Tredstep Story
The Half-Chap Innovation
Aidan’s attention to detail and his desire to elevate his riding led him to design his own half-chaps so that he could optimize the degree and subtlety of his contact with his horse in a manner that was both comfortable and durable.
Aidan studied design at the College of Art and Design in Dublin and worked with a number of top design companies in Ireland. He created a half-chap that was innovative and effective, and fellow riders noticed it and wanted a pair of these half-chaps, unlike any others on the market.
Rooted in Riding
Born at the foot of the Dublin Mountains in Ireland, Aidan was lucky enough to be surrounded by Connemara ponies and terrific Irish horses on his parents’ farm. Aidan’s international career began as a 16-year-old junior 3-day event rider on an irrepressible small horse called Blueberry, who was immensely challenging but on a good day could outclass the competition.
Aidan honed his talent through attention to detail, self-discipline, consistency, and above all efficiency. He went on to work, train, and compete in Ireland, the UK, Europe, and the USA in Dressage, Show Jumping, and Eventing, and has worked with and trained under some of the best international trainers worldwide. He has competed at five-star international competitions in the US and Europe.
The Founding of Tredstep Ireland
Tredstep Ireland was founded in 1993 by Aidan Keogh. Aidan set up Tredstep Ireland to manufacture this inventive design. It quickly became the gold-standard design for half-chaps worldwide due to its innovation and effectiveness.
Deconstructing and Reconstructing Design
He continued to grow the company by deconstructing and reconstructing established designs and improving them across a range of product areas, including tall boots, gaiters, breeches, competition shirts, and jackets. The Renaissance collection of Tall Boots is a good example of his approach. Aidan wanted a tall boot that would flex with the rider without having to be ‘broken in,’ and that was available to the customer in a wide range of sizes offering the perfect fit. This innovation offered tall boots to all riders across all disciplines, for training and competition.
The Tredstep Philosophy
All Tredstep products are an expression of the same Tredstep philosophy: to provide products which really perform to a rider’s needs under all riding conditions and disciplines. They also have to embody beauty in form and design to enhance rider performance and presentation, looking fit for purpose and expressing effortless style for training and exuding elite elegance for competition.