BETA awards salute equestrian industry’s high achievers
The outstanding achievements of retailers, suppliers and exporters as well as riders and equestrian events have been recognised with 2008 BETA Business Awards. The accolades were devised by the British Equestrian Trade Association (BETA) to reward significant contributions to the equestrian industry. For the fifth year, the awards were presented during the BETA Gala Dinner at the Metropole Hotel in Birmingham, on 17th February. The glittering evening, held during the BETA International trade exhibition, was attended by around 500 people who enjoyed dinner with caricaturists entertaining at guests’ tables, followed by the awards ceremony, a casino and dancing. A raffle in aid of the Spinal Research Trust’s Saddle Up campaign, whose patron is former international eventer Ginny Elliot, raised £1,202. “Interest in and competition for BETA Business Awards has never been stronger with nominations pouring in from the trade and public,” said BETA’s executive director Claire Williams. “We are particularly delighted about nearly 400 different retailers being nominated by 1,800 of their customers for the SEIB Retailer of the Year Award. “BETA congratulates all winners and applauds their outstanding contributions to the equestrian industry.” Nominations for the 2009 SEIB Retailer of the Year Award, one of a series of 2009 BETA Business Awards, can be made at www.retaileroftheyear.org.uk
2008 BETA BUSINESS AWARD WINNERS
BETA FEED HELPLINE OF THE YEAR Winner – TopSpec Equine Following trade and public nomination plus independent, incognito judging via calls to the most frequently nominated helplines, TopSpec was considered to offer outstanding nutritional advice to consumers and retailers. The Yorkshire based company wins this award for the second successive year. A consumer who nominated the winner said: “The team at TopSpec offer an excellent service, professional advice and have genuine concern for their customers’ horses.” One of the judges said: “When I called TopSpec, there was very careful drawing out of appropriate information, backed up with sound, technical and practical advice. Their nutritionists offered an outstanding support service in every respect.” BETA SALES REPRESENTATIVE OF THE YEAR Winner – Linda Kennard This award rewards excellence in product knowledge and service to retail customers. Retailers and suppliers were asked to nominate potential winners. Linda Kennard represents Natural Animal Feeds (NAF). One of her retail customers who nominated her said: “Linda is an all-round nice person for whom nothing is too much trouble. We look forward to her visits and feel that time spent with her is always worthwhile. She knows her products – and everybody else’s!” HARRY HALL RETAIL EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR
Winner – Tessa Groocock Awarded to the shop floor employee showing initiative, excellence in customer service, good product knowledge and commitment to retailing, nominations flooded in from employers and representatives. The prize includes a weekend break for two in London for the winner, with his or her employer receiving BETA Training Course vouchers. Tessa Groocock works for Tower Farm Saddlers, based in Rugby, Warwickshire. When nominating Tessa, her employer said: “In her book, customers come before anything else. Her devotion and dedication are hard to beat. She has her own pony and competes, giving her an excellent insight into her customers’ needs.” BETA’s independent adjudicator who made an incognito call to Tessa added: “She is just fantastic and a credit to the shop.”
The Harry Hall Employee of the Year Award was presented by David Hutchinson, the sales director of Matchmakers International who retires at the end of March after 20 years in the equestrian trade.
JOULES EQUESTRIAN EVENT OF THE YEAR
Winner – The Festival of British Eventing at Gatcombe Park Trade stands are an integral part of many major indoor and outdoor shows, something that inspired this BETA Business Award. Show circuit trade exhibitors were invited to nominate the event that works best for them and which goes to extra lengths to look after their needs. The Festival of British Eventing is Britain’s premier one-day event, held over three days in August. It features the British Open Championship, supporting championship classes, main arena entertainment, a shopping village and Pony Club team show jumping. Around 50,000 spectators attend annually. The Festival was said by a large number of nominators to be “well organised, well prepared and with a helpful organising team.” The excellent facilities, including a free trade exhibitors’ breakfast, won wide acclaim.
DARBYS SOLICITORS TRADE SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR
Winner – Natural Animal Feeds (NAF)
Judged by the retail trade, this award recognises a manufacturer, distributor or wholesaler offering superb delivery, customer service, product knowledge and awareness of retailers’ requirements.
A nominating retailer said of the winner, Natural Animal Feeds: “They always provide a fast and efficient service, from placing your order to delivery of stock. They are up-to-date with products, prices and legislation and are developing environmentally sound policies.”
SEIB RETAILER OF THE YEAR
Winners -
Ingatestone Saddlery (large retailer)
Equicraft of Backwell (small retailer)
Utterly Horses (internet/mail order)
Awarded to the retailer offering outstanding customer service, 1,800 consumers’ nominations were received via the SEIB website.
Final judging took suppliers’ votes into account as well as incognito calls and ‘mystery shop’ visits. The SEIB Retailer Award is divided into three categories, large, small and internet/mail order, to reflect the diverse range of equestrian retail outlets across the UK. Record numbers of nominations from equestrian shoppers, plus the high standard of finalists, prompted the independent judging panel to commend a runner-up in each category. There are Janette Moss Horsewear (large retailer), Eclipse (small retailer) and Mad 4 Ponies (internet/mail order). A consumer who nominated large retailer category winner, Essex based Ingatestone Saddlery said: “Lots to choose from with all items well displayed. There’s also a lovely café. My friends and I travel over 60 each way to shop at Ingatestone.” The mystery shop judge added: “This store is immaculately presented, highly professional and a successful example of equestrian retailing in the 21st century.”
Equicraft of Backwell, in North Somerset, was successfully nominated for the small retailer award by a consumer who said: “A small shop that’s big on customer service. They are always interested in me, my pony and what we are up to.” This store impressed the incognito judge who reported: “I’ve never been better served in any specialist shop. The staff were bright, friendly and informed.”
Model horse specialist internet retailer Utterly Horses was very well supported with nominations and said by a mystery shopper to have “a clear and easy-to-navigate website to enable browsers to find items easily.” The incognito judge added: “At Utterly Horses, I encountered a genuine enthusiast with superb knowledge of stock and stacks of ideas. The relaxed yet informed approach befitted the retailing of fun products.”
TSM RIDER AWARD
Winner – Matt Ryan
Designed to recognise successful competitive riders who also work hard for their sponsors, the independent panel of judges selected international event rider Matt Ryan as this year’s winner.
A British based Australian, Matt is a former Olympic champion. With Kibah Tic Toc, he won team and individual gold medals at Barcelona in 1992, and reclaimed team gold with Kibah Sandstone at Sydney in 2000.
Still a prolific winner at international level, Matt and his wife Marie are well known producers of horses - and for the picnics they host for owners, sponsors and friends at their horsebox on the UK eventing circuit.
Matt was nominated for the TSM Rider Award by his sponsor SupaStuds Ltd who said: “Rather than simply taking what is on offer, Matt constantly assesses the products he uses and offers constructive feedback to his sponsors. He appears on our trade stand and is happy to chat and sign autographs as well as explain technical points.
“No other rider goes to such lengths to make sure his sponsors are getting their money’s worth.”
Matt’s other sponsors include Armadillo, Rubicon Computers, Gallagher, Bradmore Engineering and Merial Animal Health. He endorses products for New Equine Wear, Badminton Horse Feeds, Gatehouse, Net-Tex Industries, Tally Ho (UK), SSG Gloves and Equestrian Direct.
UKTI EXPORT AWARD
Winner – G.I. Hadfield (manufacturer of easibed)
Aimed at recognising companies that have generated substantial and sustained increases in export activity over a period of at least three years, this award is sponsored and judged by UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) of which BETA is an Approved Trade Organisation. BETA-led export missions, benefiting from UKTI subsidy, promote British equestrian products around the world.
The judges’ citation read: “G.I. Hadfield has shown that attention to detail, a willingness to take advice and to undertake precise market research can produce excellent results.
“Too often, companies enter the export market based on little more than a hunch or a chance contact. From time to time, this approach can pay dividends, but at UKTI we encourage companies to do as much preparation and research as they can before seeking an overseas customer.
“Hadfield’s export work could be a case study for such an approach, and it is for this reason we are delighted to offer them the 2008 UKTI Export Award.”
BETA LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Winner – Jim Bentham
This award is presented by BETA to mark special and significant contribution to the equestrian industry over a long period of time.
Jim Bentham, the managing director of Robinsons Country Leisure, has changed the face of equestrian retailing in the UK.
His younger days were spent running a riding school. He also mixed with the Lancashire show jumping crowd. A young Geoff Billington rode horses on Jim’s yard, while was also home for a time to the legendary Anglezarke.
A horse bolted with Jim one day; he bailed out, landing on his feet, but badly broke his ankle. With his livelihood in jeopardy, he needed a career change.
Spotting a growing equestrian leisure market, in 1970 he acquired Robinsons Saddlery from James Robinson, grandson of the founder of the small business in Wigan that dated back to 1867. Jim quickly introduced reasonably priced, fashionable items to the retail range.
The early 1970s saw Robinsons out on the show circuit, its stand appearing from the smallest club show to Badminton and the Royal Highland. Always a hands-on proprietor, Jim laid down his reputation for never asking anyone to do anything he couldn’t do himself.
In 1973, his son Paul, now Robinsons’ marketing manager, was born during HOYS – necessitating Jim to make an urgent journey north from Wembley to Lancashire, and back the following day.
Jim was also among the first UK equestrian retailers to explore the international market, venturing to Equitana in Germany with his show stand in 1976.
In 1982, Robinsons moved to its current store, two furlongs from Haydock Racecourse, and the vast new showroom became Robinsons Country Leisure – the name reflecting Jim’s early perception of what was to become a diverse retail market.
From the outset, the store operated a supermarket-style trolley format, then revolutionary in equestrian retailing. It was also the first UK equestrian store to install computerised stock control. Jim’s £100,000 investment in the system, a monumental sum in 1989, was an indication of his boldness and foresight.
Jim entered the world of home shopping in 1985, with Robinsons’ first full catalogue appearing in 1987. It was to set a new standard in equestrian mail order and by 2001 the company had taken its millionth order.
Another equestrian retailing first was the launch of a website in 1995, then the dawn of time in cyberspace terms. Robinsons’ first online transactions took place in 1997, and today Jim’s vision continues to flourish with moving images, 3-D effects and other technological advances enhancing the online shopping experience.
On the night of 19 September 2002, the Robinsons store was razed to the ground by a fire. But Jim set about re-building what has become the UK’s largest purpose-built equestrian superstore.
Robinsons became a founder Member of BETA in July 1978, with Jim and his company supporting the trade association and its work wholeheartedly ever since.
Now 60, Jim still works as hard as ever. His family says he’s about as likely to retire as win the lottery!
His drive and imagination continue to bring innovation to equestrian retailing, providing inspiration as his competitors watch and learn.
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