International Friesian Show Horse World Championships
Susan Bouwman-Wind, riding Annette Coester’s Jesse 435, wins the Custom Saddlery Most Valuable Rider (MVR) Award (Photo courtesy of Avalon Photography LLC)
Burbank, CA (October 26, 2015)— Friesians are the Fabios of the horse world with their ebony coats and luxuriously long manes and tails. They excel in a variety of disciplines and turn heads with their flashy good looks. So, when a horse is named World Champion in the Friesian Dressage Hack Open class at the 2015 International Friesian Show Horse Association (IFSHA) World and Grand National Championship horse show, it must be something special. Enter the handsome Jesse 435, a twelve-year-old stallion by Leffert 306 x Doeke 287, ridden by Susan Bouwman-Wind and owned by Annette Coester. Custom Saddlery rewarded Bouwman-Wind for her excellent performances at the 2015 IFSHA Championships earlier this month, at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center in Burbank, California. Bouwman-Wind was selected by the judges and show committee as the recipient of the Custom Saddlery Most Valuable Rider (MVR) Award.
Bouwman-Wind is based out of Egberdina Hoeve in the Netherlands and, helped Coester import Jesse 435 to the United States earlier this year. Coester owns Royal Carousel Friesians in West Jordan, Utah, and is a breeder of top-quality Friesian horses. Jesse 435 is confirmed to the Intermediaire level in dressage.
Custom Saddlery offers the Custom Saddlery MVR Award at breed shows and dressage competitions across the country to honor riders like Bouwman-Wind for their talents and contributions to the sport of dressage. Winners of the MVR Award are riders who achieve high scores in the show ring, and also have exemplary horsemanship, sportsmanship, and teamwork with their equine partners. “I always say, you have to treat horses and people like you want to be treated yourself— with respect and love for each other,” said Bouwman-Wind. As winner of the Custom Saddlery MVR Award, Bouwman-Wind received a MVR ribbon, a Custom saddle pad, and a $150.00 gift certificate for Custom Saddlery. Custom Saddlery features a variety of saddles designed to fit riders and horses of all breeds, with countless customizable options to create just the right style.
The president of IFSHA and show manager for the 2015 World and Grand National Show, Sandy Jacob, was pleased that Custom Saddlery was eager to support the Friesian championships.
“The support and recognition that Custom Saddlery showed IFSHA will not be forgotten,” Jacob said. “The Custom Saddlery MVR Award was new to our show this year, and added excitement and a finishing touch to a well-executed show for our members and exhibitors. We are already working on our 2016 IFSHA World and Grand National Show, to be held on October 5-9 in Springfield, Ohio. I will look forward to working with Custom Saddlery in the future.”
Custom Saddlery is based in Aiken, South Carolina, and also has a base in Bouwman-Wind’s home country of the Netherlands. Not only does company recognize excellence at breed shows and dressage competitions across the United States, but Custom Saddlery has also partnered with the U.S. Equestrian Federation as the Official Saddle of the U.S. Dressage Team through the 2016 Olympics. The company offers more than 20 innovative and unique saddles and accessories, along with professional saddle fitting services from saddle fitters located in the Unites States and around the world. To learn more about Custom Saddlery and what these saddles can do for you and your horse, visit mysaddle or call 1-800-235-3865.
