OUR STORY
This story starts with a horse called Star who taught me everything I know about horses and riding.
For 13 years I was privileged to love Star and the bond we formed was unlike anything I could describe (but if you are a horse lover you already understand). I spent every moment I could with that horse and summer was our heaven: Long afternoons away from school spent by her side, trail rides with my family, splashing in puddles after a Virginia thunderstorm, learning to canter bareback – and learning to fall at the same time! My horse of a lifetime, I did everything I could to keep her happy and healthy.
Although I loved summer for the time it let me spend with Star, I did not love all of the annoyances that come with it: skin irritations, coat bleaching, dry skin, and biting insects. Like most horse people, I had an arsenal of products to protect against these elements, but many contained harsh chemicals that were bad for Star and bad for me. So shortly after I began studying chemical engineering at VCU, I began searching for natural alternatives. Finding none that were both effective and free from harmful substances, I decided to create my own. With the support of the team at HRC Laboratories, where I had worked since the summer of my senior year in high school, a revolutionary product began to take shape, one that not only protected the coat and skin from damaging UV rays, but also guarded against and treated insect bites.
I sent the first batches of Summer Defense to the biggest farms I could find on Facebook. And they responded! They loved the product and wanted to know how to get more.
Whether they are Olympic contenders, valued working partners, or simply the main character in a kid’s wildest dreams, Star taught me that every horse is a champion in their own right. So in 2015 when we started a company with the belief that nothing should come between equestrians and their horses, (especially not harsh chemicals), we called it Champions’ in her honor.
I hope you love our products. We are thrilled that you have made us a part of your daily routine and will continue to provide you with the best all-natural solutions our team can create because every horse deserves to be a Star.
