With dressage coats becoming more fashion-forward over the last few years, tall dressage boots are marching right along with them.
The catalogs are still mostly filled with smooth-leather black boots, but colored leather is now fairly common for training wear and even occasionally at shows. If you are willing to spring for custom, you can get pretty much any color you want, with interesting detailing as well. Patterned leathers—ridges, swirls, or even crocodile—are also cropping up. For further interest, custom boots offer cuffs at the top of the boots in contrasting colors and patterns.
But selecting a pair of riding boots is about much more than fashion. A well-fitted boot protects a rider’s feet and legs and can even enhance her leg position. Popular options, such as zippers and elastic gussets, ease the task of getting into and out of snug-fitting boots. In this article, we’ll explain how to find the best fit, cut, and options for your needs—and then we’ll delve into the latest fashion trends, in and out of the show arena.
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Dressage riders from California and the Northwest spent considerable time on the medal podium at the 2013 Adequan/FEI North American Junior and Young Riders Championships presented by Gotham North. The NAJYRC is a continental championships for riders aged fourteen to 21 in the disciplines of dressage, eventing, jumping, reining, and endurance. This year’s championships were held July 17-21 at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington and drew top juniors and young riders from the USA, Canada, and Mexico.
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Breaking a slump, as any baseball player can tell you, is hard work. The toughest part can be regaining the confidence that takes a beating with each additional loss—while, maddeningly, the guy on the winning streak seems to gather momentum with every victory.
Some would say that Team USA dressage has been in a slump lately, with the failure to medal at the 2012 Olympic Games and to secure a team medal at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. And while everyone loves a winner, not every fan supports his or her team through a bad run. For the sake of morale, national pride, and—yes—financial support, new United States Equestrian Federation dressage national chef d’équipe and technical advisor Robert Dover knows he needs to get a team back on a medal podium, soon.
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At the 2013 Adequan/USDF National Convention in Lexington, KY, the USDF Board of Governors will elect a USDF vice president, secretary, and directors of USDF’s odd-numbered regions (1, 3, 5, 7, and 9).
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