Brand assets of leading saddlery firm bought by sports branding company
The intellectual property assets of Barnsby Saddlery have been bought by a sports branding company, after the company went into administration earlier this year.
The Walsall-based saddle makers, formally known as Jabez Cliff, stopped trading in June and made its 26 staff members redundant.
The brand assets, which include a range of registered and unregistered trademarks, rights in the company’s designs, organisational knowledge, domain names and the e-commerce website content have now been bought by The Sports HQ.
The Sports HQ trades via its e-commerce website at www.thesportshq.com and is a trading company of Worcestershire-based S247 plc.
Simon Millington, chief executive of S247, said: “We’re passionate about developing the finest products and we’re constantly looking to purchase great sporting brands.
“Barnsby and Jabez Cliff are names with a great resonance among the sporting public and we are thrilled to have been able to add them to our extensive portfolio.”
Nat Baldwin, of Metis Partners, who helped procure the sale, said: “We are delighted to have been able to produce such a successful result for the Jabez Cliff name and the Barnsby brand.
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“The company has strong links with the British military and royalty and even made footballs which were used in four FA Cup Finals and the 1928 Olympic Games.
“The buyer has an excellent reputation for recognising the value in such brands and keeping them at the forefront of public attention.”
The company previously supported several top riders — including Mary King and Laura Collett — who have now sought alternative sponsors.
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Sophia Heath joined Horse & Hound in July 2013 having previously worked for the Daily Telegraph's Olympics website, CNN International and Omnisport. A Durham graduate with a Masters in journalism from City University, Sophia has evented, showjumped and hunted. Sophia left Horse & Hound in early 2015 to join an international boating website.