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EquiFit, Inc. Expands Rider Sponsorship to Europe with Addition of Irish Show Jumper Conor Swail

Written by: Jennifer Wood
Client: Equifit,Inc.
Release Date: 2006-05-11

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jennifer Wood for Phelps Media Group, Inc. International

MEDIA CONTACT: Jennifer Wood of Phelps Media Group, Inc. International at (561) 753-3389 or at pmginfo@phelpsmediagroup.com

WEB SITE: Phelps Media Group, Inc. International Press Releases and Photos are available for download at http://www.phelpsmediagroup.com

Photo Credit: Ireland’s Conor Swail and Nepomuk in La Baule, France. Photo by Jennifer Wood/Phelps Sports.com. High resolution copies of this photo can be obtained by contacting pmginfo@phelpsmediagroup.com.

EquiFit, Inc. Expands Rider Sponsorship to Europe with Addition of Irish Show Jumper Conor Swail

Boston, MA – May 11, 2006 - EquiFit Inc., the company that offers a complete line of products for riders who are serious about performance, is pleased to announce their sponsorship of Conor Swail of Ireland. EquiFit Inc. offers an extensive range of products including: the revolutionary T-Boot Series™ horse boots, T-Form saddle pads, and the industry’s only riding posture correction garment, ShouldersBack.

Originally from County Down in Northern Ireland, Swail is well known as an Irish representative in Europe. He first rode for Ireland in 1998 at the Nations’ Cup in Linz, Austria, where he helped his team to a third place finish. Swail has gone on to represent Ireland in 16 more Nations’ Cups, including the victorious team in 2004 at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, FL. He has also had grand prix victories in Dublin, Holland, and other European venues. Swail was the Irish Grand Prix League winner in 2004, and he won the Irish National Championship in 1998.

Swail currently rides and trains out of O’Connor/Swail Stables near Dublin, Ireland, with business partner Barry O’Connor. They have an up-and-coming string of top-level horses, including his Nations’ Cup mount Poncho and the 11 year old Nepomuk. Swail is also bringing along young horses, such as eight year olds, Rivaal, Alaska, and VDL Douglas, a stallion by the famous stud Darco, and three five year old prospects. “I have a fantastic team of horses,” Swail acknowledged. “Hopefully, the next three or four years will be successful for me. I’m looking forward to the next few years.”

Swail first saw the T-Boots from EquiFit, Inc. this winter while showing in Florida at the Winter Equestrian Festival. “I must say, in the few weeks that we’ve used them, I’m delighted with them. I like the design [because] it’s very neat and eye-catching, in addition to the quality of the nice cushioning and the memory foam.”

The Irish rider’s eyes twinkled when he related how his top new horse Nepomuk began using the new XCEL™ hind boots. “When we bought Nepomuk, they told us that we couldn’t put any bandages on him behind, and he was never to wear any boots behind,” he explained. “We’ve tried the T-Boots on him, and he doesn’t seem to mind. He jumps good with them. That was a bit of an experiment, but it’s turned out well.” Swail uses the T-Boot™ series on every horse in their stable, and he admitted, “We’re even riding them in the boots a bit at home. We should be keeping them good to use at shows, but I like them on the horses all the time!”

Swail is also one of the first sponsored riders to use and comment on the new T-Sport wraps. “They’re very durable and supportive,” he commented. “They’re like polo wraps with the support of a run-down boot. They’re great. They draw away the sweat from the leg. You can brush them clean and re-use them all the time.”

EquiFit, Inc. President Alexandra Cherubini is thrilled to sponsor Swail, who shows a majority of the year in Europe. “We are branching out into a new market in Europe, and Conor Swail is a fantastic representative to have there. He uses our boots in big competitions like the Nations’ Cup, and he will be a great asset to our team.”

EquiFit, Inc. is dedicated to helping riders improve and become more competitive. In addition to Swail, they are proud to work with 2004 Athens Olympic gold medalist McLain Ward, Olympians Margie Engle and Alison Firestone, as well as grand prix riders Michael Morrissey, Joie Gatlin, Callan Solem, Jimmy Torano, Christine McCrea, Molly Ashe, Mandy Porter, Olympic Three-Day event rider Darren Chiacchia, and Australian Three-Day event rider Christine Bates.

EquiFit, Inc. branched out from its flagship posture product for riders, ShouldersBack™, and designed the T-Boot Series™ when company president and equestrian, Alexandra Cherubini, of Boston, MA, could not find satisfactory boots already on the market. “There really was nothing out there that addressed the full range of issues and conditions that horses encounter in the show ring and in everyday work,” said Cherubini, who competes in the Adult Hunter and Jumper divisions.

Since then, the response has been tremendous. The T-Boot Series™ are quickly becoming the most popular and sought-after horse boots in North America, and they are well on their way for expansion in the European market. This has certainly been inspired by its sponsorship at Winter Equestrian Festival, the largest and longest-running equestrian event in the world, drawing competitors from over 30 countries. Riders’ response of the T-Boot™ Series being the “Official Horse Boot” of the Horse-Shows-in-the-Sun (HITS) circuits in Indio, CA, Ocala, FL, and Tucson, AZ, has also been very positive.

Designed by an orthopedic company, the T-Boot Series™ is filled with T-Foam, a revolutionary pressure-relieving visco-elastic material that conforms to the horse’s body, providing maximum support and pressure-point dispersal and eliminating chafing and abrasion. When the T-Boots are removed, T-Foam recovers 100 percent of its original shape, ready to provide a perfect custom fit for every horse, every time.

EquiFit’s product line includes five different models of T-Boots. The brand-new XCEL™ hind boot is quickly becoming the boot of choice for grand prix riders as it promotes superior hind end movement over jumps. These boots offer replaceable T-Foam liners.

One of the newest and most thrilling products is the T-Sport Wrap™. These foam-lined wraps provide maximum compression and support and are superior to synthetic polo wraps that are on the market today. Through EquiFit, Inc., equestrians now have access to the same cutting edge technology used by athletic trainers, physical therapists, and sports physicians for many years.

Although EquiFit, Inc. sponsors many grand prix riders, their boots and saddle pads can be used for a wide array of equestrian disciplines including dressage, eventing, endurance, reining, trail riding, and racing.

For more information, please visit their website at: www.equifit.net or call 1-877-4-EQUIFIT.

Photo Credit: Ireland’s Conor Swail and Nepomuk in La Baule, France. Photo by Jennifer Wood/Phelps Sports.com. High resolution copies of this photo can be obtained by contacting pmginfo@phelpsmediagroup.com.