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!