Apt Cavalier is a young equestrian brand with a focus on professional equestrian apparel. Headed by Sarah Johnstone, Apt Cavalier might be a young brand, but it’s already making huge waves in the equestrian, and particularly the eventing, world. In fact, you might have seen an Apt Cavalier base layer tackling the Burghley cross country course! With strong branding, its own hashtag, exceptional social media (seriously, go and have a look at the company on Instagram and get ready to drool!) and products that are worn and loved by many, I see great things ahead for this brand – you heard it here first.

I’ve been following Sarah and her company for a while and was delighted when Sarah agreed to take part in my ‘a few minutes with…’ blog series. It was also lovely see her at KA Equestrian’s open day in September with many of the other small business owners from the Small & Supercharged group.

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Sarah Johnstone from Apt Cavalier is on the Small & Supercharged Podmas

Sarah Johnstone Apt CavalierSarah Johnstone from Apt Cavalier is on the Small & Supercharged Podmas

When is it too early to watch Christmas movies?


Sarah Johnstone is the founder of Apt Cavalier, an equestrian performance apparel brand aimed at event riders. In this episode of the Small & Supercharged Podmas Podcast, Sarah chats about her highs of 2019, including Blair Castle International Horse Trials, when a lady came over to the stand to find out more because she’d seen so many grassroots competitors wearing the skins. Her lows. What we can expect to see in 2020. And we also discuss the hard hitting things… like when is it too early to watch Christmas movies?!

This is part of the Small & Supercharged Podcast’s Podmas where each day, between 1-24th December I’ll be sharing some Christmas cheer with a little help from some of the incredible people I work with in one way or another.

Music used -“Jingle bells” by scottholmesmusic.com

Find Sarah & Apt Cavalier in all the places below…

Apt Cavalier’s website

Instagram

Facebook

Apt Eventing on Instagram

Five social media posts all equestrians can use this week

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Apt Cavalier – Heavyweight Bobble Hat – Advent Calendar Competition

apt cavalierToday I’m delighted to be giving away a lovely Heavyweight Bobble Hat from Apt Cavalier. Apt Cavalier has very kindly donated this to me… well, to one of you… so I would like to say a HUGE thank you to Sarah and the team too.

Why am I giving away a one of Apt Cavalier’s Bobble Hats?

Apt Cavalier is a fairly new company, but it caught my eye before it launched because of its strong branding, lovely colours and striking photography. I like to think I have my finger on the equestrian and country business pulse (I’m sure that’s a phrase?!), so when Apt Cavalier launched, I did pay attention. And I’ve been so, so impressed with everything that Apt Cavalier has done since. The photography, the content marketing, the social media, the products… everything really. This area of the equestrian world has seen a lot of growth in recent years and I think Apt Cavalier has pitched it slightly differently to many others which, again, impressed me. I like people who see a space and make it their own.

Why do I like the Apt Cavalier Bobble Hat?

Well, when I was working on my various Christmas Gift Guides, I was keen to include some Apt Cavalier products. I asked to borrow two – the bobble hat and the saddlepad, and I said I would return them after I’d filmed/photographed them. This was something I offered to everyone who took part in the gift guide. Anyway. The parcel arrived and I opened it and the ‘problem’ was the colour. Well. It was the same colour as my brand and essentially my favourite colour ever. So I had to buy it. I paid for it and it was all I could do not to wear it straight away, but it did motivate me to crack on and film that bit of the gift guide pronto, so I could start using it in my day to day life! Since I filmed and photographed it, I feel that it hasn’t left my head that much! I wear my Apt Cavalier Bobble Hat whenever I walk the dog or spend prolonged periods outside at the moment. It keeps my hair flat (which deserves an award itself), it’s a really good length so you can pull it down over your ears, and did I mention the colour?! Yes. I love mine. And I’m thrilled that one lucky Facebook fan will get to enjoy the same experience.

Would you like to win an Apt Cavalier Bobble Hat?

I bet you do… if you’re anything like me, you’ll wonder what you did without it! The competition will run until midnight the day that this blog is published. If you miss it, you can still buy the hat online on Apt Cavalier’s website. However, if you’re in time, all you need to do it pop on over to my Rhea Freeman PR Facebook page, watch the video that will be pinned to the top today and enter. That’s it! Of course, I’d love it if you’d tell your friends by sharing the post.

I hope you enjoy my advent calendar competition – best of luck!

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A few minutes with… Sarah Johnstone – Apt Cavalier

Sarah Johnstone Apt Cavalier copyHave you heard about Apt Cavalier? This fairly new equestrian brand gained a sizeable following pre-launch on Instagram, and has continued to deliver on social media and in product since. Headed by Sarah Johnstone, a fashion design graduate and self professed determined eventer, Apt Cavalier is definitely a brand to watch. In this blog, I catch up with the lady herself…

Tell us about you and your background What made you want to start a business?

I started Apt Cavalier because it simply “made sense”. I graduated with an Honours Degree in Fashion Design and have lived in the heart of the equestrian world for almost 20 years, so combining my expertise in clothing design with my knowledge of the competitive riding industry just seemed like my logical career path.

How is Apt Cavalier different?

Now, my answer to this is a bit unorthodox, because essentially it probably isn’t all that different. I’m not going to delude myself into thinking that I’m filling a gap in the market, because truthfully there are hundreds of equestrian clothing brands out there who do a great job. However, equestrians (including myself) tend to live and breathe this lifestyle, it’s more than just a sport or a hobby, it’s who we are and what we love. So, I firmly believe that there will always be room in the market for another service to the horsey world.

What makes your products special?

Sarah JohnstoneAh, now this question is exciting as we may not be all that different but our products sure are special! Our line of performance wear is designed to solve real life problems, primarily in Eventing. Take our Performance Skins for example; designed initially for wearing cross-country but can also be worn during training and around the yard. Personally, my biggest problem on the cross-country course was that I was too hot; when I finished my round, I was red in the face, uncomfortable and desperate to get my body protector off. So, I wanted to create something that eliminated this discomfort meaning the only thing I would have to think about at the end of my round was how amazing it was. I wanted to create something that meant my attention was first and foremost on caring for my horse, and cooling him down, rather than having to dart into the lorry to strip off!

So, what really makes us special is the fabric technology and innovative design that goes into each and every product and provides solutions to real equestrian problems!

If you had to sum up Apt Cavalier in five words, what would they be?

A brand for the riders!

Do you have a motto or ethos?

To make all our business decisions according to what it best for the riders.

If you could give one piece of advice to an aspiring business owner, what would it be?

Just get on with it! You can plan and plan and plan, but planning doesn’t achieve results- taking action does! Just remember you can learn and adjust along the way!

One thing that helps you run Apt Cavalier more effectively 

Buffer to schedule social media posts and Airtable to make lists, split those lists into different sections, prioritise and make yet more lists.

Apt Cavalier Performance Skin copyBest thing about running a business?

That amazing feeling when someone places an order –  someone actually wants to wear something that I created!!! I don’t think that feeling will ever go away!

Worst thing about running a business?

Knowing that if it all goes tits-up (excuse my French), it’s on me!

Top business blog you follow?

What I really like to do is search a keyword or topic in the ‘Posts’ section of LinkedIn. For example, I might search “small business growth” and there will be two or three really inspirational posts- I like to read articles by lots of different people, from different backgrounds as they all have different insights.

Top business book you’ve read?

Does the Eventing Life magazine count?? Let’s call it market research!

One thing we might not know about you?

I came up with the initial concept of Apt Cavalier when I was bored and signed off work – my lovely SuperCob got very excited in the field and ended up kicking me in the hand, shattering two of my bones as well as kindly removing my tendons. The doctors rebuild my bones using calcium and said I might not be able to ride as I would struggle to gain full use of my hand again – but determined as ever, I was back on within 12 weeks and here I am just two years later competing at BENovice!

Top business achievement?

Watching an accomplished four-star rider gallop around Burghley wearing one of our Performance Skins!

Where can people follow Apt Cavalier online?

www.aptcavalier.com

Facebook : Apt Cavalier Ltd

Twitter: @aptcavalierequestrian

Instagram: @aptcavalierequestrian

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