. It was unbelievable and for us at ECOGOLD, quite overwhelming."

Jennifer Pavlinich, who ordered one of the original six saddle pads, said, “When word first came out about the fire at True Prospect Farm, my first thought - after I could form coherent thought that is – was, ‘How can I help?’ As soon as I saw that ECOGOLD was donating saddle pads to help Boyd, I jumped on it. I wanted to help, and it didn't hurt that I'd been drooling over the Ecogold pads for a while now - I just couldn't justify spending the money.  But spending the money to help a truly great horseman through such a difficult time, and get a great saddle pad? That, I can justify."

One person who bought a saddle pad re-donated it to the Professional Riders Organization (PRO) Fire Relief Auction so that it would raise even more money for True Prospect Farm.

Da Silva said that she believed the ECOGOLD sale would raise somewhere around $2,000. “We just finished entering the orders last night and got the final number today: $8,032.50, which is simply amazing!” she said. “I’m really glad we could do our part to help Boyd, who truly deserves all the happiness in the world from this point forward.” 

And that's how we want to see Boyd from now on! photo by Calina

 Now go bid on the PRO Auction!!!!!  click here!

Ecogold Videos - Bromont CCI3* Cross-Country

Leslie Law and Rehy Lux - currently in 2nd

the lovely Sharon White and Rafferty's Rules (aka Reggie) - in 3rd after XC

Phillip Dutton and William Penn at Bromont CCI3 Three Day Event 

Diana Burnett and Shigatzi - 2011 Bromont CCI3* Three Day Event


Kendal Lehari and Daily Edition - 2011 Bromont CCI3* Three Day Event


Buck Davidson and Absolutely Liberty - 2011 Bromont CCI3* Three Day Event

Ecogold rider Hannah Burnett at Bromont CCI Three Day Event

Hannah Burnett and Harbor Pilot, after their fantastic CCI2* ride (double clear!!!)

Ecogold-rider, the very cool Hannah Burnett took some time to speak to us about her first experience at the Bromont CCI  Three Day Event.
 
Check it out!

Ecogold Pads in Full Force at Bromont CCI - XC CCI1* Videos

I lost track of how many Secure XC Saddle pads were spotted in the CCI1* at  the Bromont Three Day Event... but there were lots!

From ECOGOLD-sponsored riders Kyle Carter, Buck Davidson and Doug Payne (sitting in 2nd place with Camerlingo... sold by Ecogold-friend Anita Nemtin-Gilmour) to amateur riders. 

It was great to see the True Prospect Farm riders doing what they love, especially Lee Lee Jones competing in her 1st CCI1* and Abbie Golden, riding Arundel.

Here are a few videos. Enjoy! 

Ecogold-rider Doug Payne and Camerlingo - currently in 2nd place

True Prospect Farm Rider Lee Lee Jones and Model Cadet riding in their first CCI1*

True Prospect Farm Rider Abbie Golden and Arundel

Ryann Quigley and Ardfield Rover

Ecogold-rider Buck Davidson and No More Rocks

Updates and answers on fundraising for Boyd Martin

Boyd and Minotaure du Passoir, one of the horses who was saved

We are getting a lot of emails, so I will post answers to questions, information and updates here.

Questions:

1) How much of the proceeds are you donating? 

• 50% of your order will go DIRECTLY to Boyd. So on a $165 saddle pad order, we are donating exactly $82.50. Not a penny less.

2) Can I get a Hunter Pad or a Half Pad instead of the Cross-country Pad?

• YES. We set up a special Cross-country Saddle Pad as the donated item in honour of the event horses, but you can change it to a dressage, show jumping, hunter saddle pad or half pad.

• We would prefer that you would place your "charity" order directly on the special item we have set up and if you want something else, just WRITE in the COMMENTS: the item, colour and size. It just makes it easier for us to calculate the donation amount.

 CLICK and ORDER USING THIS ITEM, 

write in the comments if you want something else.

3) When is the sale of pads for Boyd's benefit going to stop?

• Sunday is the last day to place your order. On Monday morning, we will close the fundraising section and send Boyd the check.

4) When will my pad be delivered?

• The charity pads might take up to 2 weeks to be delivered.  We are receiving a high volume of "charity" orders, on top of our very busy "normal" sales. Please understand that we are trying to get orders out as soon as possible, but this is an unusual situation. We are prioritizing our "normal" orders, as we don't want to penalize clients who are not aware of this fundraiser and just need their ECOGOLD pads for their next show. If you NEED the pad quickly, please write it in the comments and we will do our best.

5) Can I get the saddle pad in colours?

• At this point, we are out of colours. So white or black are the only options for the saddle pads. If you want to get the Memory Foam Triple Protection Half Pad, all the colours we offer normally are available.

UPDATE:

As of 10:45 Friday, we have raised $3547.50. Originally, we thought we would raise $990 with the sale of the 6 saddle pads donated in name of the 6 horses who perished (would have rounded up to $1,000), so anything above that is simply incredible.

Thank you to everyone for being so supportive, kind and generous.

Amber Heintzberger, who coincidentally is ECOGOLD's PR person as well as Boyd's (he found her first!), linked to this video this morning. (I wasn't able to watch the first one that everyone was posting on Facebook two days ago, but I'm glad I watched this one):

May you all gallop atop the clouds in heaven

How Chelan Kozak and Lexi Campbell got my iPhone wet

First, an update on our fundraising efforts for Boyd.

- So far, we have raised $2887.50 from the sale of the 6 saddle pads donated in memory of each horse lost, and the additional saddle pads where 50% is donated to Boyd. We are posting updates daily on our Facebook page.

- The fundraiser will continue through the weekend. Sunday will be the last day.

- You can be absolutely sure that 100% of what we raise will go directly to Boyd. We will send him a check on Monday. He is our sponsored rider, and that's the way we've decided to do it. He will spend the money the way he sees fit.

To purchase an ECOGOLD Saddle Pad and donate to Boyd Martin:  Click here!

So... how did Chelan Kozak get my iPhone wet?

Early this morning, on my phone, I saw that Chelan had sent the following email to all her contacts. Needless to say, I was deeply touched by her gesture:

Re: Boyd martin's barn fire

On 2011-06-01, at 11:25 PM, Chelan Kozak wrote:

Hey everyone,

As many of you have heard US eventer Boyd Martin lost 6 horses in a tragic barn fire earlier this week. http://www.eventingnation.com/home/ Out of such horrific tragedy comes bright light. In case, the 'light' is that the Eventing community has come together in many ways to assist Boyd, his working students, owners, etc in their recovery efforts from this tragedy.

Ecogold, makers of the BEST saddle pads in the universe began by donating six saddle pads in memory of the six horse who perished in the fire. Those pads went in such record time that Ecogold decided to donate 50% of all saddle pad sales for the next few days to Boyd's crew's recovery efforts. If any of you has been thinking of buying a saddle pad, now is a great time. Each have you has probably heard me ramble on about how much I like the ecogold products, but I have never been more proud to be associated with their products as now. It is during adversity that we see a person's (or company's) true colours.

Thank you Ecogold for your support for fellow event rider during such a time of sorrow.

 http://horsejunkiesunited.com/2011/05/a-moment-of-silence-and-how-to-help-boyd/

 Chelan Kozak www.3DAZE.com
 "The difficult we do immediately; the impossible, takes a little time."

 Similarly, Lexi Campbell got my iPhone wet... 

...when I found this on ECOGOLD's Facebook page. She had posted the following note on her FB wall, tagged all her friends, as well as ECOGOLD. I do not know Lexi personally, so I found it remarkable that a total stranger would help in this way. I was truly humbled.

I don't know what I would do without my horse

Help Boyd Martins team by buying a Ecogold pad!
by Lexi Campbell on Wednesday, June 1, 2011 at 2:15pm

I had recently bought an Ecogold pad for my hard to fit mare, it is the best thing in my tack trunk. I am tagging all my equestrian friends to spread the word of the tragic barn fire that happened. There are many ways to help and donate but I find that besides giving just plain old money you can buy an awesome pad from Ecogold and 50% of the profit goes to Boyd Martin’s fund. I would want the same done for any of my horses or friends horses regardless if you are an international rider or just a pleasure rider, we are all equestrians and we all belong to the horse community regardless of our background.

If you have no use for a jumping or dressage pad my suggestion would be to buy one as a gift or buy one to donate to a nonprofit organization whether it’s for a horse rescue or a handicapped riding association

https://www.ecogold.ca/product_info.php?cPath=37&products_id=119

http://eventingnation.com/home/2011/05/fire-at-boyd-martins-barn-at-true-prospect-farm.html

the best thing in my tack trunk

Yesterday, I wrote a post on our Horse Junkies United Blog - When we all became members of True Prospect Farm, so I will not repeat the same things about how impressed I am by the horse community, coming together in this difficult time. 

To Chelan and Lexi and all of you who have stepped up, donated, spread the word, sent messages of support, written nice comments: Thank you. Your kindness has been a blessing.

ECOGOLD donates 6 Saddle Pads, one in memory of each horse lost in Boyd Martin's Barn Fire

Boyd and Charla, at Bromont last year

All day, we haven't been able to think of anything else but Boyd's barn fire, where 6 horses lost their lives. In tragedy, you feel so powerless. I'm sure there will be some fundraising efforts to help Boyd, but at the time I write this, I haven't heard anything official yet.

As I am of an impatient nature, and as one of Boyd's sponsors, we feel the need to step up and help him, even before anybody asks. So, we've decided to set up a special section on our online store where we are donating 1 Secure Saddle Pad in memory of each horse lost. You can be assured that 100% of your purchase will go to Boyd.

I have set up six Secure Cross-Country Saddle Pads, in honour of these event horses, but if you prefer a dressage or square jumper saddle pad, just write it in the comments.

Here is the section: Boyd Martin's Fund

Each saddle pad is listed separately here, as a tribute to each horse:

• Secure Saddle Pad / In Memory of Ariel **SOLD**

• Secure Saddle Pad / In Memory of Cagney Herself **SOLD**

• Secure Saddle Pad / In Memory of Call Me Ollie **SOLD**

• Secure Saddle Pad / In memory of Charla **SOLD**

• Secure Saddle Pad / In memory of Phantom Pursuit **SOLD**

• Secure Saddle Pad / In memory of Summer Breeze **SOLD**

UPDATE 6:52 PM: Due to the quick sale of the saddle pads in memory of the horses, we have added an unlimited amount, where we will donate 50% of the sales to Boyd.

• Secure Saddle Pad (unlimited) / 50% of the proceeds will go to Boyd

We are praying for the surviving horses being treated, the first two in intensive care, Neville Bardos, Otis Barbotiere, (Caitlin’s) Catch a Star and Ambassador’s Rose.

Our gesture will not erase the sorrow or come close to provide what Boyd and his team will need, but it makes us feel a little more useful.

If you want to donate any amount, you can do so by clicking on the PayPal button below. This relief fund is a general fund set up by True Prospect Farm to help everyone at Windurra LLC and True Prospect Farm, as well as Boyd’s owners and riders who have been impacted by this tragedy.

Also, a Facebook Page has been set up by Evie Dutton from True Prospect Farm: True Prospect Fire Recovery Fund

Devastating

Tragedies like these, normally happen to people we don't know. But unfortunately, this one hit very close to home.

This morning, as I was about to drive to work, I received a text asking me if I had heard anything about a fire at Boyd Martin's barn. Boyd is one of our sponsored riders and I have visited his barn at Phillip Dutton's True Prospect Farm a couple of times. My reaction was "What? That can't be right". When the news was confirmed that it was indeed true and that horses were lost, it hit like a ton of bricks.

Today, we feel unbelievably sad for Boyd and his team, and completely powerless.

On behalf of ECOGOLD, I would like to send our heartfelt condolences to the owners and everyone connected to the horses lost in the fire: Call Me Ollie, Charla, (Lillian's) Ariel, Phantom Pursuit, Cagney Herself, and Summer Breeze.

We are praying for the surviving horses being treated at the New Bolton Center: Neville Bardos, Otis Barbotiere, (Caitlin's) Catch a Star and Ambassador's Rose.

We are thinking how brave Lillian Heard, Caitlin Silliman, Ryan and the others at True Prospect Farm who went in the fire to save them, are.

Boyd, you are in our thoughts, with Silva, Lillian, Caitlin, Phillip and Evie, the owners and everyone at True Prospect Farm. We are grieving with you.

The Jog at Dressage at Bromont CDI... sponsored by ECOGOLD

Don't ask me how we ended up sponsoring a best-dressed jog competition at Dressage at Bromont CDI1*... I will just say one minute I was chatting with Linda Pepin, the show organizer about this year's show, and the next I was agreeing to donating a prize for the best presented rider and horse.

I have no idea who decides the winners, but here are some pics.

Simone Williams and Farley

Ecogold Launches Horse Junkies United, a Blog by Amateur Equestrians, for Amateur Equestrians!

We are very excited to announce.... that ECOGOLD has created a new website for amateur equestrians, “Horse Junkies United”, by and for amateur equestrians from different English riding disciplines.

The content is written by Amateur riders from across North America who are actively involved in dressage, hunter/jumpers and eventing. The goal is to provide cool, fun and meaningful content - with a point of view - that will relate to amateur equestrians across all English disciplines. The blog will cover all aspects of English riding including coverage of events and shows across North America, clinic reports, fashion, informative product reviews, and interviews with professional riders, special segments and of course contests!

The blog, which can be found at www.horsejunkiesunited.com, is the brainchild of Patricia Da Silva, ECOGOLD's Marketing VP. “After the successful Ammie Blogger Experience at Rolex Kentucky, where a team of amateur riders covered the event on ECOGOLD’s blog, some of the bloggers expressed an interest to keep going,” she said. “It just made sense to create a separate website and to bring in dressage and hunter/jumper riders to be more representative of the North American horse show scene.”

In 2011 ECOGOLD was the winner of the Equestrian Social Media Award for Best Use of Social Media in Category 14 - Saddlery or Tack Company - International.

ECOGOLD is proud to welcome CHARLES OWEN & CO. as their first partner. Danielle Santos of Charles Owen said, “Horse Junkies United is a great idea! Amateur riders across disciplines love to share their experiences and this blog gives them a place to do that. Charles Owen is proud to be involved in such an exciting new project.”

Another feature of the blog will be reviews of Boyd and Silva Martin’s training videos. The Martins, who are both sponsored by ECOGOLD and CHARLES OWEN and compete at the international levels of eventing and dressage, respectively, have created a series of training videos. One of the Horse Junkies United bloggers will watch the videos and write something about each one.

Carrie Braff, an amateur event rider from Ontario, Canada will be Blogger-in-Chief for Horse Junkies United. “We really want this site to branch out to ALL the amateur English Discipline riders out there.” said Carrie. “What better way than to have the content be written by amateur riders who are not only intelligent but funny, witty and somewhat crazy.  After all, if all of us horse junkies were normal, let's face it, we'd have nothing interesting to write about!”

While the blog will feature regular contributors, anyone can submit blog posts or get involved by emailing info@horsejunkiesunited.com

Check it out!!!!! www.horsejunkiesunited.com

Team Fredericks - The Next Generation!

Uh, oh... There's another member of Team Fredericks that we might need to start sponsoring... meet Ellie, daughter of Ecogold-riders Clayton and Lucinda Fredericks.



See you at Rolex!

Happy Mother's Day from ECOGOLD! with Awww videos...

Denielle Gallagher with daughter Juliette

We deal with a lot of wonderful horse moms... They drive their horse-crazy kid to lessons, bankroll the horse adventure, carry buckets, wash those dirty saddle pads and the list of "mom-tasks" goes on and on... Not only they are in charge of all the boring stuff, but they are also their kids #1 fan and supporter, ringside at the end of a ride to say "well done!" 

Mothers play a huge role, even at the higher levels of the sport. They often own the horses or are involved in their children's career in an active way.

And let's not forget all the professional riders who are also moms. It must take an incredible amount of organizational skills and sheer determination, to balance their sports objectives and business requirements with the demands of motherhood.

So here's our Awww salute to moms... whether they are of the "human kind or the interspecies kind...

Jessica Phoenix and baby Jacob

WEG Silver Medalists Stephanie Rhodes-Bosch and Hawley Bennett discuss their mothers & families


  Doggie-mommy adopts some kittehs

Kitteh-mommy adopts some squirrels

Kitteh-mommy adopts a baby bunny

Best of Rolex: The Ammies rocked!

The Ammie Bloggers were THIS great!

Having the Ammie Blogger Experience at Rolex Kentucky (amateur riders blogging about their experience and posting updates and photos on ECOGOLD's Facebook and Twitter pages) brought another dimension to the event.

In my job, I deal with top riders on a daily basis, so I tend to forget that they are a big deal to a lot of people.

But seeing the Ammie Bloggers every day with eyes full of stars, so excited and grateful for the experience, brought another dimension to "my" Rolex. I felt like Santa every single day! Kind of a "fake Santa" though, because I didn't think I was doing all that much for the amount of gratitude I received in return. I was glad to help, in a very small way, bridge some of the gap between "the general public" and the "Rolex stars".

I knew those private moments and one-on-one course walks with Rolex riders and meetings with grooms, would be special but never, in a million years I thought the bloggers would be so amazing. I was really, really impressed with #1. how much fun they all were #2. how incredibly talented they are.

The photos and content created by the Amateur Bloggers compared favorably to a lot of the Rolex coverage out there, with a lot more emotion thrown in... There were at least one or two kleenex-worthy reads... So a BIG thank you to Cheryl, Calina, Carrie, Tracy, Jennifer, Sarah, Holly, Kate, Elyse, Becky, Krisy, Lori, Cathy and Aislinn! You made our Rolex really special. (I have a feeling the Ammies will be back....)
 

Our Amateur Bloggers were featured every day on the Horses in the Morning Radio Shows (big thanks to Glenn and Jamie!) Here are the links to the shows:

Rolex Show Day #1 - Cheryl and Calina's Interview at -56.00 minutes

Rolex Show Day #2 - Becky's Interview at -46.00 minutes

Rolex Show Day #3 - Holly's Interview at -36.50 minutes

Rolex Show Day #4 - Carrie's Interview at -33.75 minutes

Also, I want to feature some cool fan videos...(not by our Ammies but fun stuff nonetheless.) I love this kind of videos. Not professional in any way, but you can tell there's a lot of time, effort and passion behind each of them.  Enjoy!

Rolex 2011 from jumpingchicka96

2011 Rolex Kentucky from eventerbug2

2011 Rolex Kentucky from PretzellyPony

Kentucky Part 1 by ridergirl101

Rolex 2011 from ShoshanaSaysHi

Best of Rolex Kentucky: Impressive Stats... with videos

Hannah Burnett and St-Barths - by Tracy Porter

In addition to the 7 riders in the top 10 who rode in ECOGOLD Saddle Pads (see our previous blog post with videos of all their rides here), ECOGOLD products were spotted on several 2011 Rolex Kentucky competitors.

Whether they finished or not, it is an achievement in itself to enter a 4* competition and for us, a great source of pride, seeing our products on so many of those top horses.

Here are the impressive stats!

• A total of 19 riders out of 45 entered at Rolex Kentucky rode in an ECOGOLD product during the weekend (42%)
• 50% who finished (14 riders out of 28) rode in an ECOGOLD product
• 70% riders in Top Ten rode in ECOGOLD Saddle Pads
• 2 out of 3 riders with double clear cross-country rounds were ECOGOLD riders (ECOGOLD dominated the double clear rounds with 66.67%- Jessica Phoenix and Hannah Sue Burnett)
• ECOGOLD products were used by riders from 4 countries: Australia, Canada, USA and the UK
• All Australian riders and all Canadian riders entered at 2011 Rolex Kentucky rode in ECOGOLD Saddle Pads
• Only 2 riders finished on her dressage score... Mary King and ECOGOLD-rider Jessica Phoenix
  

Without further ado, here are the riders we spotted using some ECOGOLD gear (besides those in the top 10, who we already listed in our previous post).

Karen O'Connor rode in ECOGOLD's Secure Saddle Pads and XC Boots

Karen O'Connor and Quintus 54 - by Tracy Porter

Karen O'Connor and Quintus 54 - Cross Country 2011 Rolex Kentucky

Karen O'Connor and Quintus 54 - Dressage 2011 Rolex Kentucky

An ECOGOLD Secure Saddle Pad was spotted on Kim Severson

Kim Severson and Tipperary Liadhnan - photo by Tracy Porter

Phillip Dutton rode in ECOGOLD's Secure Saddle Pads

Phillip Dutton and Fernhill Eagle - by Jennifer Pavlinich

Phillip Dutton and Fernhill Eagle - Cross Country 2011 Rolex Kentucky

they are at 0:38 in this video featuring various riders

Phillip Dutton and Fernhill Eagle - Show Jumping 2011 Rolex Kentucky

An ECOGOLD Memory Foam Triple Protection Half Pad was spotted on Michael Pollard

Michael Pollard and Icarus - by Jennifer Pavlinich

Michael Pollard and Icarus - Cross-Country 2011 Rolex Kentucky


Jessica Hampf rode in ECOGOLD's Secure Saddle Pads and XC Boots

Jessica Hampf and High Society III by Cathy J Allen-Shinn

Jessica Hampf and High Society - Cross-Country 2011 Rolex Kentucky

Peter Barry rode in an ECOGOLD's Secure XC Saddle Pad

Peter Barry and Kildoran Abbott - by Jennifer Pavlinich

Peter Barry and Kildoran Abbott - Cross-Country 2011 Rolex Kentucky

An ECOGOLD Secure Saddle Pad was spotted on Kelly Prather

Kelly Prather and Ballinakill Glory

Kelly Prather and Ballinakill Glory - Cross-Country 2011 Rolex Kentucky

Hamish Cargill rode in ECOGOLD's Secure Saddle Pads

Hamish Cargill and Sandhills Tiger - by Kate Taylor

Hamish Cargill and Sandhills Tiger - Cross-Country 2011 Rolex Kentucky

Allison Springer rode in an ECOGOLD's Secure XC Saddle Pad

Allison Springer and Arthur - by Cathy J Allen-Shinn

Allison Springer and Arthur - Cross-Country 2011 Rolex Kentucky

An ECOGOLD Secure Saddle Pad was spotted on Martha McDowell

Martha McDowell and Gaelic Marriage - by Kate Taylor

Martha McDowell and Gaelic Marriage - Cross-Country (not from Rolex!)

Diana Burnett rode in an ECOGOLD Secure Dressage Saddle Pad and Half Pad

Diana Burnett and Manny - Dressage at 2011 Rolex - by Calina

and sorry no pic... but Buck Davidson rode in an ECOGOLD's Secure Dressage Saddle Pad