Wellington, FL (February 23, 2015) – We’ve all heard the phrase, “dress to impress.” First impressions are vital in situations where a judgment must be made in a short amount of time. Equestrian Lauren Sammis compares the short amount of time a dressage rider has in the ring to a job interview. “It’s like going to a job interview on Wall Street. You should dress for the job you want,” Sammis explains. “As a dressage rider, you train all year long for seven minutes in the show ring— so you should dress for those seven minutes.”
Sammis and her mount, Whitman (owned by Jane Suwalsky), did just that at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival, where she was presented with the World Equestrian Brands Tack Matters award. The award is presented by World Equestrian Brands— the U. S. distributor of world-class, high-performance products including the popular brands Amerigo, Vespucci, E. A. Mattes, and Equilibrium— in recognition of her use of effective and attractive tack in the show ring. The award includes a piece of top-quality tack from one of World Equestrian Brands’ four brands. Sammis and Whitman were awarded with a leather Vespucci girth to congratulate their exceptional appearance as they rode down centerline.
Sammis’s assistant and groomer, Nicole VanderVliet, says that first impressions of appearance are important in the ring, but taking the time to correctly groom and tack a horse make it feel more comfortable, as well. “When you take good care of the horse, they go out there and they feel better. Taking your time currying helps to warm up their muscles, ” said VanderVliet, “When you go out looking good, you feel really good and I think you ride well then.”
Sammis and Whitman showed in the Grand Prix this weekend, marking only the fourth time competing in the event for the KWPN gelding. “He’s brand new at it,” said Sammis, “This year is about going in and getting the pattern and getting him used to the Grand Prix arena.” Sammis is concentrating on building up consistency with Whitman in the ring before working on more detailed training.
“He shows a lot of things that he has brilliance in, but it’s really about getting that consistency. So it’s going in and getting that consistency through the tests and then adding points where he can really be brilliant in the future,” said Sammis.
World Equestrian Brands is committed to providing trusted, quality brands for riders’ tack uses. “A stylish dressage performance has to be a complete package. To perform at the highest levels, horses and riders need the equipment that can provide a technical advantage,” said the CEO of World Equestrian Brands, Robin Moore. World Equestrian Brands is known for the great attention it pays to customers’ needs. The company hires customer service representatives who are also riders that have had the experiences and know-how to accurately assist customers.
Photo: Lauren Sammis (right) on Whitman accepts the World Equestrian Brands Tack Matters Award with her assistant Nicole VanderVliet (left)
