Lexington, KY – Ariat International, the leading equestrian footwear and apparel manufacturer has created a collection of high-performance athletic gear for our nation’s top equestrian athletes that debuted last weekend at the 2006 Adequan®/USEF Open Reining Championship. Members of the newly-announced U.S. Reining Team sponsored by Adequan® were able to try on the gear and be the first team to do so. Through the newly-signed sponsorship, Ariat becomes the “Official Apparel Supplier” of United States Equestrian Federation® (USEF).

As part of the category-exclusive sponsorship, Ariat has created an assortment of signature USEF garments to debut with the U.S. Team at the 2006 FEI World Games beginning August 20 in Aachen, Germany. The USEF Collection by Ariat will be worn by the USEF high-performance teams and staff at the 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games, the last leg of the 2006 Samsung Super League, and at all competitions in 2007 where the U.S. Team competes. The gear also sports a new, more modern USA logo that all U.S. equestrian athletes competing for the U.S. will wear.

The collection includes shadbelly and pinque coats; polo shirts; button-down oxford shirts; lightweight, wind- and water-resistant jackets; waterproof jackets; ball caps; and gear and laptop bags. Each of the items in the USEF Collection by Ariat will be designed in the official USEF red, white and blue colors and will incorporate the Ariat logo as well as a newly-designed U.S.A. team logo.

Ariat International, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of innovative performance equestrian footwear, belts and apparel. Featuring patented technology designed to deliver stability, durability and comfort, Ariat is the pioneer of integrating athletic shoe technology into equestrian footwear. Ariat products are sold in a network of retail outlets throughout the world. For more information about Ariat products or for the Ariat retailer nearest you, contact Ariat at (800) 899-8141 or visit www.ariat.com.
~~~For more information, please contact Jeannie Blancq Putney, National Marketing Manager, at (859) 225-6974, or via e-mail at [email protected].