Food for Thought From Inside "The Box"

I'm at the AETA International Trade Show at the Philadelphia Expo Center, or what I refer to as the "big metal box." Picture an enormous indoor ring but instead of footing, the floors are cement and covered with various sizes of mis-matched carpeting. I often wonder how horse people, who are outdoor people, can sit inside a windowless building for three days. It's a necessary evil as this show is one of the key ways to make connections with tack stores. It's different from selling at a horse show or event such as the Rolex Kentucky 3 Day. At a horse show I'm usually talking about not just the workmanship of the bridles but also sizing individual horses as well as chatting with the customer about their horse. Sometimes I'm estimating a fit based on a photo on someone's smartphone but the end goal is to provide tack the will put a smile on the customer's face when they see it on their horse. I usually have a few people come by to say they're fans on facebook or follow Five Star on Twitter or else it's to say thanks for supporting off track thoroughbred charities. I enjoy making these connections with customers and it's great when a past customer comes by to say how happy they are with their tack. It's this direct connection that makes my job fun and not seem like work.

Friends

Selling Five Star to tack stores can be a challenge. With many stores limited in their buying capacity it's about creating excitement about the brand and building relationships with other small business owners. Sometimes it's about getting them to think outside the box and try something new. I hear from retail customers that they want something different but it can be difficult to convince a store who may already be carrying a lot of inventory with limited shelf space, to take a risk with a new brand. We all want to buy and sell what is going to be a sure thing but there are no guarantees in life and when money is tight we tend to stick with what we know even if it's not the best thing to do. 

While I am a manufacturer I share many of the same challenges these small tack businesses face. It is always disheartening to hear that one of your dealers is going out of business especially one that was a good customer. It is difficult for these stores to compete with the big box store that moves into town as well as the large online stores. What happens when there are no more local tack stores? Will it be like the airline industry with a few key players killing the competition so they can dictate the market and raise prices? 

Here at AETA, the largest english riding trade show in the country, the talk has been about the number of stores that have closed, partially because of the economy but also because they couldn't compete against the big online stores. The summer trade show is always quieter than the winter show but when there is no crowd of buyers and you see more exhibitor badges than buyer badges that is worrisome. The odd thing is, the number of tack stores is decreasing but the number of manufacturers is increasing. Custom boots, performance show shirts, tack; they offer the promise of new choices for the retail customer but how will these new companies fare when there are fewer stores to buy their products?

The view from inside 

While having more product choice is a good thing, we are all competing for dwindling resources. The number of leather goods manufacturers (tack included), has exploded and the process of sourcing quality leather is getting increasingly difficult and more expensive. It's a balancing act between keeping a hold on costs while not sacrificing the integrity of the product and keeping the price attractive to entice stores to order. It's nice to see the number of new smaller manufacturers here at the trade show because they have some exciting new products, but I wonder what the future is going to bring? Are we going to be like those small tack stores having to compete against the big players? When we're all competing for the same resources who is going to be the one to get first dibs and the best choice? In the end will our fate be similar to that of the many smaller tack shops forced to close because they couldn't compete? Will the market be dominated by a few big manufacturers? What will that do to the number of choices and quality? 

So the next time you shop for yourself or your horse think about who you are supporting with your purchase. We all depend on you and we appreciate your business! 

Kristen Schmolze & Ballylaffin Bracken - Hitting Their Stride At Rolex

I had the great pleasure today of watching Five Star rider Kristin Schmolze and Ballylaffin Braken known as Rox as he made his debut at the Rolex Kentucky Three Day. It takes many years of hard work, talent and sacrifice to get to this level and it is a great achievement for any rider and horse to make it to this level of competition. I can only imagine the sense of pride one must feel riding down center line at Rolex!  Kristin was kind enough to answer some of my questions about riding at this level and I think we can all share in the feeling of accomplishment no matter what level we compete at.

For those that are not familiar with Rox, one of my favorite Five Star models, he is a 13 yr old ISH by Ricardo Z out of an ISH mare. He loves the camera, being the center of attention, and big competitions, so Rolex should be a fun week for him. I can vouch for the camera part!

He has a funny habit when it's time to bridle, he sticks his tongue out as far as he can and curls it up the side of his face, both sides, we call it his 'tongue stretches', this happens EVERY time you put the bridle on!

Kristin has trained Rox from scratch. As she says, "I've always wanted to do this, so to have it happening is truly awesome! Feeling very lucky to have this horse in my life! I picked Rox out as a gangly 4yr old stallion that was barely broke. It's taken some time to get here, but has been well worth the journey! We have a special bond from so many years together!" Having watched this pair many times, Rox truly trusts Kristin!

Kristin is no stranger to the four star level. On Cavaldi, my other favorite Five Star model,  she completed Burghley in 2007 (30th), and Rolex 3 times, in 2005 (12th), 2007 (30th), and 2010 (20th).

Rox is a good event horse that is pretty solid in all three phases, though saying that and as all riders say, there are always parts to improve on. He loves the xc, but being such a big horse, she has to help him to be fast enough to make the time. His dressage is lovely, and he does not like to touch the sj rails, so hopefully they can pull this all together this weekend!  Kristin said the grandstand arena will be a bit of a challenge with nerves for him, so as the rider she will help him focus so he can perform to his ability.

Rox goes in Five Star Tack bridles and breastplates and County Saddles!!

Kristin walks the xc course once by herself the morning of XC. Then she likes to have to have a few moments by herself to mentally picture her plan.

Kristin will walk the Rolex course 4-5 times this week. I asked what she does to be fit enough to do all of the walking and riding to which she replied, "I work out quite a bit, lots of cardio, yoga, pilates, and weight training."

I'm always curious about what those final thoughts are before heading out on cross country. Kristin says, "I give my horse a pat and say 'let's go have some fun!' Yep, this is what it's all about!

After the thrill of completing a four star cross country course, it's onto the last day; stadium jumping. I asked Kristin what it's like to enter the Rolex stadium for the last phase. "It is a feeling of accomplishment! There are plenty of nerves from both horse and rider. You need to acknowledge and accept they are there and then focus on your plan!"  Like competing in any high level sport you have to concentrate on the job at hand and not let the atmosphere get to you.

The feeling of landing ove the last jump and crossing the finish line, to me has got to be an incredible feeling of accomplishment. As Kristin shared, "It is one of the best feelings you can experience! I remember my first four star on Joey (Cavaldi) and I hardly hit the landing side of that last jump before I threw my hand in the air and cheered! I would have thought I won the Olympics with how thrilled I was!!"

Rox has been wearing Five Star bridles for the past four years and his favorite to date is the Kingsbury figure eight. Kristin says, "It's a beautiful bridle with a bit of flash, and fits so well and softly with the perfect amount of padding! Rox loves his 5point breastplate by Five Star!"

Thank you Kristin for sharing your insights on competing at Rolex. Tomorrow I'll get to walk the cross country course with Kristin and will share her strategy for tackling the course!

 Kristin and Rox are currently in sixth place after the first day of dressage! 

Catching up with Five Star Riders

As the snow and cold weather of this winter begin to lessen, the competition season is heating up! Those riders fortunate to head South for the winter are either in Aiken, Ocala or Wellington. Amanda Flint is in Ocala with her jumpers as well as her clients and both are having a very good circuit at HITS. Amanda always has a promising string of young horses in training and they have all had top placings in the young jumper classes so far. You will be sure to see some of these horses at the top of the year end Young Jumper and Jumper Futurity standings. Chinedine PPZ, Marquis, Ladonna, Super G and Super Bad have all successfully moved up to the next level of Young Jumper competition with two wins each for Marquis and Ladonna. In addition Texas Hold Em has had wins in both the meter forty and meter forty five prixe!

The two competitions in every advanced level event rider's mind this year are the PanAm Games and the 2012 Olympics. Doug Payne has two very promising horses that he is carefully aiming towards these two events. After winning virtually every Preliminary level event he contested last year, Crown Talisman has moved up to the Intermediate level and is making it look easy. The Pan Am Games are a two star level (Intermediate) competition and I think Doug and "Tali" will be top contenders for the US team! Doug's other star Running Order has just started his competition season after a successful trip to last year's Boekelo Three Star Event in Holland as part of the US squad. While maybe not as naturally gifted as Tali, "RO" is a game and gutsy horse and has been steadily improving his dressage. If you've ever watched the advanced level dressage test, you know it's not easy for an event horse! Doug is hoping to complete a Four Star event at the end of the season, with an eye on the London Olympics. As one of the busier riders on the eventing circuit, Doug always has several young horses he is bringing along and finishing in the top standings with. Doug is always mindful of how his horses are feeling and always puts their needs first even if it means not winning on that day. I hope the eventing "Gods" will bless Doug with good luck this year!

Meanwhile, Kristin Schmolze is waiting to hear back to see if her entry was accepted for the Badminton CCI Four Star! Kristin and Cavaldi were third at last year's Fair Hill International Three Star Championships. She and "Joey" have successfully contested Rolex Kentucky and Burghley and it has been a dream of hers to compete at Badminton. How cool is it to have that dream and have it become reality! While he can be fresh in the dressage, Joey excels on cross country and I always enjoy watching him go as you can see how much he loves going cross country. He is not a big horse but he makes those massive jumps look easy! I am keeping my fingers crossed for them to get to go to Badminton.

Kate Samuels, our youngest Five Star rider, had a very successful entry into the advanced level last year with Nyls du Terrior and she is just getting started with this season. They had a very good first outing last week at Pine Top at the Intermediate level. Kate and Nyls have climbed the levels together and she hopes to one day ride Nyls in the Rolex Kentucky CCI Four Star. She will spend this year getting more mileage at the Advanced level with Nyls. Kate was named to the "B" list of the Developing Riders program and will benefit from training with Team Coach Mark Phillips.

Five Star Tack has a new eventing rider that we will be sponsoring beginning this Spring. I'll have more about that soon.

That's it for now. I hope wherever you are the sun is shining and it's a good day to ride!

Five Star's New Hunter Bridles!

With the season winding down for both horse showing and eventing I decided to focus this time on some of our products since the holidays will be here before you know it! While Five Star Tack is better known in the eventing and jumper disciplines, it was actually the hunter bridle market that provided the "light bulb moment" to start designing tack. Instead of making another copy cat brand, it was my goal to design a top quality bridle, with it's own look and identity. After seeing the many similar looking bridles on the market and the slide in quality I knew there was a niche Five Star Tack could create.

Five Star currently offers four hunter bridles which are either new to our product line or have gone through revision this year so that our bridles reflect the varying needs of today's hunter rider. The Piccadilly bridle is designed with a narrower browband and noseband and provides a refined look. Our Wembley bridle has the same features as the Piccadilly but has an integrated crown. For those horses with more prominent features the Hickory bridle has a wider noseband and browband. It is also a great look for those riders who like today's wide noseband bridles. Lastly, for those riders who like a quieter look, the Kensington bridle is similar to the Piccadilly but without the fancy stitch.

If your horse is hard to fit we can special order any part to give your horse the best fitting bridle. In addition, the Hickory bridle can be special ordered without fancy stitching and can be ordered with an attached flash. Our standard colors are Australian Nut and Conker Brown but other colors can be special ordered. We can offer you the closest bridle to custom without the custom price!



Kensington Square Raised Hunter Bridle

To sum up the features of our Five Star Hunter bridles, the bridles are constructed so that the raised portions are made with leather not the short cut of using plastic. The leather is skived down only the length of the padded portion whereas other brands skive the entire length of either the browband or noseband leaving a long seal that needs to be glued. The majority of each bridle is made by hand, including stitching and finishing. They are also finished one at a time, not in batches. No matter where you look on the bridle, the stitching is straight and even. This is where a lot of companies cut corners as they figure since you don't see the underside of the bridle, it's okay for the stitching to be crooked.



Wembley Integrated Crown Hunter Bridle

Feedback from customers and fellow riders has been overwhelmingly positive and has helped target the direction of the product line. The tack stores that have seen the bridles are excited to see a new, different looking product and one that is top quality. Look for our hunter bridles to be in better tack shops in 2011!

The latest items we are working on are halters, leads, belts and possibly a second, lower priced line. There is a lot of work to be done before the next AETA industry trade show in January!

Piccadilly Fancy Stitch Hunter Bridle


Hickory Wide Noseband Bridle

If you could have the perfect bridle........

This is the question I am posing to anyone that follows Five Star Tack. Whether you've been a customer or follow us on Facebook your opinion counts! One of the advantages of being a small company is the ability to change and evolve in order to respond to customer requests and changing market trends. Sort of like being the nimble thoroughbred as opposed to the big heavy Clydesdale (I am a sucker for TB's and I really need to stay off the CANTER site)! Anyway, we have been reworking some of our products as sometimes a design that looks good on paper isn't quite what you want when you actually hold it. I purposely did not order large quantities of anything for this very reason. Hence, we had a limited product roll out for our first year so that we could "tweak" each product until it was truly something special and met customer needs.

In that vein, I started thinking it would be great to get YOUR input regarding products. Is there a perfect bridle you can think of? Are there things you don't like about tack you've had? Is there anything you don't like about Five Star's products OR would like to see us make? While our website is a bit of a hodge podge at the moment since we are low in inventory in many items, are there things about the website you think we should change? What do you think of the bridles with benefits program? Let me know!

Consider yourself part of a focus group and feel free to post what you think. We have already responded to requests for additional leather colors and different nose bands. Your thoughts will definitely be considered and listened to and if it's a good idea it will be incorporated into our product line and/or website.

Thanks for your help in making Five Star Tack an even better company!



Jamie

New Designs

One of the reasons for starting Five Star Tack was to develop a recognizable brand of bridles. So often the bridles look like copies of each other with each having an identical stitch pattern. When you go to your local tack shop there are sometimes rows of bridles with not much of a way to tell the difference between one brand or another except for the price tag. So my goal was and is to have a bridle that buyers will recognize for it's distinctive look, top quality and a company that actively supports equestrian sport and charity.

Quality is always in the back of my mind and I've lost a lot of sleep over it in the last year! There have been many times when I have felt like the new unknown fashion designer putting together their first line. You have to make a great impression on a demanding and knowledgeable audience and there is no way of knowing whether your designs will receive a "thumbs up" until you present them. You can do all your design sketches and then see the finished product and realize you have to start all over again or the person making your designs doesn't do the right job. You have to constantly make adjustments based on what your goals are while keeping an eye on what the market is doing.

While it used to be that the majority of bridles were made in England, the high cost of labor and top quality hides has brought about change. In bridle design the trend is moving towards brands being made in developing countries by large manufacturers assembling bridles for different companies. Much of the work is done by computerized machines with the labor mostly unskilled. They are merely following orders and have no knowledge of horses. The leather may be from England or the leather comes from another country and is tanned using "english methods". What this does is it makes it possible to produce tack at a lower cost but as is often the case, the quality is not the same. Maybe this doesn't matter to you and the most important criteria for you in buying a bridle is price but for me it does matter.

If you are going to differentiate yourself from the competition then you can't be like the competition. In light of this Five Star has switched to a new production company. Located in Dorset, England it is a small shop who makes bridles the "old fashion" way; by hand. They are also a shop who has received awards for their bridle work from the UK's Society of Master Saddlers of which they are a member. We have switched all the buckles from regular stainless steel to Sprenger german silver and will continue to use Sedgwick's best leather. It has taken longer to rework some of the styles than I anticipated but sometimes it can be tricky to integrate functionality and style. You have to be patient and think long term which is sometimes difficult. I am hopeful that these designs will be even more successful than our current ones and I look forward to your feedback!

If you have any comments on the tack market or questions please post them here!