Martin Collins, the world’s first and leading manufacturer of high performance wax-coated synthetic all-weather riding surfaces, racetracks and gallops, is honored to have been granted A Royal Warrant of Appointment to HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN, which will be effective for a period of five years from 1st January 2008.
Polytrack is well known in North American racing where Martin Collins Surface & Footings has installed a total of five racetracks at Keeneland, Turfway Park, Arlington Park, Del Mar and Woodbine in Canada. There are three in the UK at Lingfield, Wolverhampton and Kempton Park; one in Ireland at Dundalk. Globally, Martin Collins has 10 racetracks completed or under construction.
Royal Warrants are a mark of recognition to people or companies who have regularly supplied goods or services for at least five years to certain members of the Royal Family. The Grantors, as they are known, are advised by the Lord Chamberlain who is head of the Royal Household and chairman of the Royal Household Tradesman’s Warrants Committee. However, the final decision to grant a Royal Warrant is made by the member of the Royal Family concerned – in Martin Collins’ case, The Queen.
Royal Warrants are regarded as a mark of excellence and quality and are highly prized.
The founder, Martin Collins, pioneered the synthetic riding surface more than 30 years ago. Since then his company has perfected a surface for all purposes and budgets, from the amateur investor to the some of the most prestigious racecourses, Thoroughbred training facilities, and competition venues for all equestrian disciplines including show jumping, dressage, eventing and polo in the UK and overseas.
Martin Collins remains at the helm of the company and is delighted to have received the Royal seal of approval: “It is a tremendous honour, and a privilege to be able to include the coat of arms on our stationery. I’m very proud for our company to be the first in our industry to have been granted a Royal Warrant – it means so much to us, ” he said, “and I must thank everyone in the company who has worked so hard to help make Martin Collins such a success. We pride ourselves on providing a first-class service to all our clients and a surface that is both safe and effective for all equestrian disciplines, from Riding for the Disabled establishments to the racing fraternity.”
The majority of Britain’s top level equestrian competitions such as the London International Horse Show, currently underway at London’s Olympia, Royal Windsor Horse Show and Hickstead to name a few are held on Martin Collins’ surfaces.
Central to the development of all Martin Collins’ surfaces is the welfare of the horse. Recent studies have demonstrated a link between injury and the type of surface on which the horse is regularly worked, highlighting a reduction in the incidence of injuries in those horses worked on synthetic surfaces. Demand for synthetic surfaces, and for Martin Collins arenas in particular, is therefore high across all competitive equestrian disciplines.