It started in 1997 when Marlies Gericks – a very creative garment engineer – noticed her enthusiasm for the riding sports. She noticed that riding apparel was exactly the opposite of fashionable/stylish. Wide cuts and dark colors were the most dominant things in the cupboards of the equestrian-fans. A situation that Marlies Gericks would have liked changed.
With this in the background she designed her first SONNENREITER-collection in 2000.
This collection was characterized by close-fitting, fashionable cuts and at the same a high functionality. As for the cavaliers: they were already enthused of the first collection SONNENREITER. For the company it meant many enquiries.

SONNENREITER as a trademark of elta nova GmbH is an exclusive manufacturer of fashionable and at the same time functional riding apparel from Rheine, in the Münsterland.
With its 15 members of staff the company serves more than 400 riding-retailers in 13 countries worldwide. elta nova is called the atelier of Marlies Gericks, who created the trademark in 2000 and who designed all collections since then.

In the meantime the fashion line “SONNENREITER” is created twice a year. While the collection for spring/summer put fashionable into the mood for the sunny days on a horseback, for the fall/winter-collection there are more the warmer-functional articles of clothing with the suitable darker colouring, which dominate.
It was possible for SONNENREITER to win Vivien Schockemöhle exclusively as a model. She is the daughter of the show jumping-veteran Paul Schockemöhle and she is able to give all collections a suitable young face.

Marks are left in the world of the riders – this shows how very successful the whole conception of SONNENREITER is. These last years the riding fashion has been created definitely much more fashionable – a triumphal procession that started in Rheine and it hasn’t been ending yet – not for a long time yet.