Wellington Offers The Perfect Home For Quality Saddle Fitter Debbie Witty
When Debbie Witty first visited Wellington 10 years ago, she immediately felt at home with its charming atmosphere and sense of community.
Although she originally planned on only residing in the equestrian hub for the winter seasons, seven years later, she officially moved her family from Ithaca, N.Y., to become year-round Floridians.
An avid dressage rider, Witty fell in love with all that Wellington has to offer in addition to the abundance of equestrian networking opportunities at the highest levels of the sport. From the Olympic sports of dressage and show jumping to the thrilling game of polo, Witty had found the ideal location to further establish her company, Trilogy Performance Saddlery.
“When I began riding, I noticed that the expectation from riders was to swing their leg over a saddle, sit on their horse and everything go perfectly,” Witty said. “I quickly recognized that many riders were struggling with their performances due to incorrect saddle fit for themselves and for their horse. Personally, I remember taking a lunge lesson in a saddle that was so uncomfortable and left me sore, and the trainer said, ‘Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it.’ I decided at that moment the saddle-fitting industry needed to be revamped.”
After embarking on her entrepreneurial journey, with stories of rider discomfort and saddle shopping nightmares inspiring and motivating her, Witty dedicated her life to developing a line of saddles that would provide comfort for both the horse and rider.
“I saw the opportunity for change, and I enveloped everything I had personally experienced and witnessed with fellow riders into designing my own saddle line,” Witty said.
Early in her career, she gained extensive knowledge and expertise on equine biomechanics from her 10-year tenure at the Cornell Veterinary College. Thus, the Trilogy Performance Saddlery design process became ingrained with scientific studies.
Witty also spent a great deal of time in England learning from and becoming certified by the prestigious Society of Master Saddlers.
“It was my desire to show people that I was really passionate about the correct fit of the saddle,” Witty said. “I am always hungry for information and a thorough education. During my time with the Society of Master Saddlers in England, I was among the first group of international students to be accepted as a qualified fitter, while more than 50 percent of the participants failed. It showed me how, as an industry in the United States, we needed to step up our game. The qualifications proved that I was knowledgeable, and I wanted to share my expertise with my potential clients and the equestrian community.”
Over the years, Witty’s Trilogy Performance Saddlery has developed into one of the top saddle manufacturing companies in the United States. The firm is dedicated to achieving a greater level of performance and awareness for horse and rider through education, service and design. From observing riders’ performance while training and showing to listening carefully to their feedback, Trilogy Performance Saddlery has successfully fit many Olympic champions, such as Debbie McDonald, as well as amateurs and young riders.
“Our saddle collection fits virtually every body type. Usually, if someone comes in, they’ll always find something that is comfortable for them,” Witty said. “We also work hard at making the saddle user friendly for the horse. Our design features a nice wide flat panel, a wide gullet and they’re all wool flocked so they’re totally adjustable. I always stress to everyone that adjustability is the most important element, no matter what saddle you’re looking at, because as the horse develops in his body, the saddle must change along with him. However, you must have a highly skilled technician adjust the wool flocking correctly to ensure proper fit.”
Trilogy Performance Saddlery offers customers a distinct advantage over other saddle competitors, not only in the quality of its products, but also in providing access to a vast network of specially trained saddle fitters, who have all passed an extensive education program developed by Witty.
Located across the United States, Trilogy Performance Saddlery’s fitters specialize in hand fitting, flocking and providing ongoing client support. Witty requires that every member of the saddle fitting team participate in continual educational sessions, as well as benefit from ongoing training in new techniques and methods of evaluation.
“One of the things I am most proud of is our saddle fitting training for our consultants,” Witty said. “They’re talented, trained technicians. They’re professionals, but they all continue to come back for more education, and many of my training sessions take place in Wellington.”
The equestrian community in Wellington has accepted Witty as one of the top saddle experts in the industry, and she has a packed schedule during the winter season. Being in the center of Wellington allows her to spend time at the horse shows, where she can continue to grow her connections and share her knowledge, while also personally meeting with clients at their barns for fittings.
“I love the atmosphere of Wellington,” Witty said. “It’s beautiful, clean and the sense of community is what sets it apart. I love being a part of something as special as Wellington.”
To learn more about Trilogy Performance Saddlery, visit www.saddlefit.com.
