DIARY OF A DERRIERE

Putting Derrieres Through Training... #dareyourderrieres

We catch up with Alice Newling on the final days of training before her epic Mongol Derby experience and learn how those Derrieres are holding up...

So, we are into the final few days of training and kit testing. It is slowly dawning on me that perhaps I have done far from enough training but realistically…how can you train for this?!

With much excitement my Derrieres arrived in the post last week. They were put to the test immediately with a full kit try out and I am proud to announce my behind felt thoroughly comfortable! However, I decided that an hour long hack was perhaps not a comprehensive enough test seeing as we will be riding for up to 12 hours a day. They were duly swapped for my cycling shorts and I went on a 35 mile cycle –surely this would uncover any weaknesses? However, I (and my bottom) are even more pleased and pleasantly surprised to report that they stood up to the test. Phew! This is at least one piece of kit which I no longer have to worry about.

The rest of my time has been spent wracking my brains and looking at lists to see what I have got and more importantly have forgotten. We are limited to 5kg of kit which we are allowed to carry throughout the race which is actually not all that much when you factor in vital things such as sleeping bag, GPS and a fairly substantial first aid kit. I am also trying to find enough allowance to pack a Go-pro as it is such a once in a lifetime experience it would be crazy not to try and document it, no matter how low the lows might be.

Back to the packing and the next update may well be from a very nervous Derbyist in Ulaanbaatar!

Derriere Equestrian Take Karin Trelsmo to meet Carl Hester MBE at his beautiful yard in Gloucestershire UK

Karin Trelsmo's Diary of Winning Derriere Equestrian Demo Day with

 Carl Hester MBE 

GB Olympic Team Member and Trainer Rio 2016

1st April 2016

Karin Trelsmo

"Hope I can win a Ticket to the dressage king Carl Hesters demo morning even if I'm is living in Sweden!!! It would be a dream come true!!!"

24th April 2016

"Dear Karin,

I write with AMAZING News! We have selected your entry as one of our 2 winners for the Carl Hester Demonstration Morning Competition Winners Congratulations.

We plan to announce the news in the morning via our social media channels and wanted to let you know early under complete discretion! So please keep this news private until we announce the winners tomorrow morning.

We will be giving Carl our winners names tomorrow and his team will let us know of the date for your Demonstration morning. So final details will follow in due course.

If your circumstances have changed in any way and you are unable to accept the prize, please do let us know prior to announcing the press news.

It will be an amazing day and we very much look forward to meeting with you, taking some fabulous pictures and being a part of something really very special.

Congratulations once again and look forward to hearing from you.

With my very best wishes

Claire Galer"

25th April 2016

"YIPPIE!!!!

I will plan a trip as soon as I know the date!

Thanks a lot! I'm so happy!!!

karin"

7th June 2016

"Dear Claire,

Counting days :-)

Still hardly believe this is true! I'm so happy.

See you soon!

Best regards Karin"

27th June 2016

"Back in the office smiling when thinking about the clinic and yard visit last week!

It truly was a fantastic day! 

Starting with the possibility to watch Carl riding on the outdoor arena - he sure makes it look easy! The clinic was great!!! Showing horses of different ages and abilities was the best way Carl could have chosen for showing his system! A system built on knowledge, respect and love to the horse! 

A system that brings the very best out of any horse! Amazing! I do love the strong backs every horse had developed, their harmony and trust to their riders, the responsiveness to the aids, the self carriage and proud-ness they showed!

I think most of us, present at the clinic, highest wish is to become a better rider and listening to Carl explaining and watching Charlotte, Amy and the lovely American Rider was very very inspiring! 

I'm glad to hear you did like the little "dalahäst" - a very old swedish breed :-)

The panties was perfect but the breeches was way to big! Did I get Carl's trousers? It was male size 28.... :-) 

OOPS We had a muddle on Breeches & now Karin has the correct size in female style on their way for the perfect Derriere fit & finish, not Carl's Breeches!!

I add some pictures for you to choose from, a serious one from a competition and some "happy riding"  from the yard my horse is stabled taken by a friend a month ago.

And once again - thanks a lot!

Karin"

Such a fantastic event, so much respect and adoration and learning achieved from both of our winners. An enormous THANK YOU to Carl for making this happen, for making such a difference to both these ladies lives and their riding futures.

Best wishesTeam Derriere Equestrian

www.derriereequestrian.com 

Diary of a Derriere #dareyourderriere

As part of our #dareyourderriere campaign we will be testing the performance of our Derrieres in the ULTIMATE CHALLENGE- The Mongol Derby. Follow our Diary of a Derriere, written by Alice Newling to find out their progress...

Mongol Derby Beginnings
By Alice Newling

Nelson & Alice in their prime flying around Gatcombe Intermediate Championships in 2010. 

Last week, both looking a lot less athletic but they do have a backpack full of very heavy, useless items.

Unlike many others taking part, the Mongol Derby has not always been something that has been on my radar. I heard about it briefly a few years ago when flicking through Horse and Hound but never thought anything more. My crave for an adrenaline rush was more than fulfilled as I evented to Advanced Level  full time and rode out racehorses in the mornings – I didn’t feel the need for anything more! However, at 25 I left for University and suddenly life became rather tamer. Sure the lay-ins were a treat and University sports and drinking was fun, but it wasn’t exciting. One day, whilst enjoying the 5 months summer holidays, I came across an advert for the Mongol Derby on Facebook, thought it looked fun so entered never thinking I’d get chosen. Turns out probably not all that many people enter! After a quick phone interview I was in and suddenly it dawned on me quite what I had got myself in to.

The initial problem was breaking the news to my parents, they had accepted the eventing thing but I wasn’t sure quite how well this one would go down! I sneakily sent them an email from India, where I was at the time, updating them on our travels and added a link at the bottom saying I’d been accepted into this event in hope that they wouldn’t know how to open it. THEY DIDN’T‼! I also had some issues of funding the trip. I’d worked all summer and sometimes through term time but this wasn’t enough, thus student loan was to be heavily relied on. Naturally, this ran out fairly quickly hence most items I have acquired for the race have been form eBay –  all tried and tested which is quite a bonus in my mind.

In the meantime some form of training had to be started. I was at Uni in Kingston-Upon-Thames and so unless I wanted to spend £80 on an hours hack around Richmond Park, riding wasn’t going to be an option. The gym was joined and I started some weight and cardio training alongside playing hockey twice a week. I started off going to the gym around 3 times a week but this has fluctuated massively from September to July (sometimes 5 sometimes 0.) I have just finished my Third Year and so naturally the work load increased and due to my course being Primary Education, many months were spent in school which drastically reduced both time and energy – children are incredibly energy sapping! I also tried biking to increase my leg strength and mix up the regime as I found it all a little monotonous. This met an emotional end when my bike, my pride and joy for three years, got stolen. Thank god for insurance.

Whenever I have had the chance to travel back to Norfolk to ride I have. We have one horse left at home, Nelson. He was my old Advanced Eventer who should have been sold but was just way too dreamy and when anyone came to try him mum would make up a reason why they were not worthy of having them. Needless to say, he retired as a happy hacker at the grand old age of 12 with no recent injuries and very low leg mileage, he has loved every moment since. Apart from being quite hairy he has no other similarities to Mongol Horses. He stands about 4 Hands higher, is like an armchair to ride and you are in total control, but any riding is good riding right?!

I have two main fears for the Derby. The first being getting lost (I have yet to turn on my GPS and work out how to use it.) The second being aching and soreness. Pre 2013 I was what I would describe as ‘riding fit’, riding a minimum of 6/7 horses a day quite happily. This number has regressed HUGELY. I am well aware of what having a sore bum feels like have regularly forgotten to wear my cycling shorts when going for a bike ride. Would not recommend; it takes a while to recover. This prompted some home research into the possibility of a cycling short equivalent for riding and there seemed to only be one option, Derriere Equestrian. If they’re good enough for Carl Hester then they’re good enough for me! I am super excited to try them out and having spoken to a past Mongol Derby rider it seems comfort is key. In the meantime I will carry on loading my backpack up with the heaviest items I can find around the house (past items have included full bottles of water, paper weights and bike D-locks) and dragging Nelson out for some rides along with a bit of cycling and a lot of worrying. I look forward to reporting the improvements that a pair of Derrieres will make in my next blog!

Al x

P.S My parents eventually found out what the Mongol Derby was, their reactions were mixed.

Derriere Equestrian Take Rachel Clarkson to Carl Hesters ~ Dressage Dreams

Dressage Dreams

On Tuesday 22^nd of June, I sat at A at in an indoor arena in Gloucestershire watching Charlotte Dujardin riding young horses, trotting inches past my feet, whilst Carl Hester commentated and advised on their methods of training.  

I had been lucky enough to have won a trip to a demo courtesy of Claire Galer from Derriere Equestrian.  With thanks to Claire for the opportunity, and my supportive husband, Haydon, who took over childcare duties, they enabled me to “make it happen”.

Carl, Charlotte, Amy Woodhead and an American rider provided the 50 strong invited audience of dressage enthusiasts with a packed 2 and a half hour demo, taking us up through 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 year olds, from just backed and turned away to grand prix.  I drank in the beauty of these animals, and avidly watched the rider’s body, leg and arm positions to take to my own riding, whilst listening intently to Carl’s advice.  Carl and Charlotte’s dogs provided added entertainment and humour that only a pack of friendly dogs can provide.  

Alan Davies, Carl’s international groom, walked a black horse into the arena; the horse turned his head and I realised I was in the presence of the great Valegro with that beautiful concave head, white striped face and expressive eyes.

Later, Alan brought in Uthopia - a pleasure to see him still at Carl’s after the recent bankruptcy sale debacle. 

With the demo complete, Carl casually asked if anybody would be interested in a yard tour!  Errr, let me think...oh, go on then!  The chance to see Carl’s yard and meet his horses, seen many times on Horse and Country TV, was a real high point of the visit.

 I felt humbled to meet, stroke and have my hands nuzzled by Valegro; the horse that has achieved so much – European Champion, Olympic  Champion and World Champion to name but a few!   However, seeing him in his stable, his everyday environment, I was struck by the fact that he is a horse, just like any other horse. Indeed, stroking him made me think that I could be stroking my beloved Dudley, but his kind training, ability and prowess in the arena, the dressage stage, enable him to grow in stature that in turn grows his reputation.  He has become an icon and I was awestruck. 

I also met Nip Tuck, towering over us all in his 18 hands.  Being affectionate, he had a nibble at my sleeve.

These two horses have to go to Rio with Charlotte and Carl respectively on board.  I eagerly wait to hear who has been selected.   

Meeting Carl again, to whom I’d introduced myself to the previous week at Bolesworth, I was delighted that he remembered me and we talked about the mud, how friendly everyone there was, and what a great time we’d had.  Carl presented me with my fabulous goodies from the generous Derriere Equestrian and photos were taken.  Much has been said about Carl’s genuine personality and I can only agree.  He is a fabulous teacher, both of horses and people.

Many thanks to Claire Galer, Carl Hester, Charlotte Dujardin and all of Carl’s team – I had a wonderful time!  Dressage has taken me to places that I dream of.  Now I dream of more…

On my return home, I tried my new Derriere pants, and was so impressed by their comfort that I won’t be riding without them ever again! 

Rachel Clarkson   27.06.16

What is Perfect?

What is Perfect?

 

Social media is absolutely full of it, it oozes out of every pore like a teenager with acne. We’re either desperately for IT, or actively seeking to subvert IT. But, that’s beside the point, by engaging into dialogue with IT, we are ultimately all guilty (myself included) in seeking to define the simply undefinable, and as such we are all responsible for making ourselves feel frankly somewhat less than perfect.

So take a deep breath guys and swallow this bitter pill, because there is no perfect bottom, there is no perfect bosom, and if there was, well we’d find a flaw. 

Why? Not because we’re bitches but because it’s subjective: what is one person’s blue might be another person’s green. We all see things differently and we should actively celebrate the differences, these little quirks of nature, and not try to find one size to fit all.

Here at Derriere Equestrian we do just that. Take a look at our Derriere of The Year Campaign, a group of gorgeous men and women, all different shapes and sizes, all united in being extremely talented, vivacious and full of confidence. It is the personality that bubbles behind their physiques that makes them Derriere Equestrian’s standard of perfection.

Everyone may have different ideas about what is perfect but what we can unite ourselves with, is that which can enhance our performance, our comfort, our ambitions. We sell pants, but we don’t just sell pants, we sell a tool to increase a riders potential, we sell something that has been extensively researched to suit EVERY body, EVERY rider. 

Who can argue with the statistics? In a very short space of time we have gained the backing of Carl Hester MBE, Dressage Olympic Gold Medal Winner in 2012, together with many international top names all over the globe in: Eventing, Endurance, Dressage, Show Jumping and Polo.  We have been awarded Silver at the SPOGA Innovations Awards 2014, finalist in 2015 BETA Business Awards and Winner of the FEDEX Small Business award 2016. We export to over 27 countries and we are stocked in 126 retailers all over the world.

We don’t buy into the idea of perfection, we make our own ‘perfect’, we’re unique and we play by our own rules and standards. One size does not fit all, and perfect doesn’t exist, only you, and only you matter.

Lottie Keble-Wyatt

TEAM DERRIERE
www.derriereequestrian.com 

Road to Rio - Derriere Equestrian Sponsored Rider Erin Orford

Road to Rio - Derriere Equestrian Sponsored Rider Erin Orford

The road to Rio

Derriere Equestrian sponsored rider Erin Orford is one of Britain’s most determined and inspirational dressage riders, and is waiting with baited breath to see whether the Para Games selectors will choose her for Rio later this year. There are just five GB places at the Para Games on the dressage team, and Erin has been working exceptionally hard for the past few years to earn a coveted place on the squad. She has been shortlisted, and with team selection imminent for Rio, and final selections for the Paralympic team of five focusing on results from this month’s Wellington KBIS Championships and July’s Hartpury International event, we asked Erin how she deals with the pressures of selection. “The Para Games selectors are watching our performances throughout the rest of the year too, so it's kind of ongoing,” she says pragmatically.

“I've also done a lot of work over the years with our team psychologist and the rest of my support team to have a pre-competition routine, which I try to stick to as closely as possible whether it's a qualifier or an international, so that it becomes natural,” adds the Grade Two rider, who is missing the radius bone in both arms, meaning she has shortened lower arms and only four fingers on each hand. “I'm also a bi-lateral through knee amputee, so I have no lower legs, making my seat extra important - my Derriere undies are invaluable!” Erin adds.

“A privilege”

The race for selection is in fact no race, but a long term, strategic plan to succeed in her discipline and be the best rider and horse producer that Erin can be. The dressage star was shortlisted for the London 2012 Paralympic Games with her horse Nirvana Morroko (Roko), and has also competed in able bodied contests up to Advanced Medium level. Roko is a 13 yr old KWPN gelding by Orame (part owned by Diana Barley), and is described by his owner as being quite cheeky. “He’s always in your face - he loves being fussed and would happily stand all day being pampered,” smiles Erin, who has represented England on an able-bodied team for a Home International event. “He also loves the big occasion; probably because it means he's centre of attention, and he is ruled by his stomach - a trait that he's also encouraging with my top ride, Pimms!”

Pimms (competition name Dior, owned by Annabel Whittet), is a 13 yr old Hanoverian chestnut mare by Keystone DiMaggio. “She is incredibly kind natured and is sensitive to ride, which works in my favour,” Erin adds. “She's not really that fussed about other horses, because she thinks she's far too important, but she loves a big show, especially with an audience. She has an enormous walk, and an elegant trot, which is great for my tests; but at 17hh, I think we could do with a bigger arena at times!”

Working with animals of such size and strength that ultimately choose to let you ride them and influence their way of going is a privilege for Erin. “It is incredible. They put their trust in us, and when you see some of the best horse and rider combinations, it really is a true partnership,” Erin says. “What I love about our sport is that you can be a 5ft2, slight women and you can be competitive and win against 6ft tall men, because the sport isn't just about the strength of a rider - there are so many other factors that influence your way of riding, and how the horse goes. Felling the power underneath you, and when a specific movement clicks with the horse when they've been struggling, is so satisfying,” she continues.

Part of something great

Here at Derriere, we are wishing Erin all the best for her impending events at Wellington and Hartpury, and asked her what Rio selection would mean. “The Olympics and Paralympics are the pinnacle of every athlete's career, and for me it's no different. It's been a long journey with a lot of ups and downs, not just for me but also my family and support team and sponsors, who ride the rollercoaster with me. But getting to Rio and even standing on the podium would be my thanks to them, to show them that it was all worth it, and that they could be proud of being part of something great,” she concludes generously.

We are are all ready to assist Erin's #RoadToRio packing with some extra special Derrieres.

GOOD LUCK TEAM ERIN 

www.derriereequestrian.com 

Derriere Equestrian #DOTY Model of the Year 2016

Derriere Equestrian DOTY & PHOTY 2016

PANTS: Often derogatory, colloquial term used to describe an unpleasant or irritating situation.

Not so, on this occasion.  Whilst the harsh British weather threw more rain on us and blasted icy, May winds (did I mention the British weather?) 12 brave individuals and 2 tame photographers braced themselves to become DOTY and PHOTY 2016!

Amidst the beautiful surroundings of a converted Georgian building in Gloucester the competition for Derriere of the Year and Equestrian Photographer of the Year 2016 took place.  The annual event organised by Claire Galer, MD and Founder of Derriere Equestrian, showcases the finest in equestrian under garments. Derrieres have been developed specifically for horse riders of any discipline and with a new range of sports bras to match their already popular pants and briefs, they are set to fully support riders with technology and fashion.

The 12 model hopefuls, 6 men and 6 women – although not to be ageist, I feel more comfortable referring to them as boys and girls – looked a tad nervous as they awaited their turn to descend the stairs into the judges’ lair!

Photographers Anthony and Lorna got busy snapping candid, posed, contrived and natural shots.  Each model brought a new twist to the game and was able to display the versatility of the garments to their full potential – much to the judges’ delight!  

The shy barefoot beauty of Eve was countered by Sarah and her bannister sliding entrance with killer heels and a whip!

The boys were no less impressive and with some jaw dropping displays, it was clear that the competition was as strong as the models.  Their professionalism was to be commended as they stood there in a state of near undress and answered questions from the judges about music, holidays, horses and what being crowned DOTY 2016 would mean to them.

Lunch – for judges, not models (I’ll bloat!”) was followed by more photos and informal chat with the judges, organisers and photographers.  This was closely monitored by all the team as it would be a crucial element in the decision process.  Can we work with these people?  How do they react under direction?  Does my bum look big in this? – Actually nobody said that!

It very quickly became apparent that choosing the winner was not going to be an easy task.  This group of young men and women showed such incredible support and camaraderie towards each other, such willingness to assist and work hard.  Their characters shone through and they really were an absolute pleasure to work with.

Decision time came with the provision of a lavish cream tea – which none of the judges felt they needed but somehow managed to force down – all home made by the lovely Juliet Ashcroft 

Deliberation, discussion and finally several scones later the DOTY 2016 were crowned!

Mitch Fernandez and Gabriella Rose Prior, Congratulations!  All eyes are on you! As the new “faces” of Derriere Equestrian the world eagerly awaits you! 

And like your Derrieres, we are all right behind you!

DOTY 2016 in numbers:

Judges: 6

Contestants: 300 whittled down to 12

Scones consumed: 24

Litres of baby oil applied: 5

Use of word Hot: 3,468

Use of word Fabulous: 5,000+

Follow #DOTY2016  on Twitter @DerriereEQ Facebook /derriereeq and on our website blog www.derriereequestrian.com/blog for all the latest on the gorgeous winners and for more information on Derriere Equestrian.

www.derriereequestrian.com