Meet the Finalists: Spark Awards Start Up
The 2021 Heels Down Spark Awards aims to highlight creative individuals making their mark in the equestrian industry.
The winners will be selected by a panel of expert judges (75%) and a public vote in the Heels Down Spark, our daily equestrian newsletter (25%). The judges have weighed in. Now it’s your turn.
The entrepreneur start up category includes products, services, professional riders, sole proprietorships, freelancers, and nonprofits in operation for less than 2 years.
Meet the finalists here. And don’t forget to cast your vote on Friday, August 13, in the Heels Down Spark. Subscribe now.
Tara Moore
“For years I felt stuck between following a traditional corporate career path and pursuing my passion working in the equestrian industry. In 2016 I took a leap of faith to leave my job working in corporate PR in downtown Manhattan to take over as barn manager at Grey Oaks farm, a 45-acre horse farm in my hometown.
Over the next couple of years I became a PATH Intl. Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor, and eventually became the Program Director of a local therapeutic riding facility while continuing to manage Grey Oaks. My first task as Program Director was to take the program through a rebrand as we prepared to relaunch at a new facility. This was my first time taking a business through this process and sparked that ‘light-bulb’ moment – my entire career I thought I had to choose between the business world and the equestrian industry. In reality, I just had to find the perfect way to bring those two worlds together.
After about three years as a Program Director, in January of 2020 I started Farm & Fir Co. Because I maintained my barn manager job, I had the opportunity to take some risks. I knew I wanted Farm & Fir to be different than other equestrian and branding agencies, and truly be full service for all of our clients’ creative visual needs. Despite never using a professional camera before, I knew photography would be an important complement to the brand and web design services I wanted to offer. Before officially launching my business, I bought my first camera off Amazon, watched countless hours of youtube videos, and reached out to every photographer I knew for tips and tricks.
By March of 2020, I was photographing for the national equestrian apparel brand Redingote and my clients’ photos have appeared in Horse Illustrated and a few other equestrian publications. For the first four months of my business, I only served two clients on the brand design side. Since February of 2021, we have consistently been booking new clients 4-6 in advance and I now have a graphic designer, intern, and web design assistant on my team. About two months ago, I launched my first podcast, The Stable Exchange, to offer business and design advice to fellow equestrian entrepreneurs.
We currently offer brand photography, branding, web design, brand and business strategy, and education in all of our packages. We are unique in the sense that every single package we offer, from small to full service, includes some aspect of design or business education, such as our own Ebooks or video tutorials, to help our clients be sustainable even after their project with us closes.”
Learn more about Farm & Fir Co. here.
Chanel Rhodes
“I am a first-generation equestrian and third-generation entrepreneur. My brand name Cowgirl Chanel represents perseverance, a unique difference, boldness, and living life with passion. I have developed a new revolutionary business called Mane Tresses. I am the inventor, designer, and creator of easy to install, flexible wigs for horses from forelock to tail. My unique product allows the buyer to express their love and passion for the equestrian sport in different ways, from riding in a parade to competing in the show ring. My product market includes the every day equestrian, movies studios, theme parks, production companies, social media influencers with horses and photographers. Mane Tresses is affordable, reusable, and unique. Each one of my wigs are handmade by me and carries a piece of my passion in every stitch.
I have been horse obsessed since the diaper days. I was only able to enter the sport fully at the age of 20. I can not remember a time that I have not been inspired by these majestic animals. Every time I saw a horse I was inspired more and more to join the equestrian sport.
When most people think of horses, they think of long beautiful flowing manes, which my mare does not have. So one day during Black History Month in 2019 I was inspired to be creative with my horse. I just wondered what it would be like to put extensions in my horse’s mane, I was also curious about the response I would receive. I named my first installation project and video ‘Afrocentric Pony.’ Immediately after releasing my video, I was contacted by the ‘Young Black Equestrians’ to participate in a podcast related to my revolutionary artwork, idea, and brand. I was then inspired to pursue a business to create wigs for horses. 50 prototypes, 200 crys, and 1,000 hours of missed sleep later; I finally launched my business on January 25, 2021. My equine-based products are inspired by ‘Afrocentric Pony’ and allow the buyer to project their creativity on their already majestic equine pal with a fun and whimsical touch the way that I did in February of 2019.
I make natural colored and colorful whimsical wigs for horses. These wigs include forelocks, manes, tails, and soon to include leg feathers for drafts. My products are easy to install, light-weight and flexible for the horse without impeding the horse’s movement. These unique designs do not require any braiding, sewing, weaving, multiple clip-ins, crocheting, or adhesives. These wigs are for day use and are easier to remove than to install. They can be cut, washed, styled, and feathered (for more of a layered look). Each wig is custom made to each order and can also be used on multiple horses. These brilliant and innovative designs allow the buyer to creatively express themselves. These products can be used during turn-out, parades, barrel runs, jumping and in any show ring. My products have been featured on NBC’s ‘Access Daily,’ ABC’s ‘To Tell the Truth,’ 60 Second Docs, a Facebook ‘I AM Beautiful’ commercial, Chrome Magazine, Heelsdown Magazine, Cowgirl Magazine, Bust Magazine, Smartpak catalog and blog, Los Angelenos Magazine(LA Times), Eventing Nation article , Horse Rookie letter, Horsemanship Magazine and more.”
Learn more about Mane Tresses here.
Katie Hawkins and Kate Wallace
“Katie and I have been friends for almost 10 years. We are both moms and small business owners. Katie is a certified Equine Massage Therapist and I am a certified Magnawave PEMF practitioner. We are both Certified Equine Rehab Therapists. We are riders and horse owners as well, so we can relate to other horse owners. We know what it’s like to have a horse need time off to recover from an injury. We noticed that there is a gap between the vets diagnosing and treating the horses to the owners getting their horses back in shape and back in the ring. Katie and I took our passion and love for helping horses feel better and put it in to this ‘hole’ in the horse world.
Katie and I have utilized the phrase, ‘The Comeback.’ We want to make sure that after a horse leaves our facility they are back better than they were before. We realize that there is a mental and physical component of healing for horses and we address both parts. We know it’s hard sending your horse somewhere to rehab… we joke that you are sending them to Aunt Kate and Katie. We treat our patients like our own horses. We know that most horses get hurt at some point in their career, and because of resale, many people don’t like to talk about it. We want to bring rehab to the forefront, making it as common as physical therapy is for humans.
We operate out of the only state of the art rehab center in the Chicagoland area that has an equine water treadmill. We work out of a private barn that is conducive for healing. We are on 40 acres, we have private grass and sand turnout, covered and heated Eurociser complex, Vitafloor, Solarium, HorseGYM USA treadmill, and a Hudson Aquatic Aqua Pacer. We are able to tread horses in cold salt water or warm water depending on their needs or injury. Horses get massages and Magnawave Treatments regularly, as well as rehab exercises in-hand, stretching, lunging, etc. We are completely vet directed, so whatever therapies the horse needs, we are there to implement it. We are also open for horses that need some conditioning, or if their owner is going on vacation and wants their horse to stay in work. We offer sale horse prep, post-surgical care, ulcer regiments; basically anything that doesn’t need an equine hospital but might be a lot for a boarding facility to handle.”
Learn more about Unbridled Equine Rehab and Performance Solutions here.
Jessica Andrews
“Eques Pante is equestrian underwear, created and designed specifically for equestrians by an equestrian, me!
My background is in hair and makeup. I ran an on-location hair and makeup business in Los Angeles for many years. When the pandemic hit, and events were nowhere in sight, I decided to keep my sanity and expand my creative abilities, focusing on my idea for producing my equestrian underwear became an everyday necessity. It was a blast! It made lockdown that much easier and meant I ‘had’!! to ride every day to put the prototypes to the test. I was the fit model – and found a very knowledgeable guy, Andrew Kneisley, on LinkedIn to consult me through the whole process. I had been wanting to create a product for many years but really waited until I found the one that counted. Plus with working and running my current business in LA there was no way I could dedicate the time to this startup. The pandemic really helped force me to be focused on what was important to me. Before I knew it I had hundreds of material samples at my door for me to look through and although some were great nothing really fitted the whole bill. After all, as we equestrians know – everything in our sport, no matter what the discipline has to be very durable but at the same time soft to the skin in sensitive areas. The material had to be custom, USA-made (very important to me!) and I decided I had to create a seamless gusset area because I believe the issue with underwear for riding is all the seams. I often would come back from vigorous dressage lessons with rashes and cuts from regular underwear – and I tried them all let me tell you! I wanted to create something that supported all the way to the knee and at the waist. The design I came up with helps support in all the right areas. To bring this to our community is such a joy as I really believe it solved the issues associated with riding in underwear!
Eques Pante is a custom, eco-conscious, USA-made, performance fabric with a seamless patent pending gusset area that gives rash protection down to the knee. It is one of its kind and has quickly become a staple in many equestrians’ wardrobes all across the globe. Since I launched in February I have sold out multiple times and often wake up to messages of gratitude from riders raving about how the product has been much needed. One of my riders describes the Pantes as ‘Revolutionary!'”
Learn more about Eques Pante here.
Subscribe to the Spark to learn more about our finalists all week and to cast your vote on Friday.