Acquiring an Equestrian Center - Needs a new name - BELMORE EQUESTRIAN

[Simkie]

I like Riker Equestrian. And it appears that domain is available

If you really just don’t want to use your name, Belmore Equestrian is my next favorite. It’s got a nice sound, and a quick google doesn’t turn up any others.

[ddashaq]

How about Riker Riding Center? My favorite barn ever is called Wellington Riding so I have always been fond of that particular label. Wellington is actually a full blown equestrian center now, but had humble beginnings back in the 1970s.

[Plainandtall]

There is a Riker’s Ridge Road near me (Indiana) - and now that you said Riker that’s all I can think of. Sorry, I’m all out.

[WeDoItAll]

Although we’re not completely opposed to using our name, we do somewhat wonder whether it’s a bit egotistical. Knowing that people will likely refer to the place by the first name of our formal name, that will mean they will say - the meeting is at Riker’s … or we’re going to Riker’s (which by the way is how the Riker’s Island reference came up that made us giggle).

Really trying to stay away from “riding center” because pony club now uses that term to denote clubs, who aren’t really clubs, but are lesson barns that are members of pony club but are for profit. Since we don’t intend to pursue that path (at least right now) I don’t want any confusion that the clubs that may meet there are clubs and not a riding center.

So … we’ve narrowed it down further this morning (still open to suggestions):
Deschutes Equestrian (Center? perhaps in order to have three words and have it seem finished)
Something involving Phoenix … it seems to need another word but not sure what that should be. And need to distinguish it for url purposes.

[poltroon]

Selbats and Alcazar are kind of fun.

Checking domain names in advance is good advice.

Cascade is nice but I’d be surprised if it’s not taken.

I’ve known people to name their businesses after a favorite old horse also.

A thesaurus can be helpful - start thinking of words that evoke what you want your place to be, and start looking for synonyms. Consider idioms and phrases.

I also suggest thinking beyond the physical a bit, because this name will be associated with your daughter and her career. So where does she want to go? What kind of clients does she want?

Chase the Clouds Equestrian
Catch a Star Equestrian
Cheerful Creek Equestrian
Cheerful Cat Equestrian
Treehaven Equestrian

[WeDoItAll]

What do you think of RnR Equestrian Center?

Riker n Riker
Rest n Relaxation
Rock n Roll (cassie is a music fan)

So it meets her criteria of having multiple meanings

Anybody see any challenges?

[PeteyPie]

DUM dum dum dum DUM dum dum dum
From the Land of Sky Blue Wa-a-ters
DUM dum dum dum DUM dum dum dum…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o83xxWCel8g

Blue Waters Equestrian Center.

[Tiffani_B]

RnR sounds western/ranch-ish to my midwestern ears.

I like Belmore - sounds elegant and if there is local history to it, you’ll have a story to tell when someone asks about the name.

How about “Equine Center” instead of “Equestrian Center?” I think it’s a bit less pretentious and puts more emphasis on the horse rather than the rider or the pursuit of riding.

[tpup]

LOVE Belmore Equestrian. Easy to say, sounds really nice, classy and pretty but not over the top. You can even play on the “B” and “E” and do fun things w/your advertising like “the place to “BE”…Belmore Equestrian” or “Just BE”…and love the local history of it. It continues a little legacy of sorts. I would steer clear of Riker for all the reasons mentioned above. No offense of course Deschutes is too hard to pronounce…Phoenix and New Horizons and Genesis sound a tad religious to me. Belmore is just beautiful!

I can “hear it” - “Clinic at Belmore!” “I board at Belmore and love it”…

Or “Be more at Belmore!”…okay, I’ll stop!

[BEARCAT]

There is a Deschutes River Ranch in Oregon. (Plus “chutes” =“falls” in French so it doesn’t conjure up a safe image for me )
Agree that RnR makes me think of a Dude ranch.
There’s also already a Blue Waters Equestrian Center

[cherham]

Riker made me immediately think of Star Trek…as in William Riker (#1 to Captain Jean-Luc Pickard) Nothing wrong with using your surname as the business barn name but if your daughter were to ever marry and carry on that business would she be OK with that name…if she would ever contemplate changing her surname?

Otherwise I like Belmore as well…

Signed the owner of the horses T’Pring, Anton Karidian, Philana, Westmoreland Tantalus and Ashanti. Every one a Star Trek name…

[WeDoItAll]

Thanks and tpup your comments REALLY helped! We have a consensus here as well! Which I have to tell you is VERY difficult.

Now - if we do it as Belmore Equestrian it is historically accurate BUT it puts 2 “e”'s together for the url. I ran into this same thing with my travel agency name Create The Moment Travel - I always get asked are there two “t’s”?

We “could” do it as Belmor Equestrian … it’s not like this area is actively referred to like this any more, so most people wouldn’t know. Is it a big deal either way?

Any thoughts?

[Simkie]

I think that’s an excellent point about the 2 e’s in the URL. Belmor Equestrian still looks and sounds great, so I’d say as long as there’s not a big group of people who associate the “Belmore” name with the area (and it doesn’t sound like it!) go for it!!

[BEARCAT]

I’d vote for keeping the e at the end. It looks better to me and more intuitive and I think you would get a lot of people misspelling it on checks, etc

[Blume_Farm]

I too think Belmore is the best. I don’t mind two e’s in a row in a url, but if you do you can always do belmore-equestrian.com.

[Huntin_Pony]

Given what you said about the condition and the plans to bring it back to life, how about Renaissance Equestrian? Or Renaissance Horse Center?

[tpup]

I like the “e” at the end vs. dropping it, and would do the URL as belmore-equestrian, or on your cards, just do BelmoreEquestrian dot com. You can also do something like “belmorehorses” for your website. Or graphically on advertising, cards, websites you can “bold” the B and E or use different colors for contrast, so that it’s clear to people that yes, there are two “E’s” in a row. Congrats. I love it!!

[PeteyPie]

I like Belmore Equestrian Center (or Belmor) too. Sounds Classy.

[GrayCatFarm]

Pouting that Cascade didn’t get the nod, but grudgingly accept that Belmore has a great ring to it.

[WeDoItAll]

Thanks GrayCat - we’re actually a couple of hours away from the Cascades and their is a Cascade Reins Pony Club north of us that I don’t want to get it tied up with.