Our story
Established 1911
To own a Charles Owen helmet is to own not only a part of equestrian history, but its future.
Watch our 110 year anniversary video.
Saving lives since 1911
World famous for raising the bar in safety, Charles Owen is a leading British manufacturer of riding helmets with a history dating back over 115 years.
When Charles Owen himself founded the company in 1911, his mission was to make products ‘for a safer world’.
The company has remained within the same family for four generations, today under the direction of founder Charles Owen’s great-grandson.
Charles Owen
It all began with a mechanic in East London. His name was Charles Owen.
To escape acute poverty, he attended night classes to learn about hat making. In 1911, he created his first tropical pith helmet.
The early days revolved around manufacturing military helmets which were worn by the British Army throughout the First World War. Soon after, the company expanded into motorsport protective headwear.
War and new directions
Charles Owen passed away in 1932, leaving his wife Francis and daughter Zena to run the family business and throughout the Second World War.
Zena married a Polishman called Walter Burek in 1946. Walter had escaped a prisoner of war camp and managed to get to the UK during the war. He spoke no English but quickly learnt.
Following the war, Charles Owen grew quickly under Walter’s direction, making some of the world’s greatest motorcycle helmets.
Equestrian helmets
Walter and Zena’s young children developed an interest in horse riding, and Walter spotted an opportunity to design a riding helmet with safety being the priority.
Riding helmets soon become the company’s flagship product and Charles Owen quickly established itself as the gold standard for safety.
Innovation
Walter’s son, Roy Burek, joined the family business in 1981. Roy was involved in creating the very first equestrian helmet safety standard, and in 1983 Charles Owen created the first dual-standard riding helmet.
That same year, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II awarded Charles Owen the Royal Warrant as protective headgear supplier to the Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace.
Saving lives through ever-improved helmets was Roy’s driving force. A scientist at heart (he studied Chemistry at the University of Oxford), he was passionate about understanding head injuries and how to protect against them. This led to him later becoming an Honorary Professor of Cardiff University.
The future of safety
Roy passed away unexpectedly in 2019, and the family company passed along to the fourth generation, Owen Burek.
Owen continues the 115 year family tradition of innovating to create ever safer rider protection.
Charles Owen is deeply ingrained within the global equestrian industry as a trusted brand known for safety, quality, innovation and style.
Charles Owen
It all began with a mechanic in East London. His name was Charles Owen.
To escape acute poverty, he attended night classes to learn about hat making. In 1911, he created his first tropical pith helmet.
The early days revolved around manufacturing military helmets which were worn by the British Army throughout the First World War. Soon after, the company expanded into motorsport protective headwear.
War and new directions
Charles Owen passed away in 1932, leaving his wife Francis and daughter Zena to run the family business and throughout the Second World War.
Zena married a Polishman called Walter Burek in 1946. Walter had escaped a prisoner of war camp and managed to get to the UK during the war. He spoke no English but quickly learnt.
Following the war, Charles Owen grew quickly under Walter’s direction, making some of the world’s greatest motorcycle helmets.
Equestrian helmets
Walter and Zena’s young children developed an interest in horse riding, and Walter spotted an opportunity to design a riding helmet with safety being the priority.
Riding helmets soon become the company’s flagship product and Charles Owen quickly established itself as the gold standard for safety.
Innovation
Walter’s son, Roy Burek, joined the family business in 1981. Roy was involved in creating the very first equestrian helmet safety standard, and in 1983 Charles Owen created the first dual-standard riding helmet.
That same year, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II awarded Charles Owen the Royal Warrant as protective headgear supplier to the Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace.
Saving lives through ever-improved helmets was Roy’s driving force. A scientist at heart (he studied Chemistry at the University of Oxford), he was passionate about understanding head injuries and how to protect against them. This led to him later becoming an Honorary Professor of Cardiff University.
The future of safety
Roy passed away unexpectedly in 2019, and the family company passed along to the fourth generation, Owen Burek.
Owen continues the 115 year family tradition of innovating to create ever safer rider protection.
Charles Owen is deeply ingrained within the global equestrian industry as a trusted brand known for safety, quality, innovation and style.
Setting the standard for the future
In 2025, we rebranded to reflect our commitment to progress.
Whilst our long legacy is at the heart of everything we do, we step forward with a bold new vision.
Watch the brand launch video to see more.
Royal Works
Our award winning facility is situated in Wrexham, North Wales.
Inside the huge space, the workforce is organised into small teams that create the Charles Owen branded products from start to finish.
Quality is paramount when it comes to safety.
