It all started from an Insta message from Ruy saying “I like your materials!”
Wow! Another Olympian reaches out to us to compliment us on our kit! After discussion we arranged to visit Ruy. Our colleague Bryony and her partner Perry embarked on the journey, car boot filled with HUSK kit, and the rest was history!
Coming from South America, Ruy is well versed in the demands of professional polo on horse protection, and so he didn’t question the protective nature of our boots, he celebrated it! He is also very aware of the dangers of over heating tendons, as well as the importance of ensuring that horses are comfortable for their mental well being and in turn performance. He tried the products and saw the results, he was very happy, and so were we!
September arrived and we planned to visit Ruy once more to take photos, and for the rest of the team to meet him. As soon as we drove down the treelined drive way, my colleague smiled and said “this is a HUSK guy!” The attention to detail at Ruy’s place is unbelievable, one can immediately see the amount of thought and commitment that has gone into every aspect of the barn, horses, and surroundings. It’s also clear that Ruy is a very passionate, positive, forward thinking person, and an extremely resilient one at that. All the attributes that seems to symbolise a HUSK lover!
We arrived and the horses were ready, and super happy! Each of them full of outgoing personality, and a lot of love to give, which shows that a lot of love is given to them also! Ruy was polishing his boots. The place was immaculate, but not with a stressful atmosphere to it, more that everything had been touched with love and attention.
Ruy rode each of his horses with appreciation for their individual personalities. Chinno being one. He is the beauty in the picture for the article. He is a hot nature, a little worrier heart, wanting to do the best by his rider. Ruy paid absolute attention to that despite us being there, and rode him reassuringly and boldly, and we could see the pair mould into one. It was wonderful to watch!
We are so excited for our journey with Ruy and his team! His vision for his place and his future is so uplifting. The facilities are insane, with two huge 60*40 arenas, one indoors and one outdoors, a grass cross country course that leads into the outdoor arena, gallops, an array of beautiful show jumps, a thoughtfully laid out barn, and stunning tack room too! However what really excited us was the desire to make the whole experience social, with viewing galleries that also have viewing TVs, a bar, and outdoor social seating areas to encourage fun, laughter, sharing of knowledge and support. Ruy, his team, and family are excited to house other Olympic teams for training, in fact prior to Covid, the New Zealanders were coming to prepare before the Tokyo Olympics! What we loved most of all about this incredible place was the people. So welcoming and humble, with an endearing softness. They give you the kind of feeling that anything is possible, and we can all achieve, no matter what our back ground. It’s all about drive, passion and openness.
So in a nutshell, we at HUSK HQ are delighted to be partnering up with Ruy! We hope to be part of kitting out the Brazilian Olympic team for next year’s Olympics to ensure that their horses’ performances are liberated by improved health and comfort, by HUSK.