Grand Prix show jumper Alex Granato is officially sponsored by Premier Equestrian (Photo courtesy of Lili Weik).

Tryon, NC (August 10, 2016) — While touring through prestigious jumper rings around the world, professional show jumping rider and trainer Alex Granato repeatedly cleared courses but ran into a common denominator at many top show venues. “I started noticing some of Premier Equestrian’s jumps at competitions,” said Granato. The jumps first caught his eye in 2015; a year Granato will remember for his win at the inaugural Longines Global Champions Tour of Miami Beach, for making the top 25 of the Rolex USET Ranking List, and for qualifying and competing for the U.S. in the CSIO 3* Nations Cup in Lisbon, Portugal, where he jumped the first clear round for his team.

“Later, I became aware that Premier Equestrian also creates top quality footing for dressage and jumping arenas, and barn equipment,” Granato recalled. In turn, Granato’s outstanding achievements and dedication to the sport of show jumping caught the eye of Premier Equestrian. The innovative manufacturer of equestrian arenas, arena footing, and jumps takes pride in sponsoring high-level competitors who exhibit superior sportsmanship and horsemanship, like Granato. The company recently proclaimed Granato as its newest “Premier Equestrian,” or sponsored rider, and provided him with a full course of jumps to train on. This season, when Granato isn’t competing at top show jumping competitions, he is training over his own Premier Equestrian outfitted course, which includes jump standards and poles, gates, walls, roll tops, liverpools, and more from Premier’s PolyPro jumps.

Manufactured using innovative polymer technology, these jumps are more durable, safe, and maintenance-free than traditional wood and aluminum. Premier Equestrian also builds a multitude of customized jumps, complete with artist renderings or simple add-on panels printed with custom logos or designs. Considering the jumps’ attractive appearance, lightweight maneuverability, and resistance to fading and decay, their popularity amongst top professionals in the field is no mystery.

In becoming an official Premier Equestrian, Granato has joined an elite group of international equestrians who love Premier products, including Todd Minikus, Steffen Peters, Laura Graves, Tamra Smith, amongst others.

Grand Prix show jumper Alex Granato is officially sponsored by Premier Equestrian. (Photo courtesy of Alex Granato – No photo credit necessary)

Granato, who shares his home town of Salt Lake City, Utah with Premier Equestrian, currently has 18 horses in training in his business Mad Season LLC, which is based out of Bedford Hill Farm in Tryon, North Carolina for the summer, and Wellington, Florida in the winter. Granato concentrates on training and competing in the jumper ring, while Mad Season’s hunter horses are under the guidance of fellow professional Josh Dolan. “For the past six years I have focused my career towards jumpers so that I can compete in international competitions and Nations Cup teams,” said Granato, who has proven himself to be a gifted trainer, bringing a number of award-winning horses up the ranks to realize their full potential. He developed his first Grand Prix horse, Mad Season, from a green seven-year-old to compete at the NAJYRC, win National Grand Prix classes, compete in his first World Cup Qualifiers, and win his last Grand Prix of his career when he was 19 years old. Granato’s many accomplishments also include developing a number of young jumpers who can be found competing on the circuits and in many victory gallops. Granato also commanded headlines this past competition season, when he won the Winter Equestrian Festival $10,000 Equiline Open Welcome at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) in Wellington, Florida in April aboard Carlchen W.

Premier Equestrian looks forward to helping career-driven Granato achieve his professional goals, which he defines as “to develop horses and students to the high end of the sport, as well as to compete again for the U.S. teams.”

Ambition and high-level achievements aside, one of the most important qualities Premier Equestrian recognizes in Granato is his genuine love of horses and the generosity he has demonstrated in giving back to the equestrian community. Granato is a co-founder of The Peeps Foundation, a non-profit miniature horse rescue, along with professional rider Josh Dolan. “We were showing in Lexington, Kentucky in 2014 when we came across a field of more than 60 miniature horses that were in desperate need of food, water, and general care,” Granato said. “We bought 38, many of them stallions so we could geld them to slow down the breeding, and we re-homed them for better lives. That made us aware of minis everywhere that are in need of help. We’ve now rescued minis from all over and are continuing to find them homes as turnout companions, kid’s pets, and barn mascots.”

Premier Equestrian is proud to support riders like Granato, who make a positive impact on the equestrian community while competing at high levels. For more information about Premier Equestrian and the company’s footing and products that leading equestrians love, visit www.PremierEquestrian.com or call 800-611-6109.