Top performances in dressage are made with practice, time, and the support of the best and most innovative equipment available, such as Draper Equine Therapy’s line of ceramic infused wraps, saddle pads and other products. That is why Grand Prix dressage rider and trainer Katherine Bateson-Chandler has chosen to be endorsed by Draper and to have their products give her horses an edge over the competition.
Draper’s innovative products include therapeutic horse blankets, boots, wraps and saddle pads, dog beds, mats and clothing. What makes its products special is Celliant. The technologically advanced fiber is a proprietary blend of minerals extruded into polyester fiber. Celliant encourages alleviation of pain and other negative symptoms through improvement of the body’s natural systems. Celliant increases tissue oxygen levels, which have been shown to increase performance, relieve pain and improve muscle recovery. For high-level dressage riders, this means better scores and happier horses.
Bateson-Chandler and her horses are already demonstrating their prowess in the arena, as she and Wellnetta, an 11-year-old KWPN mare, were invited to compete at the 2014 U.S. Dressage Festival of Champions presented by the Dutta Corp.
During the Kentucky Dressage Association CDI in May, she and Wellnetta finished second in the CDI3* FEI Grand Prix Open and also pulled a top finish with a rather enthusiastic Grand Prix Freestyle.
“I’ve only had her for ten months, so it has been a quick getting-to-know-you time,” Bateson-Chandler said. “We’ve shown Grand Prix three times, getting qualified for the USEF Dressage National Championships.”
Also in Kentucky, Bateson-Chandler and Jane Forbes Clark’s Alcazar proved they are heading in the right direction by winning both FEI Intermediate I-2 classes, scoring a 73.6 percent the second day to clinch the FEI High Score for the show. “I was really pleased with both horses in Kentucky,” she said. “Wellnetta has a wonderful character and is a total overachiever, unique in the fact that she comes down centerline and tries twice as hard as she does in the warm up, a fantastic feeling.”
Bateson-Chandler credits the Draper products with helping keep her and her horses in top form. “The Draper products are essential to keeping my horses at the top of their game,” she said. “To compete on this level, you have to be using the best equipment and products out there, and I couldn’t be happier to team up with Draper.”
Born in Britain, Bateson-Chandler trains with Carl Hester in England. She became an American citizen and is based in Wellington. She has ridden for owner Jane Forbes Clark for nine years, taking over from Robert Dover, for whom she was an assistant trainer for several years. “I know how lucky I am, and thank Jane every day,” Bateson-Chandler said.
For more information, visit www.facebook.com/katherine.bateson.
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