Super scooper voted tops by horse riders (From Worcester News)

Super scooper voted tops by horse riders

3:28pm Wednesday 24th June 2009

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THE old adage is ‘where there’s muck there’s money’, so a Herefordshire company is hoping that where there’s horse muck, there’s absolutely loads of money.

Equine Speedskip of Ross-on-Wye has come up with an innovative piece of equipment which allows horse owners to perform the messy mucking out process more quickly and effectively, while reducing the potential for wrist, elbow and back strain.

Within nine months of the product being launched last year more than 150 retailers were stocking and selling the Equine Speedskip. It was voted top yard and stable product on the leading UK national equine website Your Horse and also received an endorsement from the internationally renowned Hartpury Equine College, near Ledbury. Now, the company has won its first export orders from Germany, Finland, Hungary and the Netherlands as a result of exhibiting at Equitana 2009 in Essen, Germany – the world’s largest trade fair for horse-related equipment – with financial support from UK Trade and Investment.

Further interest in the Equine Speedskip has also been received from Belgium, France, South Africa and the Republic of Ireland.

Company partner Elaine Pickering said: “The results from Equitana have been fantastic. We were particularly pleased with the response from the German community. The event was a great international launching pad for our products and we were also selected by an independent panel of judges as one of the nominees for the Equitana Innovation Award.”

Equine Speedskip was set up in February 2008 by Ms Pickering and her business partner Gareth Hulbert. In October the company joined UK Trade and Investment’s flagship Passport to Export programme which gives new exporters the training, planning and ongoing support they need to succeed overseas.

Mr Hulbert said: “The funding and practical support we are receiving from Passport to Export through our international trade adviser Linda Smith is invaluable and I would recommend it to anyone who is considering exporting. Linda has helped us set an action plan and advised us on potential pitfalls.”

UK Trade & Investment international trade manager Linda Smith, based at Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce, said: “It’s a pleasure to work with a company as innovative as Equine Speedskip and I look forward to continuing to assist them in developing their export business further.”

For more information about how UK Trade & Investment can help your business expand into new markets abroad contact the international trade team at Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce on 0845 6411515.

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