Bliss of London sponsor the National 1.30m Championship

Bliss of London is proud to announce the sponsorship of the prestigious National 1.30m Championship at The Alexanders Horseboxes British Showjumping Scope Festival.  Qualifying rounds are already under way at most major venues across the country with the final to be held at The Scope Festival, in August later this year.  

The British Showjumping Scope Festival is one of the most prestigious events on the equestrian calendar. The show incorporates many of the National Championship Finals from the smallest of riders battling it out for the Tiny Tots Championship through to Grand Prix level. 

In 2009 Nick Skelton on Big Star came through to win the National 6yo Championship and went on to Olympic stardom at the 2012 Olympic games; the following year we saw Bruce Menzies on Sultan V take the National Championship title, Sultan V went on to compete at the 2012 Olympics as part of the Saudi Arabian team. The perfect platform for the stars of the future. The Bliss of London National 1.30m Open Championship was won last year by Paul Barker with Lynn Barker’s Temple Ryefield

Bliss of London manufacture the finest quality English Dressage, Jump, Eventing and All-purpose saddles and specialise in high end custom made saddlery for discerning clients and professional competitors around the world.  The Bliss team have a wealth of knowledge and experience from an in-house team of saddle fitters and riders to help guide each client through the process.  With a selection of tree and panel profiles for the comfort of the horse and custom flap and block configurations for rider support, we are able to offer performance enhancing saddles for riders at all levels.

Bliss of London believe in supporting equestrian fixtures and will once again be exhibiting at the Festival August 24th-30th with their exciting collection of Jumping saddles with onsite saddle fittings available.

To find out more about the Bliss of London collection tel: 0207 1188 123; or visit: www.bliss-of-london.com or www.facebook.com/BlissOfLondon

www.bliss-of-london.com

www.scopefestival.org

Dutch Saddle fitting and research trip November 2013

What an action packed few days it was for our founder Nikki Newcombe on her recent visit to Holland.  

The significance of warmblood breeding in The Netherlands lends itself as a great base for 

research and development into the understanding .of continuous changes in the breed profile. 

We are seeing less and less of the broader more solid Hanoverian types and a much lighter sports horse influence coming through.

 This has led to considerable changes in the profiles where once most Warmbloods would be wide with a low wither and flat back, many now have almost a Thoroughbred type wither but the significance being still with the flat back. 

The development of our Warmblood tree has been so because of these changes that are being recognised and causing saddle fitters issues.  

It was wonderful to see some many difference shapes and profiles and see that how the correct tree and panel selection is so important in achieving firstly comfort and freedom for the horse but importantly a correct balance point for the rider.

The popularity of the Icelandic horse in the Netherlands means we are never short of willing volunteers to trial saddles with us. 

Nikki visited  several breeders and trainers with saddle fitter Martine Liefstingh. Being able to see so many different profiles and trial the new Loxley Icelandic saddle on so many horses and rider feedback is invaluable for development, even down to test riding herself.  

It was rewarding to see some of the existing Loxley Icelandic’s in action and the difference it has made to both the riders and horses whether riding for pleasure or competitively.  The acoustic ‘takke takke’ sound that you hear in the Tölt never fails to amaze.

There was also time to meet up with our sponsored rider Frank Hosmar, whilst training Lotte Klumper (who also rides in the Paramour Dressage) and her very characteristic horse Jack. 

It is so important that we truly understand the saddles we produce and can relate the riders experiences and feedback to the build in order to create the perfect saddle for them, Lotte was kind enough to let Nikki have a ride on Jack to feel how her Paramour works on him and then it was very interesting to see how differently Jack reacted when we tried another saddle (which fitted), he certainly knows what he does and doesn’t like!

A thank you to Arthur Asveld for the tour around the impressive Dierenkliniek, Den Ham. 

 The clinic offers first class facilities for both small and large animals with full assessment clinics, operating facilities, hydrotherapy and even an MRI scanner. 

They have a refreshing outlook with professionals working together for the benefit of the client and hold clinics with saddle fitter Heleen Klumper when dealing with saddle/back/lameness related issues.

Gorgeous scenery, fabulous riders and horses and even better hospitality, 

Holland is a great place to be a saddle fitter!  Thank you so much to everyone who made the trip possible and worthwhile especially Heleen Klumper and Martine Liefstingh saddle fitters extraordinaire!  

http://www.saddlefitservice.nl/

http://www.liefstinghzadels.nl/

http://www.veraklumper.nl/

http://www.dierenkliniekdenham.nl/

http://www.blekenbrink.nl/

Ralpf Lauren - Fall/Winter Collection

Ralph Lauren offers a world of luxury and comfort in men, women’s and children’s clothing. For the Ralph Lauren children’s fall collection, the clothing line hosted a “Day at the Stables” fashion show that incorporated many facets of the Ralph Lauren lifestyle. For more information, please visit Ralph Lauren.

Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzN6XIfvIVo

held their “Day at the Stables” RALPH LAUREN Girls Fall 2013 Fashion Show last month to preview their Fall and Holiday Collections for moms and daughters.  The plaid, the braids, the boots, the hats, the pops of color – there is so much for parents and girls to love about this collection!  Take a look for yourself.

http://www.ralphlauren.co.uk

Based on Ralph Lauren staples, the Fall/Holiday collection gives girls comfort and style.  Classic pieces Ralph Lauren is known for got a little twist by adding bold colors and mixing prints like plaid and argyle or fair isle and animal print.

Lace is everywhere this fall and winter, including the Ralph Lauren Girls collection.  This lace dress paired with traditional holiday red and green is a great look for a December event in the city.  Take away the red and green and it’s a darling dress for any occasion.

Hats and accessories are a huge part of this collection.  From berets to newsboy caps to top hats, the Ralph Lauren girls are accessorized head to sneaker, boot or ballet flat!  The patterned socks and shoes give an extra fun punch of personality to the looks. Chunky jewelry, stacked bracelets, belts and scarves provide even more options for girls to show off their individual style.

Why I Chose a Bliss of London Saddle, or Two! - Roberta Sheffield

For me, my saddle is a very personal thing. I am very loyal to my saddles and I spend a huge amount of time in and around them. As they are the gateway to communication with my horses when I am riding, both of us have to have our needs met for us to perform at our best.

When my top horse, Wonderboy, matured and changed shape, his previously well-fitting saddle stopped working for him. His back muscles have broadened out from under the stirrup bars through the back of the saddle – there was nothing for it, he had to have a new saddle!

As a rider who has ridden many different horses, I have ridden on many of the leading brands and I had a fair idea of what I like and what I really can’t stand to ride on. I trawled the internet, looking for something that would suit Wonderboy’s wide back and my need for support but a close, narrow feel. I had saddlers out to fit him, I tried saddles from the internet, wasting time while my chiropractor moaned at me that his saddle was damaging his muscles.

Then, one fortunate day, I came across Bliss of London saddles! I emailed Nikki for information, as it seemed to me that the only way forward would be a custom-made saddle as most modern saddles have the same width to the back of the tree regardless of the front measurement. Nikki reassured me that it should be possible to match my requirements with the horse’s comfort. She came out to me with all the Bliss dressage models in a variety of sizes. We spent a long time, seeing which tree shapes fitted Wondeboy best and which blocks, leathers and seats worked for me. It was the Paramour dressage, covered in nubuck, that seemed to be the best so I rode Wonderboy in that for the rest of his work session that day – he did the most enormous spook/ handstand combo and neither me nor the saddle moved an inch – SOLD! I was so comfortable and balanced that I forgot about the saddle and just rode, proof that it was perfect for me.

Back in the yard, Nikki took great pains to measure Wonderboy carefully so that the perfect tree could be used for his saddle, noting what gussets and panel shapes he would want, whether serge or leather covering would suit his back better. Then, over a cup of coffee we worked out the personalised shape to the thigh blocks for me and some of the finishing touches. Nikki and I agreed on a Maple leaf behind my leg and a fine red line around the seat and back of the cantle.

A couple of weeks later, and my saddle arrived. It is beautiful! Nikki came out and checked the fit, which was spot on. The nubuck covering gives great security and meant that it did not need that awkward breaking-in period. I have been using that saddle since April this year, I have been around Europe competing with it and it has been fantastic. I am sure it has played a massive part in our great results – Wonderboy and I are currently 9^th in the FEI World Rankings!

In fact, my saddle has been such a success that I bought a second one, custom-made to fit my up-and-coming horse, Double Agent. She has improved so much since having her own saddle; greater freedom of movement and willingness to work.

I whole-heartedly recommend Bliss of London saddles for their wonderful attention to detail, both in the fit for horse and rider and the aesthetics. One of life’s strange things is that when a saddle fits this well, you don’t notice it- you just ride the horse and feel the harmony.    

A Saddlery Tradition Meets The Next Generation Of Designers

We frequently receive requests and orders for commissioned saddles and accessories that are out of the ordinary, and of course we are only too pleased to work with people who have a dream of creating their own unique items.  This is why we were delighted to be contacted in February this year by Ellie Walton who needed a little Bliss help with an amazing challenge that she had set herself.

 “I am a 3rd year textiles student of Nottingham Trent University who specialises in screen printing. Furthermore, when not doing uni work I am a keen horse rider and owner, which is where the theme of my final year project has originated from.”

“Concept for final project/degree show:

I am planning to create a variety of screen printed patterns inspired by the use of horses within our society and how they have been affected by urbanisation. I really want to capture the strength and great power of the horse as well as their elegance and grace through a mixture of repeat and placement patterns. The journey through my collection will start very nostalgic and subtle, reflecting my childhood with horses, and then it will progress into more dynamic and dramatic motifs/patterns as horses merge into urban life and the structure of buildings interact with the horses, reflecting their strength.”

“My initial idea is to put a piece or hand printed leather or fabric back into a seat of an old saddle I have, so I am placing my final prints back into my inspirational source. I wanted my fabric to stand out and be displayed I an inventive way when I take my work to degree shows in the summer.

I am at the beginning of my project at the moment, so I am at the initial drawing stage. The deadline for my project is the 22nd May and my degree shows are through June. I am also very keen to exhibit my work at the new designers show in London. I am aware that this is a small time frame and that your saddles are in high demand and you are very busy, so i am willing to work around you and try a make a final print as soon as possible for my deadlines to be met”.

How could we resist helping out from such a heart felt and passionate plea?

These were some of the initial sketch ideas which were produced on fabric, in order to test the colours, the clear areas of the fabric were burnt out to create transparent image.

Initially Ellie wanted to use her own designs on a full seat of an old Bliss saddle.  However it was decided that it would be best if Bliss did the printing as well as the re-seating.   Ellie advised  us “I have spoken to my print technician and I think for a more professional finish I feel I would like you to help me with the leather printing instead of printing them myself as I think the pigment I would use would crack when stretched to fit the” saddle” .

Printing onto leather is not new to us at Bliss and has become quite popular recently as we have used various nations flags on the back cantle pieces of our saddles, however using this technique over a full seat was something very different and certainly needed testing.

With a May deadline to meet and designs to be finalised and testing to be done, Ellie put pen to paper and set about producing some fabulous designs, one of which was chosen and we converted to print as our trial seat. Unfortunately it was soon obvious that the scale and complexity of this initial design was not going to work on a saddle seat.

Armed with the knowledge that she had learned from version 1 Ellie got about redesigning a new seat design.

Our  primary concern had always been whether the image would stretch and distort when ‘blocked’ over the seat so n order to test this thoroughly it required a new tree to be strained, foamed and blocked using the initial print this gave Ellie 2 weeks to put a new design together, but wow, it was worth it. 

We were much happier with the repeat in this design as it gave us more scope to centralise key aspects on the seat when blocking. The skill involved in setting a seat is being able to take a flat piece of leather and mould it over a complicated 3 dimensional object in a way that the leather is stretched sufficiently enough to remove all creases. 

This is a task in itself but when presented with a symmetrical design, avoiding unevenness was off the essence. We were thrilled with the final results and even managed to match up the new leather on the skirts to the old original saddle leather.

Last week Ellie came in to collect her finished project and we also got the chance to see some of her other incredible pieces of textiles, wallpapers and scarves just some, for her show.

Ellie “I took my saddle in today and people are amazed by it! I'm very proud!”