Pure Board Shop is one of the few Adidas Skateboarding authorized dealers in Maryland.
Adidas Skateboarding has always been about comfort and board control, but these new shoes are on a whole new level. They are the Busenitz and the Campus Vulcs.
Busenitz have always been a staple shoe for skateboarders; known for their long tongue and loads of padding, these shoes are built for the hardest of impacts. New for the Summer, the Busenitz feature a hard foam insert instead of the traditional gel insert. This new material ensures the best board control and feel around.
The Campus Vulcs are on the opposite side of the spectrum. They are the staple vulcanized shoe from Adidas Skateboarding. These shoes are built to last. They feature an industrial strength vulcanized rubber sole with extra padding on the ollie area where the most wear generally takes place. New for the Summer, these shoes are cut narrower to allow for even more percise board control.
Pure Board Shop has stacks of these shoes ready to sell, but they won't be here for long. Both models of shoes promise to be a huge hit among skateboarders everywhere Whether you pick the beefy, impact ready Busenitz, or the Slimmed down, durable Campus Vulcs, you know you are going to get the best and most accurate board control around.
Pure Board Shop opened its doors on May of 2005. Its ease of access and parking makes it a destination shop for riders and urban street ware fans alike. With their mix of products and variety in skate, snow, surf and exclusive streetwear and shoe brands Pure’s customers extend far beyond their Annapolis location. Pure prides itself on making customer service its number one priority, with product knowledge and having the right product mix a close second. The store and the website feature an ever growing brand inventory such as Nike SB, Nike Snowboarding, Adidas Skateboarding, Vans, Diamond, HUF, LRG, RVCA and The Hundreds. The shop also prides itself on having the largest variety of longboard equipment in the area; with brands like LandYachtz, Rayne, Caliber, Cult Wheels, Abec11 and many more. Pure puts on monthly skateboard jams/events in their local skateboard park as well as sponsors many longboard slide jams in the DC Metro Area.
2012年6月18日星期一
Sports Stars Try Their Hand at Shoe Design, to Winning Effect
Sports shoes developed in collaboration with famous athletes are proving hot sellers thanks to the stars' reputation and the shoes' high performance. U.S. golfer Tiger Woods, Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt and middle-distance runner Jerry Berringer Simpson of the U.S. are leading examples of such success.
Woods participated in the development of Nike's TW13 golf shoes. He wanted to come up with a pair of lightweight golf shoes and the initial batch quickly sold out. They soon drew considerable attention from golfers around the world.
Woods first suggested the idea to Nike as he thought it would be useful to apply the features of Nike Free shoes, which he wears for running or training, to golf. Nike Golf started developing the TW13 as a pair of golf shoes like sneakers that can be worn on all surfaces that golfers encounter, including short grass, sand, dirt or bumpy roads. Woods began wearing the prototype in real competitions last year.
Usain Bolt, the fastest man on the planet, will be wearing Puma's evoSPEED at the London Olympics next month. The sprinter helped design the shoes that combine flexibility with good air circulation, or "breathability."
Simpson, who won the women's 1,500 m at last year's World Championships in Athletics, was involved in the designing and performance testing of New Balance's Rev-Lite 890V2. Due to their sleek design and vibrant colors, the shoes -- which feature Simpson's autograph on the heel -- have also taken off as a fashion item.
An industry source said, "We expect to see more involvement from sports stars in clothing and shoes."
Woods participated in the development of Nike's TW13 golf shoes. He wanted to come up with a pair of lightweight golf shoes and the initial batch quickly sold out. They soon drew considerable attention from golfers around the world.
Woods first suggested the idea to Nike as he thought it would be useful to apply the features of Nike Free shoes, which he wears for running or training, to golf. Nike Golf started developing the TW13 as a pair of golf shoes like sneakers that can be worn on all surfaces that golfers encounter, including short grass, sand, dirt or bumpy roads. Woods began wearing the prototype in real competitions last year.
Usain Bolt, the fastest man on the planet, will be wearing Puma's evoSPEED at the London Olympics next month. The sprinter helped design the shoes that combine flexibility with good air circulation, or "breathability."
Simpson, who won the women's 1,500 m at last year's World Championships in Athletics, was involved in the designing and performance testing of New Balance's Rev-Lite 890V2. Due to their sleek design and vibrant colors, the shoes -- which feature Simpson's autograph on the heel -- have also taken off as a fashion item.
An industry source said, "We expect to see more involvement from sports stars in clothing and shoes."
2012年6月17日星期日
What you need to stay comfortable
It's often said that summer doesn't start in the Puget Sound region until July 5. If that's true, you've got a few more weeks to get ready for summer running.
It has happened to most runners. You push yourself to go a little farther than planned. Maybe you start less hydrated than you should or the weather heats up quicker than you expected. No matter the cause: you've got many miles to go and no water to drink.
Carry your water with you next time. Nathan Sports makes both handheld and belted options. I can't stand having something around my waist and prefer the small QuickShot variety that holds 10 ounces. But many runners prefer the hands-free approach and extra capacity the belted option offers.
Nathan Sports water bottles can be found at local sporting goods stores as well as Fred Meyer. Handheld bottles cost $12 to $19; belt $30 to $60.
The rule of thumb: if you're going to run over an hour, use a nutritional supplement like a gel. When the temperature rises -- especially if you're not used to the heat -- consider using one before you run, even if you're going only going for 45 minutes. The second rule to remember: find a gel that works and stick to with it. And never, ever try a new gel on race day unless you're willing to tempt your digestive fate.
My favorite: Honey Stinger Gold, which sells for a buck and change per gel. Other popular gels include Clif, Hammer, Gu and PowerBar.
For much of the year around here, you can run in a long-sleeve shirt, especially on early morning runs. Summer's warmer temperatures, however, give us the chance to leave that long-sleeve at home (or tie it around your waist if you can't break the habit).
The perfect tank for running in warm weather should feel like wearing nothing at all. It shouldn't add heat and it definitely shouldn't trap in moisture. REI isn't known necessarily for its running gear, but its Fleet Tank beats most major brands' offerings in my book. It doesn't chafe, is lightweight and loose-fitting, which is great for the heat. The soft fabric also protects your skin from sun with a UPF rating of 50.
With frequently grey skies here, it's easy to think you don't need sunscreen when heading out for a run. Even under the cover of clouds, the sun can cast down harmful rays. So don't forget to slather on the sunscreen.
The important points to remember: apply 15 to 30 minutes before you go outside; use a sunscreen that's water or sweatproof so it stays on long into your run.
I picked up my first pair of Brooks PureConnect shoes at an REI garage sale, thinking these lightweight -- 6.5 ounces -- shoes could be good for short summer runs. Although barefoot and minimalist shoes like these are popular, I doubted I'd be comfortable in a pair for long runs.
My PureConnect shoes were comfortable from the first moment I put them on. All other running shoes feel like running with bricks strapped on my feet compared to these. A step above barefoot shoes, this Brooks line has just enough cushioning to keep my feet from being sore after double-digit runs but not so much that my feet feel heavy or overly constrained.
Runner's World named these the "Best Debut" of a new shoe late last year. And when I bought my second pair at a local running store, I was told the store has a tough time keeping these in stock. The one drawback of these shoes is they only last about 250 to 300 miles, compared to roughly 600 for typical running shoes.
It has happened to most runners. You push yourself to go a little farther than planned. Maybe you start less hydrated than you should or the weather heats up quicker than you expected. No matter the cause: you've got many miles to go and no water to drink.
Carry your water with you next time. Nathan Sports makes both handheld and belted options. I can't stand having something around my waist and prefer the small QuickShot variety that holds 10 ounces. But many runners prefer the hands-free approach and extra capacity the belted option offers.
Nathan Sports water bottles can be found at local sporting goods stores as well as Fred Meyer. Handheld bottles cost $12 to $19; belt $30 to $60.
The rule of thumb: if you're going to run over an hour, use a nutritional supplement like a gel. When the temperature rises -- especially if you're not used to the heat -- consider using one before you run, even if you're going only going for 45 minutes. The second rule to remember: find a gel that works and stick to with it. And never, ever try a new gel on race day unless you're willing to tempt your digestive fate.
My favorite: Honey Stinger Gold, which sells for a buck and change per gel. Other popular gels include Clif, Hammer, Gu and PowerBar.
For much of the year around here, you can run in a long-sleeve shirt, especially on early morning runs. Summer's warmer temperatures, however, give us the chance to leave that long-sleeve at home (or tie it around your waist if you can't break the habit).
The perfect tank for running in warm weather should feel like wearing nothing at all. It shouldn't add heat and it definitely shouldn't trap in moisture. REI isn't known necessarily for its running gear, but its Fleet Tank beats most major brands' offerings in my book. It doesn't chafe, is lightweight and loose-fitting, which is great for the heat. The soft fabric also protects your skin from sun with a UPF rating of 50.
With frequently grey skies here, it's easy to think you don't need sunscreen when heading out for a run. Even under the cover of clouds, the sun can cast down harmful rays. So don't forget to slather on the sunscreen.
The important points to remember: apply 15 to 30 minutes before you go outside; use a sunscreen that's water or sweatproof so it stays on long into your run.
I picked up my first pair of Brooks PureConnect shoes at an REI garage sale, thinking these lightweight -- 6.5 ounces -- shoes could be good for short summer runs. Although barefoot and minimalist shoes like these are popular, I doubted I'd be comfortable in a pair for long runs.
My PureConnect shoes were comfortable from the first moment I put them on. All other running shoes feel like running with bricks strapped on my feet compared to these. A step above barefoot shoes, this Brooks line has just enough cushioning to keep my feet from being sore after double-digit runs but not so much that my feet feel heavy or overly constrained.
Runner's World named these the "Best Debut" of a new shoe late last year. And when I bought my second pair at a local running store, I was told the store has a tough time keeping these in stock. The one drawback of these shoes is they only last about 250 to 300 miles, compared to roughly 600 for typical running shoes.
2012年4月19日星期四
Life after Yoculan tough for UGA, coach Jay Clark
Suzanne Yoculan reflects on her early years as Georgia’s gymnastics coach and laughs. She is best-known today for her 10 national championships at UGA, but she was known for a lot of other things when she started out in the mid-1980s.
“I used to throw shoes across the room,” Yoculan said incredulously. “I would take my shoe off and wing it across the room at a girl because I was mad at her for something. I’m not kidding. I learned a lot those first few years.”
Yoculan shared that experience to illustrate how much there is for young coaches to learn. Yoculan points out that her successor, Jay Clark, also is a young coach and is having to learn on the job. For that reason, she said, fans need to be patient with him.
“He hasn’t taken his shoe off and thrown it across the room,” Yoculan quipped, “so already he’s doing better than I did.”
Clark, Yoculan’s lead assistant for 17 years, Clark took over as head coach three years ago. In that span, the Bulldogs had the gall not only to fail to win a national championship — they won five in a row before Yoculan stepped away — but they didn’t qualify for the NCAA championships that first year.
But this year the team is back in the hunt. Georgia (17-5) is ranked No. 5 in the nation and is one of 12 teams that will compete for the national title at Gwinnett Arena.
The Bulldogs are seeded fifth and will compete in the second semifinal session with six other teams at 6 p.m. Friday. Georgia, No. 1 Florida, No. 4 Alabama, No. 8 Arkansas, No. 9 Oregon State and No. 12 Ohio will compete for three of the six spots in Saturday’s championship meet (4 p.m.).
No. 2 UCLA, No. 3 Oklahoma, No. 6 Nebraska, No. 7 Utah, No. 10 Stanford and No. 11 LSU will compete in the first session at noon. The individual competition will be held Sunday.
“We feel really good about our situation,” said Clark, whose team won the Auburn regional to advance to the championship meet. “We’re not going to ‘out-difficulty’ anybody; we know that. We’re not going to do some of the crazy big skills you’ll see some of the other teams do. But we’re going to concentrate on being a super-clean team. Hit every handstand; stick all our landings. Every year that’s what decides championships.”
Florida and UCLA are favored. Georgia has competed with seven of the other 11 teams in the field and went 6-5 against them. The losses came against Florida, Alabama and Utah.
Georgia is led by senior Kat Ding, the reigning NCAA uneven-bars champion who ranks 15th in vault. Chelsea Davis (ninth) and Gina Nuccio (16th) are nationally ranked on bars, Shayla Worley is fourth on balance beam and 21st in all-around.
Yoculan, who led Georgia to the championship rounds in 23 of her 26 seasons, likes what she sees in this team.
“I used to throw shoes across the room,” Yoculan said incredulously. “I would take my shoe off and wing it across the room at a girl because I was mad at her for something. I’m not kidding. I learned a lot those first few years.”
Yoculan shared that experience to illustrate how much there is for young coaches to learn. Yoculan points out that her successor, Jay Clark, also is a young coach and is having to learn on the job. For that reason, she said, fans need to be patient with him.
“He hasn’t taken his shoe off and thrown it across the room,” Yoculan quipped, “so already he’s doing better than I did.”
Clark, Yoculan’s lead assistant for 17 years, Clark took over as head coach three years ago. In that span, the Bulldogs had the gall not only to fail to win a national championship — they won five in a row before Yoculan stepped away — but they didn’t qualify for the NCAA championships that first year.
But this year the team is back in the hunt. Georgia (17-5) is ranked No. 5 in the nation and is one of 12 teams that will compete for the national title at Gwinnett Arena.
The Bulldogs are seeded fifth and will compete in the second semifinal session with six other teams at 6 p.m. Friday. Georgia, No. 1 Florida, No. 4 Alabama, No. 8 Arkansas, No. 9 Oregon State and No. 12 Ohio will compete for three of the six spots in Saturday’s championship meet (4 p.m.).
No. 2 UCLA, No. 3 Oklahoma, No. 6 Nebraska, No. 7 Utah, No. 10 Stanford and No. 11 LSU will compete in the first session at noon. The individual competition will be held Sunday.
“We feel really good about our situation,” said Clark, whose team won the Auburn regional to advance to the championship meet. “We’re not going to ‘out-difficulty’ anybody; we know that. We’re not going to do some of the crazy big skills you’ll see some of the other teams do. But we’re going to concentrate on being a super-clean team. Hit every handstand; stick all our landings. Every year that’s what decides championships.”
Florida and UCLA are favored. Georgia has competed with seven of the other 11 teams in the field and went 6-5 against them. The losses came against Florida, Alabama and Utah.
Georgia is led by senior Kat Ding, the reigning NCAA uneven-bars champion who ranks 15th in vault. Chelsea Davis (ninth) and Gina Nuccio (16th) are nationally ranked on bars, Shayla Worley is fourth on balance beam and 21st in all-around.
Yoculan, who led Georgia to the championship rounds in 23 of her 26 seasons, likes what she sees in this team.
2012年4月16日星期一
Artist Adrian Wong’s Orange Peel, Harbor Seal
This spring, the Chinese Culture Center (CCC) of San Francisco continues its annual Xian Rui (‘fresh’ and ‘sharp’) exhibition series with Orange Peel, Harbor Seal, Hyperreal, the first solo exhibition in the Bay Area of the work of critically-acclaimed American artist Adrian Wong. The six new sculptural works, created specifically for the exhibition, excavate the similarities and parallels between the present architecture and design of San Francisco’s Chinatown and that of Hong Kong circa 1970.
Wong, also selected as one of 31 international artists to participate in the Asian Art Museum’s concurrent Phantoms of Asia contemporary art exhibition , relies heavily on a research-based method to explore the intricacies of his relationship to his environment — experientially, historically, culturally, and through the filter of fantastical or fictionalized narratives.
Wong made three separate trips to San Francisco in preparation for the exhibition at the CCC, spending countless hours wandering the streets of Chinatown. Based part time in Hong Kong, he was struck by the closely related, but distinct sense of nostalgia that asserts itself visually in both places.
While the Cultural Revolution raged in China in the 1960s and 1970s, British-ruled Hong Kong experienced a vibrant and often idiosyncratic commingling of western psychedelic and traditional Chinese design cultures. References to Taoist cosmology in decorative motifs and staid patterns were suddenly re-presented in colorful abstractions of their original ceremonial counterparts. This now iconic heyday of design, made mythic during the Golden Age of Hong Kong cinema, was burned into the collective consciousness of not only the Chinese Diaspora but also of the world at large as representative of the “exotic East.”
Across Hong Kong, the products of this period became ubiquitous and remain distinctive to this day—though most have fallen into disrepair. Carrying the markers of decades of use, they nevertheless continue to catch the eye, making appearances in unexpected places: in alleyways, beneath layers of dust in Chinese medical dispensaries, well-worn countertops in local eateries, and in piles of detritus generated by the unending urban renewal projects initiated by the tourism board.
In San Francisco’s Chinatown, on the other hand, Wong found this aesthetic alive and well – a shiny and new version of elegance borrowed from another era. From the color palette of the mosaic tiled exteriors to the low-cost chandeliers, Chinatown looked to him like a living, but distorted simulacrum of Hong Kong in the 1970s – one that, according to him, “produced an analogous but fundamentally different kind of nostalgia for the period—sanitized, artificial, but still potent as if the simple act of simulation had become authentic despite its inaccuracies.”
Wong, also selected as one of 31 international artists to participate in the Asian Art Museum’s concurrent Phantoms of Asia contemporary art exhibition , relies heavily on a research-based method to explore the intricacies of his relationship to his environment — experientially, historically, culturally, and through the filter of fantastical or fictionalized narratives.
Wong made three separate trips to San Francisco in preparation for the exhibition at the CCC, spending countless hours wandering the streets of Chinatown. Based part time in Hong Kong, he was struck by the closely related, but distinct sense of nostalgia that asserts itself visually in both places.
While the Cultural Revolution raged in China in the 1960s and 1970s, British-ruled Hong Kong experienced a vibrant and often idiosyncratic commingling of western psychedelic and traditional Chinese design cultures. References to Taoist cosmology in decorative motifs and staid patterns were suddenly re-presented in colorful abstractions of their original ceremonial counterparts. This now iconic heyday of design, made mythic during the Golden Age of Hong Kong cinema, was burned into the collective consciousness of not only the Chinese Diaspora but also of the world at large as representative of the “exotic East.”
Across Hong Kong, the products of this period became ubiquitous and remain distinctive to this day—though most have fallen into disrepair. Carrying the markers of decades of use, they nevertheless continue to catch the eye, making appearances in unexpected places: in alleyways, beneath layers of dust in Chinese medical dispensaries, well-worn countertops in local eateries, and in piles of detritus generated by the unending urban renewal projects initiated by the tourism board.
In San Francisco’s Chinatown, on the other hand, Wong found this aesthetic alive and well – a shiny and new version of elegance borrowed from another era. From the color palette of the mosaic tiled exteriors to the low-cost chandeliers, Chinatown looked to him like a living, but distorted simulacrum of Hong Kong in the 1970s – one that, according to him, “produced an analogous but fundamentally different kind of nostalgia for the period—sanitized, artificial, but still potent as if the simple act of simulation had become authentic despite its inaccuracies.”
2011年5月5日星期四
As readers clamour for our Royal Wedding horseshoes
As readers clamour for our Royal Wedding horseshoes, the inspiring story of devotion and courage behind... the hottest shoes in town
They are the equestrian answer to Manolo Blahnik, Jimmy Choo, John Lobb and Church's rolled into one. If you happen to be a horse, then nowhere has better, smarter shoes than the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment Forge here in London's Hyde Park.
This was where the four-legged stars of last week's Royal Wedding procession all came to be fitted for their boots. Every one of the 186 horses on parade that day, from Goliath, the largest ‘Cav Black' in the regiment, to a pair called William and Catherine played an unforgettable role in that exemplary pageant.
And now countless Daily Mail readers are hoping to win one of the 744 everlasting souvenirs of that occasion — a Royal Wedding horseshoe.
The tradition of the horseshoe as a lucky wedding charm is rooted in an ancient belief that metal wards off evil spirits. Others link the custom to St Dunstan, a 10th-century Archbishop of Canterbury and former blacksmith, who sent Satan packing after hammering a horseshoe into his foot.
But you do not have to be superstitious to appreciate the charm of this royal memento.
Last Friday's parade may have involved ‘all the Queen's horses and all the Queen's men'. But they also happened to be from the groom's old regiment. Prince William — like Prince Harry — started as an officer in the Blues and Royals which, together with the Life Guards, make up the Household Cavalry.
Billions were dazzled by the wedding and, now, many of them are clamouring for a souvenir. The regiment's Facebook page — facebook.com/hcmr — is buzzing. Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel Dan Hughes says he has received requests from all over the world for a keepsake from one of the great days in modern royal history.
But they are out of luck. Because these horseshoes have all been earmarked for Daily Mail readers in exchange for a substantial contribution to the Household Cavalry Central Charitable Fund.
This is, of course, first and foremost a frontline military unit whose men are routinely in danger around the world. Their ceremonial duties are simply what they do between missions.
Most of those in the wedding parade had recently returned from Afghanistan and needed no reminding of their comrades who were too badly injured to take part, not to mention those who had made the ultimate sacrifice.
Military life is always hazardous. The fund provides badly needed support to all injured soldiers past and present and to the families of those who have died. That is why Farrier Major Wayne Freeman and his team of ten farriers are going to such efforts to ensure this brilliant fund-raising idea does justice to the noble cause it is serving.
Household Cavalry horses are reshod every few weeks, and normally the old shoes would be dispatched to a scrap dealer for recycling.
Since last Friday, however, every shoe has been carefully removed, tagged and logged by Farrier Major Freeman. It goes without saying that it is all being done with military precision.
Once the last wedding parade horseshoe has been detached — some time at the end of next week — the farriers will then take each one and reheat it in the furnace. When it's red hot, it will be removed and cleaned with a steel brush to remove all imperfections. The farriers will then stamp each shoe with the wedding date — 29.04.11 — hammering every numeral by hand.
Each horseshoe will be lacquered and sealed in a box with a photograph of its horse and rider and a certificate of authenticity. As Royal Wedding souvenirs go, it beats anything bar a slice of the actual royal cake.
‘My mother keeps asking me for a wedding shoe, but I've had to tell her that even I can't have one,' laughs Farrier Major Freeman, 38. The father-of-two served all over the world with the regiment, starting out at the helm of a Scimitar tank, before moving to the forge in 2001.
Think of a forge, and images of burly blokes sweating away in grimy, clanking semi-darkness spring to mind. It's not like that here. There are, indeed, a lot of burly men sweating away, but it's light and airy and one of the cleanest workshops I've seen (there is no background squawk from a radio station, and no pin-up calendar either). Even the men's vests have ‘E II R' emblazoned on them. No one forgets who's boss around here.
Four open furnaces glow at one end, while five splendid horses loiter patiently like chaps at a St James's bootmaker waiting to be served.
Home for these immaculate animals is Hyde Park Barracks, next door to the most expensive block of flats in Europe. By equestrian standards, this place is equally plush. Each horse has a stall full of shavings, round-the-clock veterinary care, daily outings around Hyde Park, a central part in a world-famous daily tradition — Changing the Guard — and holidays in the countryside.
The 300 soldiers stationed here keep them fed, watered and groomed to the highest standards. Woe betide the Trooper whose horse is not in tip-top condition.
They are the equestrian answer to Manolo Blahnik, Jimmy Choo, John Lobb and Church's rolled into one. If you happen to be a horse, then nowhere has better, smarter shoes than the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment Forge here in London's Hyde Park.
This was where the four-legged stars of last week's Royal Wedding procession all came to be fitted for their boots. Every one of the 186 horses on parade that day, from Goliath, the largest ‘Cav Black' in the regiment, to a pair called William and Catherine played an unforgettable role in that exemplary pageant.
And now countless Daily Mail readers are hoping to win one of the 744 everlasting souvenirs of that occasion — a Royal Wedding horseshoe.
The tradition of the horseshoe as a lucky wedding charm is rooted in an ancient belief that metal wards off evil spirits. Others link the custom to St Dunstan, a 10th-century Archbishop of Canterbury and former blacksmith, who sent Satan packing after hammering a horseshoe into his foot.
But you do not have to be superstitious to appreciate the charm of this royal memento.
Last Friday's parade may have involved ‘all the Queen's horses and all the Queen's men'. But they also happened to be from the groom's old regiment. Prince William — like Prince Harry — started as an officer in the Blues and Royals which, together with the Life Guards, make up the Household Cavalry.
Billions were dazzled by the wedding and, now, many of them are clamouring for a souvenir. The regiment's Facebook page — facebook.com/hcmr — is buzzing. Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel Dan Hughes says he has received requests from all over the world for a keepsake from one of the great days in modern royal history.
But they are out of luck. Because these horseshoes have all been earmarked for Daily Mail readers in exchange for a substantial contribution to the Household Cavalry Central Charitable Fund.
This is, of course, first and foremost a frontline military unit whose men are routinely in danger around the world. Their ceremonial duties are simply what they do between missions.
Most of those in the wedding parade had recently returned from Afghanistan and needed no reminding of their comrades who were too badly injured to take part, not to mention those who had made the ultimate sacrifice.
Military life is always hazardous. The fund provides badly needed support to all injured soldiers past and present and to the families of those who have died. That is why Farrier Major Wayne Freeman and his team of ten farriers are going to such efforts to ensure this brilliant fund-raising idea does justice to the noble cause it is serving.
Household Cavalry horses are reshod every few weeks, and normally the old shoes would be dispatched to a scrap dealer for recycling.
Since last Friday, however, every shoe has been carefully removed, tagged and logged by Farrier Major Freeman. It goes without saying that it is all being done with military precision.
Once the last wedding parade horseshoe has been detached — some time at the end of next week — the farriers will then take each one and reheat it in the furnace. When it's red hot, it will be removed and cleaned with a steel brush to remove all imperfections. The farriers will then stamp each shoe with the wedding date — 29.04.11 — hammering every numeral by hand.
Each horseshoe will be lacquered and sealed in a box with a photograph of its horse and rider and a certificate of authenticity. As Royal Wedding souvenirs go, it beats anything bar a slice of the actual royal cake.
‘My mother keeps asking me for a wedding shoe, but I've had to tell her that even I can't have one,' laughs Farrier Major Freeman, 38. The father-of-two served all over the world with the regiment, starting out at the helm of a Scimitar tank, before moving to the forge in 2001.
Think of a forge, and images of burly blokes sweating away in grimy, clanking semi-darkness spring to mind. It's not like that here. There are, indeed, a lot of burly men sweating away, but it's light and airy and one of the cleanest workshops I've seen (there is no background squawk from a radio station, and no pin-up calendar either). Even the men's vests have ‘E II R' emblazoned on them. No one forgets who's boss around here.
Four open furnaces glow at one end, while five splendid horses loiter patiently like chaps at a St James's bootmaker waiting to be served.
Home for these immaculate animals is Hyde Park Barracks, next door to the most expensive block of flats in Europe. By equestrian standards, this place is equally plush. Each horse has a stall full of shavings, round-the-clock veterinary care, daily outings around Hyde Park, a central part in a world-famous daily tradition — Changing the Guard — and holidays in the countryside.
The 300 soldiers stationed here keep them fed, watered and groomed to the highest standards. Woe betide the Trooper whose horse is not in tip-top condition.
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