Saddle Review: Equipe Synergy

SADDLE REVIEW

Equipe Synergy

With a narrow twist, rear block, monoflap and forward seat, this beautifully crafted saddle is built for close contact.

When Lambourne Park Couperin (Connor) was being retrained he had been ridden in an Equipe Synergy, and when Deb Seymour bought him she wanted the same brand of saddle.

Deb, who purchased the OTT for her daughter Beth Dunn, recalls that it had suited the chestnut perfectly, so there was no reason to search for a different size or style.

Twelve-year-old Connor was retired at nine after winning a few races in NSW and Victoria. By Ne Coupez Pas (USA) out of Tendue (Aus), he then went to Jenni Hodgins, was given the Lambourne Park prefix and schooled as an eventer. “Jenni did a really good job,” says Deb, “my daughter’s been competing on him and loving every moment.”

Beth had her first pony when she was seven, riding in Pony Club and interschools events. She graduated to one of her mother’s OTTs and then to a Welsh Cob. Connor has been with her for eight months and the combination is being trained by show jumper Sarah Dreverman, eventer Merran Wallis, and by Danni Wallis in dressage.

These lessons are proving worthwhile. Recently Beth and her gelding placed third in a Thoroughbred Sport Horse jumping class at the NSW Country Championships held in Equestrian Park, Canberra. And they didn’t disgrace themselves at the prestigious International 3DE at SIEC, where they competed in the EVA80-J and coped well with the atmosphere and conditions. Depending upon how many events she can get to, Beth is aiming to go 1* by the end of this year.

Her mother, who used to show jump, helps maintain Connor’s fitness by riding him while Beth’s in school at Jindabyne’s Snowy Mountains Grammar. The family moved to the region from the Mornington Peninsula three years ago and are now based at Springwell Performance Horses in Cooma. “We’re in a heritage homestead on fifty acres,” explains Deb, who was once a major crime detective in Victoria. She has now retired from policing and is happy running the farm and managing the animals. What her daughter wants to do when she leaves school remains a mystery even Deb can’t solve: “She wanted to be a whale vet when she was very young, but she’s now thinking of studying health science or sports medicine – it changes day by day.”

What is not going to change is the suitability of the Equipe Synergy. “It’s a great fit and Beth loves riding in it. I’d been looking to buy a new one but when this came up on The Saddle Hub, which I’d found out about on Facebook, I went for it. Dealing with the staff was pleasant and easy, and the follow-up was great.”

The Saddle Hub has a wide variety of top quality second-hand saddles, so why wait? All saddles come with a two-week trial, finance options, and a courier to your door. Terms and conditions apply.