Wellington, Florida (February 19, 2018) — Flying Changes Equestrian Clothing, Official Supplier to Team Great Britain at the 2016 Olympic Games, is excited to announce a new sponsorship on this “side of the pond†with US Grand Prix dressage riders, Dr. Cesar Parra and Katie Riley of GK Horses, who will be riding down their center lines this season in Flying Changes Bespoke Dressage coats and shadbellys.
“We’re very excited. We love the jackets and their amazing fit,†Dr. Parra and Riley told Flying Changes Bespoke Jackets international sales director, Louisa-Marcelle Eadie. “I’ve owned many ‘fancy brand’ jackets,†Dr. Parra continued, “and these just feel better than any of them.â€
That “feel†is the brainchild of professional international dressage rider and British Dressage judge Sarah Cheetham, who in 2012 responded to a revision in the BD dress code by tailoring her own tailcoat, using her own choice of fabrics. While representing Great Britain at the Hartbury CDI that same year, Cheetham’s tailcoat ignited a flurry of interest and the result, as they say, “is history.†By 2016, Flying Changes was clothing every top British rider across every discipline, from para-equestrian to eventing.
“What sets Flying Changes Bespoke apparel apart,†says Eadie, “is technical fabric that has stretch, breathability and is still machine washable. You can’t tailor on a ‘soft shell’ fabric, which is where our jackets come in. The difference with the Flying Changes brand is that it allows the kind of tailored fit to a jacket that can take its wearer from the show ring and into an office boardroom. “At the same time, these designs allow you to move with your horse, while holding you ‘in,’ and encouraging you to keep your posture correct, your shoulders back, and your tummy in.†For Flying Changes, it’s the perfect fit with both top-scoring riders.
Dr. Parra was among Colombia’s leading international riders before going on to represent the USA on its Team Gold medal-winning 2011 Pan American Games dressage squad and was the highest-placed (Individual Silver) American at the 2013 Nations Cup. In 2017, he qualified and competed Don Cesar in the 2017 Longines FEI World Breeding Championships Seven Year-Old division, and rode Fashion Designer OLD to the Markel/USEF Developing Grand Prix Dressage National title and Oldenburg Breeders Horse Society Award.
Katie Riley has been riding with Dr. Parra since 2000, and is both an accomplished coach and Grand Prix rider in her own right, having earned USDF bronze, silver and gold medals. She has qualified and competed in multiple US National Championships, including placing 3rd in the Markel/USEF Developing Grand Prix Dressage Championships two years in a row and finishing 3rd in the five year old division in 2015.
“Flying Changes has been very, very generous in its support,†Dr. Parra said, thanking the Wiltshire, Great Britain based company for its sponsorship. “Although I’m still working on how I can slip into that wonderful British accent when I put on my jacket,†he joked. To see more follow this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6CAd08tEX0
Design your own color-coordinated garment, customize a standard design, and browse the new Flying Changes casual collection of jackets, coats and shirts at www.flying-changes.co.uk. Need help? Just email sales@flying-changes.com or call 44(0)1392 340 353.