A little while ago, I wrote an article for Horse & Hound all about what cross country colours mean to the people who ride in them. With insight from Paul Tapner, Mary King, David Doel and Nicki Strong, the piece attracted lots of attention and was also fascinating to write. Cross country colours, in my mind at least, cross over into branding. But how on earth do you get ones that reflect what you want?! And how do you stand out from the crowd? The answer lies in bespoke cross country colours.
Enter Super X Country
Becci Harrold runs Super X Country and is also an accomplished event rider in her own right. She started Super X Country in 2010 when she couldn’t find any base layers that suited her taste.
“Before there was a very very slim choice,” said Becci. “There were no online XC colours back then, so it was a case of turning up to a tack shop and seeing what they had. I was horrified when my mum pulled out a heavy, dull, dark rugby shirt! We put it back on the rail and went home to design my own. I was 16 when I did my first event and wore my own colours that I had made from the very start. It was only when I left A levels at 18 I decided to start the business as I had more time and knowledge having done business and textiles!”
Now, Super X Country offers a staggering array of highly customisable designs. At the time of writing this (so, depending on when you read it, the numbers might change!) there are 19 breathable base layer colours to choose from that can be customised with stars, spots and checks in 31 different colours (and, if you select a ‘burst’ pattern, you can have up to three different colours in the design). In addition, there’s a rose gold and a unicorn set. And I haven’t even mentioned the custom hat silks…
Do you find people pick similar colour combinations for their bespoke cross country colours?
“When I post a picture on social media of a set, that usually becomes the favourite for many people for a week or two, and then something different shows up and then that takes over,” said Becci. “It goes in waves! Some people are deadset on their favourite colour but I’m finding now that many people are influenced by a good looking set that I might have put together or another customer”
Becci has some amazing plans for the future and will be appearing at a number of events this season and beyond. In addition, she’s incredibly active on social media – you can follow Super X Country on Instagram, or Facebook, and obviously you can visit the Super X Country website to see the range of amazing designs available, to give you inspiration to create your own bespoke cross country colours.