[HappyHorselover]

Professional Choice makes a lot of products that are not SMBs which are fine for eventing. But I should clarify that I meant that they do not market SMBs for use on the cross country phase of eventing

I don't know, I thought they were trying to market the SMB Ven-Tech Elites for XC. They breathe well and don't trap heat like the older versions.

[Sonoma City]

Ok, so I was curious and went on the Prof Choice website and sent them a little note on their "contact us" page to ask about their choice of ads. They responded quickly saying it was a mistake that got through editing and the person in charge of this particular picture was not an eventer and it wasn't caught before publication. It was a nice note and the person who wrote it noted that "hopefully this picture will not be used again". So, there ya have it, they recognized the mistake, albeit after the fact, and won't use the picture again.

[Jealoushe]

I don't know, I thought they were trying to market the SMB Ven-Tech Elites for XC. They breathe well and don't trap heat like the older versions.

Yes, they spent a lot of money testing these and showing the shock absorption and cooling feature (compared to older models).

I have a set, they are OK for flat work but I find they slip too much to be trusted over fences.

[retreadeventer]

Lies, lies, and damn lies.

[BarbB]

[Bold is mine]

What do you think PC is trying to say by choosing this particular picture out ALL the other pictures available of McKinlaigh and GM??? I think PC doesn't need to use words to saying what they hope people will "infer"... choosing this particular picture says it all.

Of course they are implying what everyone is talking about. What I am trying to say is that THIS IS NORMAL ADVERTISING. Not an exception, not a mistake. The mistake was in not realizing that this example would be caught by a small segment of their audience.

edited to add: I am not trying to trash PC. I have used some of their products and have no beef with them. I am just using this as an example of what many many many ads do.

[kerilli]

they were definitely marketed for eventers in the U.K., years ago anyway... enough that I believed all the hype about supporting the tendons (yeah, right) and put them on a very good horse whose legs I was particularly paranoid about for a LF CCI 2*. The horse sustained lesions to both sdfts and ddfts during that run (had scanned totally clean a couple of weeks before) and was never the same again.
I was youngish and ill-advised and inexperienced. Just didn't realise the effect of the heat building up, or the water absorbency weight nightmare, or the lack of tendon strike protection...
Unfortunately there's a new generation or two who will be exactly the same, and might believe the picture or the hype...

[Humblepie]

Wonder how Shannon Brinkman feels about her copyrighted photo being photoshopped.......

[FrittSkritt]

Those are Porter Boots with PC bell boots only.

No SMBs in that picture

Again, the photo I am referring to is in the DOVER CATALOG, not the photo I linked to on the Professional's Choice site.

There are two versions of the doctored photo. The first one is on PC's site, where they photoshopped PC bell boots on McKinlaigh.

The other one is in the newest version of the Dover Catalog, where they added a pair of blue SMBs.

[53]

Ok, so I was curious and went on the Prof Choice website and sent them a little note on their "contact us" page to ask about their choice of ads. They responded quickly saying it was a mistake that got through editing and the person in charge of this particular picture was not an eventer and it wasn't caught before publication. It was a nice note and the person who wrote it noted that "hopefully this picture will not be used again". So, there ya have it, they recognized the mistake, albeit after the fact, and won't use the picture again.

Sooo.....they meant to photoshop a different pair of SMB/PC boots on that photo...? Was that the mistake?

[Sonoma City]

Sooo.....they meant to photoshop a different pair of SMB/PC boots on that photo...? Was that the mistake?

I just reiterated what I received as a response. I think it's been pretty well hashed out that their mistakes were: 1) photo shopping a picture, 2) photoshopping a very recognizable picture, 3) photoshopping a very recognizable picture with a product that would never be used in that situation, 4) not catching numbers 1/2/3 before publication, and 5) having people notice. If no one noticed, I'm sure they wouldn't consider it a mistake at all!

[poltroon]

I just reiterated what I received as a response. I think it's been pretty well hashed out that their mistakes were: 1) photo shopping a picture, 2) photoshopping a very recognizable picture, 3) photoshopping a very recognizable picture with a product that would never be used in that situation, 4) not catching numbers 1/2/3 before publication, and 5) having people notice. If no one noticed, I'm sure they wouldn't consider it a mistake at all!

I see they did remove it from the website.

[WW_Queen]

Of course they are implying what everyone is talking about. What I am trying to say is that THIS IS NORMAL ADVERTISING. Not an exception, not a mistake.

Sad but true.

[GinaMiles]

It has been brought to my attention that there is an ad in Dover catalogue featuring a photo of me riding at the Olympics that has been graphically altered. This is very disturbing information to learn about and I am very upset and concerned about it. I gave permission to Dover to use my photo from the Olympics but was never told that the photo would be changed. I do not endorse the changes that I hear were made, and have not seen the "new" photo or the catalogue yet myself. Nor do I believe that Shannon Brinkman would approve of the changes made to her photo. Together with Professional Choice, back in February of last year, I spent a whole day shooting photos and video of their new product line with several of my new horses. Many of these photos were submitted to Dover to use and in fact, I hear a very nice photo of Chanel wearing Professional's Choice product appears in the Ariat section of the catalogue. I do not know who is responsible for the decision to photo shop the changes to the picture and am disappointed that someone thought that was okay. I do love my Professional's Choice products very much and use them extensively both at home and in competition. I have spoken with the owner and founder of Professional's Choice, whom I know personally and respect tremendously for his integrity and character. He is also shocked and angry about the photos and does not believe that should have happened and the company is looking in to how communication apparently broke down regarding the ad and look for ways to prevent something like this from happening again. I am very sorry that this mistake has caused so much grief and apologize to those who were offended by the ad. Professionals' Choice leaders are dedicated and caring horse people who care very much about the quality of their product and the benefits they can offer to the animals they serve along with their owners. I hope that this unfortunate use of todays technologies and capabilities can be turned into a positive and can serve to warn us all to be more respectful of others intellectual property both on and off of the internet.

[skydy]

Gina, I am sorry that you have been put in this position.

You are a master of diplomacy.. Your sponsors have every reason to be proud of you.

[FLeventer]

Gina, thanks for coming on here and addressing the issue. I love your line of bits from PC btw!

[snoopy]

This is another example why when one is interviewed for publication or when one's likeness is used that the person should have written into the contract that they have copy approval. This way, one can not be misquoted, edited, or photographed in a manner that is misleading or dishonest.

[poltroon]

Nice response, Gina.

[jen-s]

So from my uber-weenie eventer perspective, I'm ambivalent about the photoshopping (not an SMB fan, PC oopsed, they got busted, let's move on) but it seems really awesomely cool that I just read something that GINA MILES typed on COTH! I'm such a dork...

[JP60]

So from my uber-weenie eventer perspective, I'm ambivalent about the photoshopping (not an SMB fan, PC oopsed, they got busted, let's move on) but it seems really awesomely cool that I just read something that GINA MILES typed on COTH! I'm such a dork...

Honestly...same position in eventing...me too! I'm scrolling along, entertained by the posts then WHAM...OMG its Gina (what she said was pretty cool and professional) and my "meh, ULRs" attitude just flies out the window. I'm too easy (sigh)

[HappyHorselover]

So from my uber-weenie eventer perspective, I'm ambivalent about the photoshopping (not an SMB fan, PC oopsed, they got busted, let's move on) but it seems really awesomely cool that I just read something that GINA MILES typed on COTH! I'm such a dork...

Same here!