I have been 'horse mad' since I knew what one was, my Mum told me that as a toddler, the instant I discovered horses I was obsessed, and yep, I still am! I'm still that kid that say's "ooooh look a Horse!" when driving anywhere, I still have my 50+ strong My Little Pony collection, and I still look for any opportunity I can to support everything equine. I started Charlie Road with a vision, to create a business doing something I love but also as an outlet to promote equine athletes and support equine charities in New Zealand.
The Brand
I often get asked where the CHARLIE ROAD brand came from so let's start at the beginning! Charlie Road is named after my retired racehorse (Sir) Charles Road aka Charlie.
I first met Charlie when I travelled with him as his strapper and trackwork rider to Australia for one of his racing campaigns. I instantly fell in love with the ‘quirky’ big bay and after spending more than 3 months travelling with him, I asked his owners, David Archer and Diane Wright, if they would consider retiring Charlie to my care when the time came. When I returned from Australia, I started looking for the perfect home for Charlie, we found a beautiful property in the Wairarapa with lush fields and established trees. I could picture Charlie standing outside my back door…. getting treats every five minutes! The day came when I got the call that Charlie was retiring, and soon after that the ‘quirky’ Charlie was settled into his new life, and yes, he gets pats, hugs and treats every five minutes.
So essentially, I fell in love with a horse and bought him a farm...the things you do for love!
When I started my business, and thinking about what inspired me to get to this point, it all came back to Charlie. If I hadn’t met him and then so relentlessly focused on purchasing this place for him to retire, I don’t know if I would be doing what I am now, hence CHARLIE ROAD was born.
Our logo (a golden geometric horse head) is designed to capture both the majestic strength, and delicate beauty of the Horse....a bit like our fragrance range really!
The rest of the business, and our ethos, is inspired by my background in equestrian sports, from showing and eventing in my youth, to being an apprentice Jockey and the thrill of riding winners. My love of the horse and my passion for quality home fragrance that bring luxury scents and positive vibes together, is what drives the business forward.
Making a Difference
In the beginning the first Charity we approached was The New Zealand Horse Ambulance Trust, we loved their vision and purpose. We absolutely love supporting the work they do and their team of staff and volunteers are a dream to collaborate with, their passion and tireless energy for Horse Welfare is second to none.
Charlie Road continued to grow and in 2023 we were in a position to support more charities. We reached out to Stable to Stirrup & Horse Helping Humas Taranaki, both of these well recognised charities do amazing work in their local communities and we wanted to promote and contribute to the work that they do.
You can learn more about these awesome charities HERE
In the past year we have proudly donated our profits to these and other charities. In addition to regular monthly donations we have also contributed to numerous fundraising campaigns including supporting NZTR's fundraising support during Cyclone Gabrielle, donating loads of product to fundraising campaigns for Pony Clubs, riders and other equine charity campaigns & fundraisers.
For more information on what we do or how we can support with fundraising activities reach out to us on info@charlieroad.co.nz
1 comment
Great to see you are supporting charities for horses that can’t help themselves