Small Business Saturday!

We don't like to be preachy but today is "Small Business Saturday", an excellent initiative to encourage consumers to support small businesses.

Team Brookhaven's Remembrance Day Quadrille at the Royal Winter Fair

The Royal Winter Fair Horse Show innovated this year, with a dressage quadrille competition where four teams fought for $15,000 in total prize money.

Team Brookhaven, coached by Olympian Jacquie Brooks, rode in ECOGOLD’s Frictionless Saddle pads and did a very touching Remembrance Day routine.

Team members Joyce Cameron, Leah Wilson, Jen Kellock and Lori Bell dedicated their ride to family members who had served in the Armed Forces during World War II.

Here is the video of their Quadrille Competition routine at the Royal Winter Fair.

Ecogold Sponsors Three Teams Including Silver Medal Winning Canadian Eventing Team at 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games

Press release and Photo credit - Amber Heintzberger

October 3, 2010 -- Lexington, Kentucky -- Ecogold is the proud sponsor of the silver medal-winning Canadian three-day eventing team and the fourth-placed US eventing team as well as the Canadian dressage team at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Lexington, Kentucky.

The Canadian eventing team, including Hawley Bennett, Kyle Carter, Selena O’Hanlon and Stephanie Rhodes-Bosch as well as Canadian individuals Rebecca Howard and Jessica Phoenix used Ecogold saddle pads for all three phases of the eventing championship. Riders raved about the quality and technical superiority of Ecogold saddle pads as well as the outstanding support that they receive from the company.

Rebecca Howard said, “We use Ecogold pads for all three phases and they are fabulous! The cross-country pad is the one that I am especially excited about. They look classy and they don’t move.”



Howard also commented on the success of the Canadian riders at WEG, “What do you say? We’re all thrilled! Everybody just did their job and it worked out like it is supposed to.”

Canadian team member Hawley Bennett-Awad said, “Ecogold has been a huge factor in the Canadian team. The horses look beautiful and the saddle pads are amazing. People have been asking about them all through the competition. We just got the ‘Who Dat?’ award here at WEG, but I think that at the London 2012 Olympic Games we will be a team to look out for!”

Stephanie Rhodes-Bosch said, “Patricia from Ecogold has been amazing. I ride in a custom saddle that’s gigantic and Ecogold had special pads made; they have been great supporting all of us. I love the way the pads fit the saddle and the horses’ backs have stayed cool and didn’t get sore at all during this strenuous competition.”

Ecogold also sponsors the US eventing team of Phillip Dutton, Boyd Martin, Buck Davidson and Karen O’Connor as well as individual competitor Becky Holder.

Top US finisher Boyd Martin said, “Galloping around the enormous and somewhat terrifying cross-course at the WEG, I was confident that my horse’s back would be comfortable and my saddle would stay put thanks to my Ecogold saddle pad. The company has been very supportive not only during the WEG but of my riding career here in the USA.”

Incidentally, popular Australian rider Peter Atkins, who wears a helmet camera to film his rides, also rides his horse Henry Jota Hampton in an Ecogold cross-country pad. Atkins’ slogan “Run Henny Run” is printed on hats and T-shirts and was mentioned several times on the televised broadcast of the championships.

The Canadian dressage team included Ashley Holzer, Belinda Trussell, Bonny Bonnello and Victoria Winter. Holzer placed eighth in the Grand Prix Freestyle at the WEG.

As well as supporting these teams, Ecogold sponsors nine of these riders, who dominated their team selections for the World Equestrian Games, on an ongoing basis. Ecogold also sponsors leading show jumping rider McLain Ward, who is competing on the US show jumping team at the WEG.

In addition to saddle pads, Ecogold manufactures open-front horse boots, cross-country horse boots, and dressage boots.

Ecogold is comprised of a team of experts in the field of textile engineering with more than 40 years experience in high-performance materials. All Ecogold products are made in a company-owned factory in Montreal, Quebec, Canada to ensure the best quality materials and workmanship.


For more information or to order Ecogold products, please visit www.ecogold.ca or call 1-866-432-6465.

Ecogold-rider McLain Ward on the TODAY Show!

McLain Ward, who rides in ECOGOLD saddle pads, was interviewed on NBC's Today Show, with fellow show jumper Georgina Bloomberg, to talk about the World Equestrian Games. Here are some photos!

TODAY show host Matt Lauer interviews Georgina Bloomberg and McLain Ward

McLain was there to talk about the World Equestrian Games

"So..you guys jump big jumps like this?" "Yep!"

Wohooo!! Let's go for GOLD!!

Sapphire gets her close-up...and her ECOGOLD saddle pad underneath!

World Equestrian Games will be televised on NBC

ECOGOLD riders dominate US Eventing Team Selection for World Equestrian Games

Not only has the US Eventing Team chosen to ride in ECOGOLD Saddle pads at the FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky, but when the final selection list was announced earlier this week, we were proud to see a majority of the team formed by ECOGOLD-sponsored riders.

The United States Equestrian Federation has named the following horse and rider combinations as the team and individuals to the U.S. Eventing Team for the FEI World Equestrian Games which will take place from September 25-October 10, 2010 in Lexington, KY.

Congratulations to the riders who made the selection! Click on their names for their profiles in our Hall of Champions:

Team USA Riders:

Buck Davidson and BallyNoe Castle RM
Phillip Dutton and Woodburn
Boyd Martin and Neville Bardos
Kim Severson and Tipperary Liadhnan

Individual riders:

Karen O'Connor and Mandiba
Becky Holder and Courageous Comet

ECOGOLD rider McLain Ward and Sapphire Win Richest Grand Prix in Show Jumping History

HITS Press Release/ Photos: ESI Photography.

Two-time US Olympic Gold Medalist McLain Ward of Brewster, New York, who rides in ECOGOLD Saddle pads,  and his majestic, "million-dollar" mare, Sapphire, owned by McLain Ward and Blue Chip Bloodstock, won the inaugural Pfizer $1 Million Grand Prix on Sunday, September 12 at HITS-on-the-Hudson in Saugerties, New York.

The legendary duo of Ward and Sapphire proudly added their names to the show jumping history books once more when they bested a field of 43 High-Performance riders before an energetic and enthusiastic crowd of thousands that lined all four berms surrounding the Strongid Stadium. Sunday's line-up featured some of the best and most promising athletes and horses in the sport, including some of America's brightest up-and-coming stars and several American and International Olympians..

Olympic Course Designer Steve Stephens of Palmetto, Florida set a challenging and technical course that was decorated to the hilt by Olympic Course Decorator Flora Baptiston of Brazil.

"The course was brilliant," explained Ward. "Steve [Stephens] has been a great course designer for years, and he was a brilliant rider before that. Today was a great balance of tests."

After a successful week of show jumping, the Strongid Stadium was transformed into a field of dreams, as custom jumps, exclusive to the Pfizer $1 Million Grand Prix, including a fence from the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, set the stage for the biggest event of the year.

Another ECOGOLD rider, Charlie Jayne of Elgin, Illinois and The London Group's Athena led the crowd to a thunderous applause when they captured the first clear effort of the class. The pair finished second in the jump off.

"This was the biggest class I've ever competed in," said Jayne. "I felt the presence of the crowd, and that we were all jumping for the fans today. HITS did a great job of getting an audience to come out for the class."

Jayne and Athena tasted success earlier in the season at HITS-on-the-Hudson when they captured the $125,000 Strongid© C 2X Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health.

The best was saved for last when Ward and Sapphire immaculately took the victory with a faultless round in 44.782 seconds, as the crowd witnessed history-in-the-making for the once-in-a-lifetime pair.

"I owe my career to her [Sapphire]," said Ward, who now nears the four-million dollar mark on his mare. "I watched Charlie go, and I've got to say, standing at the gate, I was nervous. There was a lot of money on the line."

Ward and Sapphire led the way in a victory gallop, joined by the top 20 horse-and-riders of the class as the crowd cheered approvingly of the outcome.

"McLain is the best rider I've ever seen, probably will ever see, so it's an honor to be in second place," exclaimed an ecstatic Jayne. "I'm grateful to be able to compete in a class like this...it was an excellent event today, and I couldn't ask for anything more."

A sneak peek at the saddle pads for the World Equestrian Games

ECOGOLD is busy this month making the saddle pads for teams that will be competing at the 2010 World Equestrian Games in less than a month.

Here are some photos...

Canadian Dressage Team Saddle pads are ready!

Ashley Holzer's saddle pads

Canadian Eventing Team Cross-country saddle pads

Some riders have special saddles, which means custom saddle pads - this is Rebecca Howard's

Stephanie Rhodes-Bosch's pattern on the cutting table

US Eventing Team Saddle pads - don't worry, they will be ready...

Team USA's Cross-country Saddle pads

Phillip Dutton's special pattern for his blue XC saddle

Will look like this.