Shires' Fantastic Huntingdon Jacket

We're thrilled with a report we received from a member of our T&T panel...the strange (and great!) thing was that we didn't send this product out to be tested!! Have a read below...

Shires’ ‘Fantastic’ Huntingdon Jacket

Zara Brown, a member of Shires’ tried and tested panel emailed in with a rather unusual request…not that she wanted to test one of the products from June’s T&T list...she was so pleased with her Huntingdon Jacket that she wanted to write a report about it! Here’s what she had to say:

‘My initial impressions of the jacket where that it looked expensive, well made and had beautiful colouring and lovely velvet finish on the collar and pockets,’ explains Zara. ‘The fit was fantastic, never had a jacket that looks so tailored to my individual shape. Every part of this product is in perfect proportion. Better still, it kept me very warm hunting during the winter and does not restrict the shoulders whilst jumping, nor do the sleeves creep back. The second time I wore the jacket it performed even better than the first! It felt like it had moulded to me, looks timelessly elegant and can be worn all day, so much so I am disappointed when I have to take it off!’


As the Huntingdon Jacket is 100% wool with a luxurious lining, you might think that the care aspect would be an issue but, as Zara says: ‘If muddy, I dusted with a clothes brush and it came up as good as new. I have also sent to the dry cleaners and as came back as good as when it was bought.’

‘I adore this product,’ explains Zara, ‘it has definitely become a firm favourite in my wardrobe. I have used other makes of jackets in the past that have been more expensive, but they have not performed to the same extent this has. The quality and workmanship make this jacket better than its competitors for the price. I certainly feel better in the ring when I am wearing this, as they say ‘if you look good, you feel good’ and this is what is needed in the ring.’

Zara’s marks for the product were as follows:

Packaging 8
Product appearance 10
Fit 10
Function 10
Value for money 10
Performance 10

Thank you Zara for a great report!

The Huntingdon Jacket is available in Green Check, Navy Check, Beige/Green Tweed and Green Herringbone in sizes 30”-42” and retails at £89.99.

To find out more about Shires products, see the website www.shiresequestrian.com, email sales@shiresequestrian.com, call 01568 613600 or see your nearest stockist.

Shires Equestrian announces support of Rosie Thomas

Thought you'd like to see the official press release about Shires' support of Rosie Thomas....

Shires Equestrian announces support of Rosie Thomas

Shires Equestrian is delighted to announce its support of event rider Rosie Thomas. Rosie is the first member of Shires’ new Performance Rider Programme which has been designed to help support the talented riders of today and tomorrow.

Rosie lives in Tenbury in Worcestershire and competed at Badminton for her second time this May. Rosie has been riding for as long as she can remember and now successfully competes a string of event horses including Barry’s Best, her own 4 star horse. Notable achievements in recent years include finishing 13th at Burghley in 2008 where she was the pathfinder and was one of only two riders to finish the cross country phase inside the optimum time; winning the Jemima Johnson Memorial Trophy for the rider that epitomises the spirit of the sport and has not been awarded senior Union Jack flag, and the Martin Whiteley Trophy for the rider who gained the most points on one horse and has never been entitled to wear the Union Jack flag or won the award before. She also finished 31st at this year’s Badminton and won the Glentrool Trophy for the rider who moved up the most places after the dressage phase.

In addition to riding Barry’s Best, Rosie competes 10 other horses from Intro up to Advanced. She’s also Chief Instructor of the Ludlow Pony Club and teaches at her parents’ riding school.


Rosie comments: ‘I am really pleased to be working with Shires. Mum and dad run a riding school in Tenbury and I’ve had lots of experience of Shires’ products on my own horses as well on livery horses and those in the riding school. Shires make a wide range of goods and I’m looking forward to working with them now and in the future.’


‘We are thrilled to be supporting such a talented rider,’ explains Rhea Freeman, Shires’ Marketing Manager, ‘we’re handpicking the people for our Performance Rider Programme and Rosie’s links with the local area, her reputation in the eventing world, her skill, modesty and fabulous attitude are ideal for the programme. We wish Rosie every success throughout the current season and look forward watching her continue to succeed.’

For more information on Shires, see the website www.shiresequestrian.com, email sales@shiresequestrian.com or call 01568 613600. Information on Rosie and the Performance Rider Programme will be available on the Shires website shortly.

Good day out of the office!

Well, the sun has been shining and I've been outside on a summer rug photoshoot...it's a tough job but someone has to do it! We decided to take advantage of the suunshine, the buttercups, the lush green grass and the leaves on the trees to refresh some of the summer rug photos to get ready for the next catalogue (this won't be out until next year but it's not like we are inundated with glorious predicable weather in the UK is it!?). We photographed the Performance Maxi-Flow, the Maxi-Flow Fly Combo, the Tempest Fly and the Summer Highlander Combo. I'm sure that the horses thought we were ever so slightly crazy when we put a lightweight waterproof on one of them! Anyway, the shoot was a success and the horses behaved well so we didn't have to spend all day in the sun!

On another note, we've updated the front page of the website and now our Cover Star 2010 entry form is online. The competition is going to be run in a very similar way to last year with a few little tweaks, and a press release will soon be sent out to all the magazines that reveals more details about the contest...and about the venue for the cover star semi-final...it's stunning and I'm sure we are going to have an excellent day there. Judging by the interest we've had so far, I think we are in for a good one! If anyone want to know more, just drop us an email...the sales email will be fine and it will find its way to me...email sales@shiresequestrian.com.

Anyway, will blog again soon,

Rhea

P.S...if you haven't received a Shires catalogue yet, email us with your name and address and we will put one in the post.