Custom Saddlery, makers of handcrafted custom-fit dressage, jumping and event saddles, is proud to announce they are sponsoring dressage rider Caroline Roffman. Only 21 years old, Roffman made the transition to the professional ranks and proved she has what it takes to compete in the big leagues when she won the Five-Year-Old Championship at the Markel/USEF National Young Horse Championship on her Hanoverian gelding Bon Chance.

While talent, hard work and dedication were all part of Roffman’s winning ride, her victory also included riding to the championship in a dressage saddle custom made for Bon Chance by Custom Saddlery. “I got my saddle for Bon Chance about two months before the National Young Horse Championship and I really love it,” Roffman said.

Prior to getting his saddle from Custom Saddlery, Roffman said Bon Chance had difficulties with saddle fit. “Cary Wallace, from Custom Saddlery, did an amazing job fitting Bon Chance with a saddle,” Roffman said. “Bon Chance has a very small wither and saddles used to move forward on him. His custom made saddle from Custom Saddlery has really allowed him to move forward from the shoulder without the saddle shifting forward.”

Cary Wallace, President and Qualified Saddle Fitter at Custom Saddlery, said Custom Saddlery is thrilled to be partnering with Roffman. “Caroline is a wonderful and talented rider, especially for someone who is only 21 years old, and Custom Saddlery is pleased to be part of her career. Bon Chance has had great success with the saddle we custom made for him. A lot of saddles are ‘flocked’ for the horse, but at Custom Saddlery we build the trees and focus on the fit and shape of the tree to that of the horse.”

Custom Saddlery, an official sponsor of the United States Dressage Federation, is endorsed by some of the finest riders in the world including Steffen Peters who will represent the United States at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky this fall. Custom Saddlery’s Dressage line includes Wolfgang™ brand saddles as well as the extremely unique Icon™ line of monoflap dressage saddles.

Custom Saddlery representatives strongly encourage all riders to make sure their saddles fit correctly. “Whether you ride dressage like Caroline, or any other discipline, the saddle needs to fit the horse and rider, not just the rider,” Wallace said. “All of our saddles are anatomically designed for this purpose and hand-crafted from the finest leathers. We don’t have tree sizes on our custom fitted saddles. We fit them to the horse so there is no size. Whatever the horse’s build, like Bon Chance having small withers, it dictates the tree size.”

While Roffman, who lives in Wellington and trains with Olympian Lars Petersen, has successfully made the transition into the professional arena, her Young Rider career was equally impressive. She exploded onto the scene her first year as a Young Rider and qualified and competed at NAJYRC, winning three bronze medals and the Fiona Baan Memorial Trophy for the highest placed rider throughout the competition. She competed at the Dressage Festival of Champions on Rigaudon and Accent Agiu FRH, placing third nationally in 2009 and fourth nationally in 2008. Roffman also rode Bon Chance to the Reserve Championship at the 2009 Young Horse Championships in the Four-Year-Old class.

“I  want to thank Cary Wallace and Custom Saddlery for making a saddle for Bon Chance that fits so well. After our success in the National Young Horse Championships, I have received offers to ride and show some talented upcoming horses, which is very exciting. I am really looking forward to the future,” Roffman said.

For more information on Custom Saddlery, visit their website at www.mysaddle.com. While visiting their website, find out about their All American Saddle Fit Challenge, which will award five lucky riders with a custom dressage saddle over the next year.