want, need, must have-show jacket and breeches

the girl's gotta have it-Beanie Allison showing me where I can get it!

I'm a big fan of Animo clothing and think they've made great strides forward in the equestrian clothing market. The problem for me is that everyone's wearing it-which is fine if you like to be part of the show crowd but not so good if you want to stand out from it.

So when show jumper Beanie Allison rode past me in the warm up arena at Hickstead I got a double helping of what's new and cool in equestrian clothing.

The jacket by Equino Chaps not only looks absolutely gorgeous but the fabric is water repellent too. You can get it in different colour and trim options, but for me the navy with gold combo with it's slightly military feel is a puissance jump above the rest.

i loved the way Beanie had turned her collar up to reveal the gold trim underneath

Following Beanie's directions I trotted (well actually I was at more of a keen canter) over to the Equino Chaps lady and chose my size.  Unfortunately, it's still on the top of my 'must have' list because....

My first stop was at the Wellington Riding stand to try on the breeches Beanie was wearing.  They'd caught my eye because of the detailing on the knee which reminded me of my motorbike leathers-in the days when mechanical horsepower fuelled my sporting ambitions. So I shouldn't have been surprised when she told me they were by Dainese-fashionable designers of motorcycle gear but newcomers to the equestrian market.

Because of the motorcycle connection I was pretty sure I wanted them before I'd even tried them on, but when I did I was so smitten that I walked away with two pairs, white for competition and a taupe colour for everyday. The lady who helped me choose my size (she was spot on) told me that they were really 'sexy 'on  and if I couldn't afford them, my husband would probably be pleased to pay for them. Well, she was right on one count, it's not often you feel sexy in a pair of breeches but these are really flattering and seem to give you a bum lift! However she was wrong about my husband who if I'd asked him would probably have said, 'what's wrong with the one's you've already got?' duh, men!!

Mind you, it's not just about the looks, these breeches are really comfy. The Schoeller Prestige fabric is a two way stretch material that's highly breathable and fast drying. The elasticated panels in the knee, also give you more flexibility and I love the knee grips which have silicon in them to help your stickibility.  These are also styled to reflect the motorcycle heritage of this brand-the sunrise shape is the same as the place on bike leathers where you attach your knee sliders for going round corners at heart stopping speeds.  Motorbiking round corners is obviously not recommended on a horse!

And one of the best things about them-they don't lose their shape-I've worn mine every day and can definitely vouch for that!  Definitely the best buy I've made this year, I'm even quite happy walking around town in them as they look so cool.  Now all I need is the jacket....oh, and those boots I saw at Burghley last week...

fab-u-lous from behind too-what more could a girl ask for!

If you want to come and talk equestrian fashion-from ponytails to VPL-join me in the EQUESTRIAN STYLE FILE group at www.troton.com-sharing a passion for horses.