LUX September 2017

LUX - September 2017 21 Best Equine Saddlery Boutique - South Africa Equestrian Affair is a luxury saddlery boutique in South Africa dedicated to offer unique and innovative equestrian clothing and accessories. We explore how the secrets behind the success of this exceptional brand. Equestrian Affair is a boutique saddlery shop that has one outlet nestled in the heart of Chelsea Village in Wynberg, Cape Town and the other is located in the heart of the South African equestrian community in Kyalami, Johannesburg. The stylish equestrian brain child of mother and daughter team Lara Neill and Jennifer Beatty, the firm draws on their vast experience in the equestrian market to create stunning, luxury products. Together they changed the way that equestrian enthusiasts in South Africa could shop by providing them with a chic and beautiful shopping space instead of the generic “warehouse-like” spaces previously on offer. The shops are tastefully decorated, providing the shopper with a warm, elegant feel, and the products on offer are carefully sourced and tested to present clients with the best quality at competitive prices. Horses have been a part of Jennifer’s life forever, from dreaming of her first pony as a child, to riding, competing, judging and running a small livery yard. To add to this, she had three daughters, all of whom have been pony/ horse mad at some stage of their lives. Lara, her eldest daughter, was passionate about riding and competing from the time she could stand and excelled in children’s, juniors and adults so it was an easy decision to partner in this enterprise and Equestrian Affair was founded in December 2008. After competing in all the various English disciplines as a child and junior, she set her mind on Show jumping and this is where her passion has remained. She competes at a top level and is a very active participant on the South African competition circuit. The core principles on which the business is based are quality and price. The owners realised that there was a huge need for quality and well-priced tack and clothing, so, together they concentrated on one item at a time and tried and tested various styles and patterns. After agreeing on fit and materials, one by one the products went into production and the EA brand was born. Fortunately, the extent of their ranges allows for the ‘uber-stylish’, the highly competitive and the entry level rider. There are also things for those that simply enjoy the equestrian lifestyle. On offer at Equestrian Affair is everything from competitive and casual apparel for both horse and rider and beautiful leather dog requirements, to lifestyle clothing, home accessories, objet d’art and equestrian themed jewellery. Since inception, the firm has flourished, and currently the Equestrian Affair brand is broken into two ranges, EA RiderWear and EA HorseWear. The products are all tried and tested by our team of professional athletes, most of whom have ridden for South Africa at various events around the world, and form the EA Ambassador team. Due to the fact that the firm’s team of employees and ambassadors are all very active competitors in the various equestrian disciplines, the company are able to keep their finger on the pulse with regards to new trends, fashions and practical needs of their valued clients. Each shop has a manager and a floor assistant who are all enthusiastic and passionate about the firm’s products and brand, to ensure that clients receive the very highest standards of service. As part of this commitment to offering quality client service, Equestrian Affair are very active on social media and each shop has its own Facebook page so that staff are able to interact with clients and offer a more personalized service. Moving forward, Equestrian Affair will be showcasing its exciting new website, which will offer customers the chance to browse through the exquisite ranges offered and offer greater interaction between the brand and its customers. Longer term, Jennifer and Lara are keen to export their innovative brand to other retailers and make it available to riders all over the world. “ Jennifer and Lara are keen to export their innovative brand to other retailers and make it available to riders all over the world.” Contact: Lara Neill Contact Email: [email protected] Address: 51 Waterloo Road, Wynberg, Cape Town, Western Cape, 7806, South Africa Phone: 0027 21 762 3771 Cellular: 0027824119588 Website: www.equestrianaffair.co.za