COMPETITION AND COHESION
During my corporate career, I had a top executive explain to me that “a little competition is always good” in relation to the interaction of group members, even those at the highest echelon. I believe this theory carries over to equestrian sport as it forces us to work harder, BUT I am a firm believer that it is just as important to support and encourage our barn mates and the other competitors that value sportsmanship. This culture of cohesion starts from leadership at the top (i.e. the head trainer) and can be accomplished using multiple tactics. In the book, Group Dynamics in Exercise and Sport Psychology: Contemporary Themes, the author suggests that sport team cohesion is present when there is a team identity, which can be achieved by shirts, logos and more (1). I recently noticed this supportive group culture at a hunter/jumper show amongst the members of Autumn Hills Farm.
Autumn Hills Farm is a full service hunter/jumper barn owned and operated by Teresa Englehart and located in the pristine Wood River Valley near Sun Valley, Idaho. Typically I do not readily identify members of a specific stable because we all seem to look similar in our tan breeches, white shirts and hair pulled back in hunt caps. In the case of Autumn Hills Farms, I could not miss the INDIVIDUALS of this stable because they were wearing unique branded outerwear, thus making the support and assistance of the various parents, amateurs and juniors towards each other, as well competitors, extremely evident.
FROM MONOGRAMS TO MARKS
Strengthening imagery to reinforce a company’s brand or image has become popular across all industries. The recognition of consumer brand logos or “marks” has evolved over the decades to the point where some companies are easily recognized by just their logo; two of the most popular being Nike and Target. Branding in the equestrian world previously was limited to classic Victorian monogram styles or type fonts. While the hunter/jumper world is steeped deep in tradition, even our sport has branched out to full color logos that have “meaning and story” that represent the stable's image.
MEANING THROUGH IMAGES
I connected with Carmen Skidmore, the graphic designer that recently updated Autumn Hill’s brand identity, to learn more about the process she used to create such a personalized and unique look for the stable and glean advice as to how other barns can build a cohesive culture.
Ms. Skidmore was already familiar with Ms. Englehart’s business, but in order to capture the client’s vision of how the stable should be represented, they worked very closely during the design process including creating several sketches. Carmen explains, “ For her logo, I wanted to capture with simple images what her business is about. The horse and rider silhouette speak for itself. For the background, I tried to include the beautiful landscape of Hailey, Idaho where the farm is located at and the autumn color palette is a reference to the name of the company."
Additionally, Carmen offers the following advice for placing the brand identity/logo on apparel, “There are some basic concepts and elements that should not change in order to remain consistent with the brand and still be identified by the consumers without compromising credibility. It’s important to respect the brand’s core and stay true to its vision. “ Essentially, if your stable decides to create branded apparel, make sure that the look and feel is consistent with your trunks, scrims, etc....but don't be afraid to stretch a little with your clothing. For many clients, beautiful graphics demonstrate a cohesive pride in their stable.
ABOUT CARMEN
Carmen Skidmore is a freelance designer taking on projects and her leisure time. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Textile and Fashion Design from the Autonomous University of Aguascalientes in Mexico and worked as a designer in the production and marketing of home textiles. Carmen currently lives in Utah with her husband Daniel her son Darren and her dog Charlie. She can be reached at cskidmx@gmail.com
(1) https://books.google.com/books?id=UbkNGPu_FPMC&pg=PA131&lpg=PA131&dq=cohesion+through+matching+apparel&source=bl&ots=B5vWwgVMpP&sig=Efp_TfAQrfG2hQm_sZQj0yPSuBw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwil5oCKpc3NAhVryoMKHYppAFcQ6AEILDAC#v=onepage&q=cohesion%20through%20matching%20apparel&f=false