Raleigh, NC (October 2, 2015) —World Equestrian Brands— the United States distributer of the top tack and equipment brands Equilibrium, E. A. Mattes, Vespucci, and Amerigo— travels to prestigious horse shows across the country to commend competitors for using functional tack combined with attractive, correct presentation. The company is known for giving out great prizes for competitors' efforts. At the 2015 Sport Horse National Arabian and Half Arabian Championship Horse Show, Judith Von Duyke won not only two championship classes, but also the World Equestrian Brands Tack Matters Award.
Von Duyke secured the win in the Carriage Pleasure Driving Turnout class among a field of nine competitors with Canadian Justina (Canadian Love - HL Justaglitter, The Chief Justice), a seventeen-year-old Arabian mare owned and trained by her daughter, Sarah Vas of Winfield Farm & Forge of Grafton, Ohio. Justina was broke to drive as a nine-year-old and she’s secured many national titles with Vas at the reins as well as with Winfield Farm's assistant trainer, Stephanie Brown. Although a life-long horsewoman, Von Duyke has only been driving intermittently since April of this year. Von Duyke only had about four solid months of carriage instruction under her daughter’s tutelage when she drove through the in gate at the Arabian Sport Horse Nationals.
Von Duyke was happy to have remembered her training as she entered the arena. “I was most worried about making mistakes, but all of the safety instruction and hours of practice culminated in my not only doing well in my classes, but also enjoying the experience,” she said.
Although Von Duyke didn't start riding until she was in her teens, as a child she loved to pet the milkman's horse in front of her home. Finally, at the age of 27, she was able to own her first horse.
“Actually it was a pony,” she laughed. “From there, I have been involved in breeding, riding, horse show announcing, competing, and enjoying the ‘ride’ as I experience the horse world with my daughter, Sarah, as she pursues her equestrian career.”
Von Duyke claimed the championship in both classes she and Justina entered, the Carriage Pleasure Driving Turnout class and the Carriage Pleasure Working class, where she was first out of a field of twelve competitors. Having the best tack when competing is as important to Von Duyke as it is to World Equestrian Brands. The judges and show committee at Arabian Sport Horse Nationals noticed Von Duyke and Justina’s impeccable presentation and quality tack, and chose the pair to receive the World Equestrian Brands Tack Matters Award. Von Duyke’s trainer and daughter agreed that a well-fitted saddle is important to success.
Vas pointed out that Arabians are known for being difficult to fit saddles to, based on their compact rib cages, short coupling, and wide shoulders. Vas has used E.A. Mattes pads (offered by World Equestrian Brands) to help her saddles fit correctly with great results, saying that they are well crafted and easy to care for.
World Equestrian Brands is a leading U.S. distributor of world-class, high performance tack and products. Winners of the World Equestrian Brands Tack Matters Award, chosen by show officials and USEF judges for superior attention to the detail of the competitors’ tack, are presented with an item from one of the popular brands World Equestrian Brands carries— Amerigo, Vespucci, E. A. Mattes, or Equilibrium— as well as a neck ribbon.
World Equestrian Brands is happy to recognize Von Duyke’s dedication to topquality tack.
Photo: Judith Von Duyke and Canadian Justina won several Carriage classes at the 2015 Sport Horse National Arabian and Half Arabian Championship Horse Show (photo courtesy of Don Stine Equine Sports Photography)
