There’s a lot to love about Rolex, and shopping is definitely near the top of the list. Now that I’m home and have had a chance to unpack, I’ve been able to go through all the cool stuff I found — and bought — at Rolex, and wanted to share my sweet finds with all of you.
Looking for some great deals? Almost all of the products you can get online, so there’s no need to worry that you missed out on something if you weren’t there. Ready? Here we go!
Apparel
When it comes to Dubarry, they’re pretty much required Rolex wear and this year was no different. Whether it’s wet, dry, sunny, rainy, Dubarry of Ireland has you covered. And of course their styles are always classic and look great on just about anyone.
After a rough start to the week with some challenges at home, nothing says “retail therapy” like springing for a new pair of Dubarrys, especially since my old ones have seen better days. Top if off with a steal of a jacket from County Saddlery at just $25 for this awesome soft shell, and we have a classic combination (saddle not included LOL).
When buying Dubarrys, why not just go for broke and get the boot bag and cleaning kit too, because clearly I took such great care of my old pair;) Photo from CJ Millar.
Majyk Equipe
In my opinion, these are hands down the best boots on the market, no questions asked. They have more riders in their boots (and not because they’re all sponsored — the riders agree they’re great boots!) and I use them personally on my horses and have never been disappointed. Until now, and that was only because the awesome backpacks they were giving away with any purchase of their boots to celebrate the launch of their new royal purple cross country boots were all gone before I could snag one. But even without the backpack, these are a great buy and a must-have in any eventers barn.
Looooove their boots *drool.*Photos thanks to @MajykEquipe via Instagram.
Total Saddle Fit
You may have recently caught my blog about girths and how they affect saddle fit and position, but at the show I found an even cooler option by my personal faves, Total Saddle Fit.
A WESTERN girth! Whaaaat?!?! Yes! My one trail horse that comes camping and trekking with me all over New York and Pennsylvania all summer long prefers western (to be honest, he despises English tack), and he has next to no withers to speak of. The only way the saddle stays in place is either with a neoprene girth, which in humid summer weather and 6 hours of trails = girth sores OR a mohair girth that keeps the saddle on, but not exactly in place. Enter the Total Saddle Fit Western Cinch and all I need to tell you is that I am already planning a weekend trail excursion to try this out because I can’t wait to see how awesome it is!
The Total Saddle Fit Shoulder Relief Cinch – I can’t wait to try it on trails! Photo from CJ Millar.
TaggCode + Nightwatch
OK, so I’ve been meaning to get an ID medical bracelet for a long time now but just haven’t gotten around to it. I do occasionally ride on my own, and I know it’s important for so many reasons, but I just have been putting it off. That was, until I learned about TaggCode at Rolex this year.
Holy awesome, Batman! Not only is it an ID bracelet, it’s a scannable code that can be picked up by any smartphone OR hospital scanner that can hold any and all of your medical history. You can even scan in x-rays or MRIs, prior concussion and head trauma records, and so much more. Ultra cool, and good for safety too! You can even have them made with paracord in your favorite eventing colors.
To top it off, they also make bridle/halter tags, so you can do the same for your horse. Everything from supplements, medical history, surgeries and injuries, vet records, and so much more, can be accessible at the scan of a code. So this made me think of a brand I met at Rolex last year — Nightwatch — which makes a smart halter that learns your horse’s behavior and alerts you if anything is out of sorts. I
pre-ordered my Nightwatch halter, and am now anxiously awaiting it to ship, so that I can combine these two products. Imagine, you’re at an away show, your finicky horse colics, and you get an alert from your Nightwatch halter. You have to call the show vet, who isn’t your regular vet, and it’s 3 a.m. and they want your horse’s medical history.
In a state of panic, your mind goes blank and your regular vet isn’t answering the phone because it’s 3 a.m. and you’re not even in the state .. BAM! Scan the TaggCode bridle tag and everything the show vet needs to know is right there. #Amazing. I see both of these products as staples in my barn and on the road from now on. Stay tuned for photos of both of these products together in the near future!
‘Sleeper’ Hits
And the sleeper hits for the show go to products that weren’t even available to buy at Rolex, but still got lots of compliments and were high on the “cool factor.” First was the biggest fan tees by Swanky Saddle that both Jordán Linstedt’s and Bunnie Sexton’s friends and family were wearing.
I snapped this great candid of daughter Maddie, sporting her mom’s horse’s name in style as she shot photos of Bunnie and Ecko warming up for dressage. And even cooler, you can get it with your own horse’s name (I have one for my horse and love it!).
Maddie sporting her Rise Against shirt to show support as mom Bunnie warms up on her horse for dressage. Photo from CJ Millar.
Next is the Monkey Mat that I bought prior to Rolex, thanks to my obsession with Shark Tank. For just $9.99 plus free shipping, this won out over the $40 lightweight foldable chair as the most useful product on cross country day — and throughout the show.
The Monkey Mat Mini is a water resistant mat that is super lightweight, folds up in seconds, has weighted corners so it doesn’t blow away and a clip to attach to your belt. It went everywhere with me, in the barns, in the grass, ringside, anywhere I wanted to sit down between the craziness that is Rolex.
I had a ton of friends ask me about it, and even had a mom let me use her adorable baby for this great photo as Boyd galloped by (don’t worry, mom was just out of range but at 90 degrees and humid, no adults wanted to be in the photos that day!). Hopefully we’ll see them at horse shows in the future so that everyone can snag one!
Boyd gallops by as baby enjoys her Monkey Mat! Photo by CJ Millar.
Coupled with the amazing smoked Bloody Mary’s I was able to make thanks to my local deli, the Clove Brook Market’s mix, and Milk Street Distillery’s Black Vulture Vodka, and a handheld smoker (yes that’s a thing). I dare say I was among the cool kids when it came to drink mixers at the Eventing Nation tailgate that morning (though Leslie’s mimosas were also amazing and of course we all know Chinch is the ULTIMATE in cool kids). Yup, cross country day was a success!
Thanks Leslie, Chinch, and the entire EN crew for letting us hang at your tailgate in the morning! Photo provided by Nancy Mkalech.
Craft Rum and Vodka along with “crazy pills” from the award winning (ER themed) best tailgate of #RK3DE2017! Because everyone knows eventers are crazy, and we go to the ER a lot LOL. Photo by CJ Millar.
Have any great Rolex stories or shopping finds to share? We’d love to hear from you! #GoShopping … erm, uh … #GoEventing!
