Equilink Seeks to Become the Google of the Equestrian World
6/13/07 – An interesting niche search startup has launched out of Alhambra, in close proximity to the world-famous Santa Anita race track. Equilink, which bills itself as the “Horse Google,” is a search engine and resource site for all things related to horses and the equestrian world.
The site was started by Barbara Summers, an equestrian enthusiast and former marketing executive who says the idea came to her after she tried to use Google and Yahoo to find new riding trainers and got “worthless results.”
Equilink allows searchers to find information in multiple categories and in specific geographical areas. The database is proprietary, and is both searchable and organized as a directory. The site also incorporates customization features, like the ability to choose color schemes.
The startup has been funded entirely to this point by Summers, who sees a considerable market opportunity. She told StartUp Beat that the equestrian market has a total direct and indirect impact of $112 billion annually in the U.S. “Horse owners as a group probably spend a higher percentage of their income on this sport than virtually any other recreational niche,” said Summers.
Equilink – www.equilink.com
