Custom Saddlery Finishes 2015 in the Winner’s Circle with Patrik Kittel, and Looks Forward to Year to Come
Mechelen, Belgium (January 6, 2016) — Swedish Olympic athlete Patrik Kittel and Delaunay (aka “Dude”) claimed victory while earning their personal best score at the December World Dressage Masters CDI5* Grand Prix Freestyle in Mechelen, Belgium. Kittel and the 10-year-old Oldenburg gelding (Dr. Doolittle x Feinbrand), owned by Carol and Andrew Oatley (the parents of Kittel’s wife Lyndal), earned a 78.575 percent in the freestyle and a 74.640 percent in the Grand Prix. The impressive performances brought Delaunay to the twenty-eighth ranking in the world. Custom Saddlery, Patrik Kittel’s proud sponsor, is thrilled to congratulate Kittel on his win and is happy to see Custom saddles finish out 2015 in the winner’s circle. Custom Saddlery plans to share in many more show ring victories with Custom Saddlery MVRs (Most Valuable Riders) like Patrik Kittel throughout 2016.
The World Dressage Masters CDI5* Freestyle was Kittel’s first victory in Mechelen. Kittel said it was vital to him that his horse enjoyed a good round and felt safe in such a big atmosphere.
“I think, for me, the most important thing was that my young horse trusted me and really tried,” Kittel said. “Dude has so much talent, but he is very sensitive so you have to balance the power, which I think really worked out well.”
In 2015, Kittel and Dude also won the Grand Prix Freestyle and the Grand Prix in Kaposvár, Hungary, in October. They notched the win in the Grand Prix Freestyle and the Grand Prix in Falsterbo, Sweden, in July, and they claimed the top prize in the Grand Prix and the Grand Prix Special in Vidauban, France, in March.
Custom Saddlery MVR Patrik Kittel is a top competitor on a variety of horses. He rode for Sweden at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games where he and Floresco NRW (Florestan I x Rosella, Rosenkavalier) placed fourth in the team dressage. He also competed as an individual at the 2012 London Olympic Games with Watermill Scandic (Solos Carex x Noraline, Amiral). Kittel and Toy Story (Come Back II x Cessna, Concorde) also won the 2014 Swedish National Dressage Championships in Ericsberg, Sweden.
Kittel is not one to rest on his laurels, and will be busy competing in Münster, Germany, and Amsterdam, The Netherlands, soon. As always, his Custom Saddlery saddle will be with him as he travels the world.
“I love my Custom Saddle,” Kittel said. “It really makes me sit straight and it’s very soft. That is very important to me, not just when I compete, but in my day-to-day work at home.” Kittel rode Dude to victory in his Custom Saddlery Icon Coda at the World Dressage Masters CDI5*.
Custom Saddlery is looking forward to more success stories in 2016 from Custom Saddlery Most Valuable Riders as well as all the other satisfied Custom saddle owners. Custom Saddlery saddles are the Official Saddle of the U.S. Dressage Team, and they are a top choice of dressage riders from around the world. The company provides quality saddles and equipment to Olympians, international Grand Prix riders, the Tempel Lipizzans, top dressage professionals, and adult amateurs who seek the best in fit and comfort for themselves and their mounts. The Aiken, South Carolina based company will once again sponsor the Adequan Global Dressage Festival in Wellington, Florida, in 2016— bringing excitement, awards, and of course saddles to the iconic show series.
Custom Saddlery provides professional saddle fitting services with expert saddle fitters across the United States and internationally. The company also manufactures quality accessories including stirrup leathers, girths, and saddle pads.
For more information about Custom Saddlery, visit www.mysaddle.com or call 1-800-235-3865.
Photo: Patrik Kittel, Custom Saddlery MVR (Photo courtesy of Lyndal Oatley)
