 Linda A. Bowlby
founder and president of The World Sidesaddle Federation, Inc.
I have ridden astride since a child. About 1970 (I would have been in my early 20's) I saw a old beat up sidesaddle under a table at a small tack shop. I was curious and bought it for about $12.00, cleaned out the hornets' nest and repaired it to a useable state so that I could try it out... and became "hooked."
I have written a number of articles and publication on the art. Also co-authored 'Sidesaddle Legacy' with Marti Friddle of North Carolina (USA).
My work with WSFI included being editor of the magazine Aside World for ten years. I have spoken to breed and show organizations across the USA, promoting the correct use of the sidesaddle.
Also I do custom sewing of horse show clothes and enjoy a variety of crafts. With my husband, Jim I raise Quarter Horses and Pygmy Goats in Ohio (USA).
Rhonda C. Watts
ISSO Judge Instructor certified to teach side saddle riding
and to judge side saddle, New Hampshire
I started side-saddle as a child, well over 30 years ago, riding in costume classes. I thought it would be fun to try more than simply walking, though--so I began experimenting (on my Connemara, who was completely blind, just to make the story even more unusual). A couple of years later I got a very difficult mare that had been badly treated. She turned out to prefer side-saddle and eventually never went any other way. The chestnut on the magazine is her son, and he's done just about everything side-saddle, from hunting to showing to western reining.
So, now I've ridden side-saddle so much that when my young mare was ready to ride, but wasn't yet mature enough for a side-saddle, people actually didn't recognize me riding astride!
I have two horses right now, the chestnut gelding and the young mare. I was there when each of them was born, and trained both of them myself. I'm able to keep them at home, on our own farm.
My "other life" is as an elementary school teacher.
Barbara M. Thelen
WSFI Regional Representative Coordinator
I've been riding aside for about 5 years, my interest began following a bad riding accident that damaged my back, pelvis and knee. I found that I couldn't ride astride for long before being in pain. So, I started looking into riding side saddle. After riding astride for 40 years, I wasn't sure if it would help me or hurt me. I had heard all the bad stories about it being hard on the rider, hard on the horse, I haven't found any truth to those stories. Once I started aside, that was the end of my pain, and my horses travel as straight and obedient as anyone riding astride. I don't show or hunt. I trail ride and do some parades for fun.
I own two horses, both American breeds, neither trot, but do a gliding gait that is smooth and easy to sit to instead. One is a Tennessee Walking Horse and the other is a Missouri Fox Trotter.
My husband and I travel a great deal with our horses to trail ride and camp out. People are frequently amazed to see me riding aside on the trails. I hear a lot of comments, from how they "Could never do that!", to "Can I try it?" One lady followed me up a very steep slippery hill one day and when we got to the top, she said: "YOU GO SIDE SADDLE LADY!" She was so excited. I think she half expected me to slide right off the back of the horse, instead of scampering up that slope.
Most of my riding is done out on the trails and our rides usually last 4 to 5 hours. Here in Maryland our terrain is quite varied, from flat and sandy to rocky and mountainous, so we get to ride a lot of different places with quite different challenges.
I've had the distinct pleasure of riding in the Presidential Inaugural Parade for President Bush along with a group of riders with ISSO.
The picture attached is from the National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade in Washington DC, it celebrates the blooming of the Cherry trees that were gifts to our government from Japan.
 Christina A. Meijer-Meijer
Chairman of the Dutch Side Saddle Association;
WSFI Regional Representative, Netherlands
I am riding about 30 years and about 17 years only side-saddle. My interest for side-saddle has been from young girl. I started side-saddle riding for fun on the saddle of my great grandmother and my real pleasure with riding side-saddle was complete.
My horse is the daughter of the horse I had for 22 year.
I am the chairman of the Dutch Side Saddle Association for 12 years. Our association is all over Holland and all our members all in the whole of Holland.
I am glad, we don't have to make our own competitions. I have managed to get side-saddle to be competing with the "normal" riders in Holland. So no more separate classes just as any other rider what makes it easier for ladies that are not able to come to our side-saddle events. You take your horse and go to any event and start in your own level. That took me 7 years but we made it.
We do have Open National Championship every year in September, where ladies from England, Belgium, France and Germany compete as well.
I am honorary member of Austria Association and a member of the WSFI, also member of the Side Saddle Association of England.
Frankly side-saddle is what keeps me ticking...
 Wendy Tidbold
WSFI Regional Representative, Australia;
Queensland Side Saddle Interest Group president;
I am a saddler and specialize in making sidesaddles also repairing old ones. I ride sidesaddle in a lot of shows where they have sidesaddle classes. I make a lot of my own costumes as well and have been promoting sidesaddle now for nearly 20 years.
The Qld Side Saddle Interest Group was born after I had rebuilt a couple of old side saddle trees that I had found and then had a lesson with Jan Colclough who was in Brisbane for the Royal Show along with 2 other enthusiastic riders.
No one seemed to know anything about side saddle riding here, so I was on my own after that, but I had been bitten by the bug so I bought all the books I could find on side saddle riding and joined the Side Saddle Association in England, and then the World Side Saddle Federation, and International Side Saddle Organization of America.
A friend and I would go to agricultural shows to compete Side Saddle, most did not have classes so we would ride in the Grand Parade and do displays.
I decided to write to shows and ask them to include side saddle classes in their programs, they were all very eager to do so, but we needed more riders, so I started having field days at my home to introduce people to the side saddle and show how easy and elegant it is. I started sending out newsletters to people that showed interest and called it the Queensland Side Saddle Interest Group.
In 1994 we went to England where I had lessons with Roger Philpot at his Pitton Hill stables and passed 3 exams. We returned again in 1999, had more lessons and learnt heaps about the side saddle from master saddlers. I also competed in their National Side Saddle Show. It was a wonderful experience, even if I did wear the wrong hat*.
I enjoy riding Side Saddle and am doing my best to keep this elegant art of riding alive, so I look forward to chatting with anyone that has the same interest, whether you have ridden in the past or want to ride in the future, or just love to talk about it all. It is a great way to ride.
Nancy "Bird" McIver
WSFI Regional Representative, HI
I have been living in the islands of Hawaii my whole life, growing up surfing and sailing. I started riding in my early twenties. I was lucky enough to live on two working ranches, and my first experiences were with cowboy riding, roundups and branding.
A little later, I became interested in equitation, and began what has become a lifelong study of dressage and hunter/jumper.
I have had many different horses over the years, and now I have two American Quarter Horses, and their offspring are by a Thoroughbred stallion, so they are Appendix-registered Quarter Horses. We all live out in the country, and my husband and I work from home. He is an appliance service technician, and I am a saddler.
I was interested in sidesaddles as a result of my profession, and wanted to understand how this works. In addition, my show mare, Coosa Lani, came to me with a rather hard mouth and a tendency to pull, and I remembered what had been said about sidesaddle women having such beautiful hands as a result of the independent seat.
I did a web search, bought my first sidesaddle, and a few years and many dollars later, I now own a Swain show saddle, a Lillian Chaudhary western sidesaddle that you see in the picture, and a Champion and Wilton sidesaddle that is in England now being lovingly rebuilt by Rob Jenkins.
I attended the RideAside! 2002 function at the Kentucky Horse Park, and it was heaven!
There is a lot of interest in sidesaddle riding here, and the more of it that people see, the more the interest grows.
 Dr. Sabina Derksen-Wiedmann
WSFI Regional Representative, Austria
I've ridden for more than 35 years (astride), mostly dressage. I started with sidesaddle about 5 years ago. It was by pure chance that I found a saddle. A lady in our stable brought one for another lady to try. I asked her, if I could borrow it as well. I always wanted to know what feeling it is to sit aside. Well, I was very pleased, bought the saddle and had it roughly renovated by an expert saddler (the saddle is over 150 years old and has not been well kept over the years). In the meantime, my little old horse died, and the saddle did not fit the new horse. So I bought a new KN (Niedersuess, Austrian, expensive, but very good, fits many horses).
There is about five competitions per year in Austria. But most ladies do not participate, especially those who live farther away.
I attach a picture of myself and my 11 year old Hannover mare Wild Angel.
 Michiko Asano
Side Saddle Association of Japan;
Honorary Secretary & SSA "B" instructor
I have a husband, two children, horse in the riding club and a dog in our house.
When I was a member of the equestrian team in my university, I met one lady on the side-saddle in the riding park. I had never seen such an elegant riding figure before. My riding, as a student rider, was far from elegance. Then, that beautiful figure never left from my mind. Luckily I could get a side-saddle fifteen years ago.
I tried to find out how to ride on side-saddle by myself. When I noticed some of my friends had interest in the side-saddle, I gathered them and tried to practice side-saddle riding together. I had a contact with the Side Saddle Association in England and got various information.
In order to get more knowledge, I went to England and had lessons with Mr. Roger Philpot in 2000 and in 2001. He made me realize how important the rider's centre of gravity on the horse is. It was very useful for my astride riding.
I trained my horse according to this, and I could get the big title of the 3 days event horsemanship in 2000 in Japan. It was the first splendid feat as a 50-year-old woman in Japan.
I participated in International Amazone in 2002. In that competition, I met many beautiful side-saddle riders. They were very kind to me and introduced me the various ways of enjoying the side-saddle. So I came more interested in this lady's beautiful side-saddle riding. Now I'm trying to make this elegant side saddle riding popular in Japan.
Debara Whitmore
WSFI Regional Representative, WA
Horse crazy all my life, I started out riding borrowed (and often untrained) horses and ponies. It was often painful for me to ride as I was born with Hereditary Benign Multiple Cartilaginons Exostoses, a hereditary bone disorder that causes the bones to form with various sized nodules on them. Those nodules interfere with muscles, ligaments, and tendons much like speed bumps interfere with cars. Now 35, I have had 8 surgeries to remove nodules that became too painful or restrictive.
I continued to ride because the joy of being with horses was simply worth dealing with the pain. Riding was the only thing that kept me active and exercising, pushing through the pain instead of backing away from it and giving up as I did with other activities. My doctors and my mother advised against it - feeling that the risk of injury was too great.
I have always known that one day I would have to quit riding. In April of 2000, I thought that day had come. I could not even go in the paddock with my 7 year old Paint mare, much less ride her. She would never purposely hurt me but there was a risk of falling under her or of not being able to get out of the way if she spooked at something, the slightest bump could cause a fall. I made arrangements to list her for sale knowing that even if I did become well enough to ride I would need a very quiet horse and she was still green. It was a heart breaking decision. I was there when she was born and had been with her every day of her life.
By the spring of 2001 I was doing better. My balance had improved somewhat and I felt I could at least help my friends when they competed with their horses. While helping my friend Linda with her equitation one afternoon, I gave into the temptation to try riding. Linda put me up on a gentle old mare she used for children's lessons and spotted me. I found my balance was good enough to keep me on the quiet horse, even at the faster gaits. Unfortunately the pain was still there. I felt very loose in the saddle. I wasn't sure I could really begin riding again after all.
The next evening, after coaching Linda in her aside riding, I thought I would give the side saddle a try. I climbed from the mounting block onto the weird looking saddle. Linda helped me get settled and I found it was more comfortable then it looked, my hip and knees didn't hurt! After a few minutes of circling both ways at a cautious walk with her spotting me, I was soon trotting freely around. I didn't try the canter for a couple of months. Although most aside riders and books say that it is an easier gait to start out on then the trot I was a little intimidated. I found that the side saddle was actually comfortable for me. In the side saddle you don't put any weight in the stirrup and that helped as well. The saddle also felt surprisingly more secure than an astride western saddle.
I plan to switch to an "off side" saddle when I can to further accommodate my hip. I still have to make some accommodations to my disabilities, I wear a helmet (as everyone should), I only ride quiet steady horses, and I mount and dismount from a tall block or a fence, preferably where my foot is even with the stirrup to avoid straining my knees. I never ever ride or even go around horses alone. I also must largely depend on others to groom, saddle my horse, and do other chores - that really bothers me but there is no other way and my friends don't seem to mind.
I am currently riding with The Crossroad's Ladies Aside Club in parades on a sensible 18 year old mare I am leasing. She has considerable parade experience and has shown a remarkable tendency to take care of me.
In March of 2002, following yet another surgery, I traveled with my friend Linda to the WSFI Convention at the Kentucky Horse Park. While at the convention we both took the exams to become certified as Instructor/Judges for side saddle. I don't teach much as it takes a lot of energy but Linda and I team teach sometimes and work well together. I am also a regional representative for WSFI and this year I was blessed to win some year end awards from WSFI. I won the High Point Washington State Rider, was the Reserve Gold Award winner (most efficient point winner - points per class), and was awarded the new Irene Benjamin Award for Handicapped Rider. I suspect Linda nominated me for that one...
My balance has improved dramatically since I started riding again. I have come out of my depression and have even run for and won a seat in the City Council - I am now starting my second term. In a very real sense, side saddle gave me back my world.
 Sandra Higgins
National Secretary of The Side Saddle Association.
I started riding side-saddle due to a trampoline accident six years ago where I broke both bones in my lower right leg and ended up with a metal plate, five screws and wire holding my leg together at the knee. After a year of recovery I wanted to start riding again but found it difficult to ride astride as gripping with the knees caused my injured knee to increase in size.
Luckily we had moved a few minutes away from our President, Mrs. Betty Skelton. As I found it hard to ride astride Mrs. Skelton didn't accept that I couldn't ride and promptly had me cantering, on a lunge line, within 15 minutes of getting on a side saddle.
I progressed and took the Grade 1 examinations and decided I would like to do more so we started looking around for a horse for me to buy. I would go and investigate possible horses and Mrs. Skelton would come along for a second viewing and decide that the horse was not elegant enough for riding side saddle. We eventually found Bakers Lamb (Larry) who was advertised very cheaply and we brought him back for a two week trial. Larry had never had a side saddle on him but we put one on him and I trotted him up the road and it felt like I was on air. I returned with a big smile on my face which matched the one on Mrs. Skelton's face, so Larry came home with me.
Larry is an ex-racehorse who has raced 28 times and also been trained as an advanced dressage horse. He has also done a one-day event and now competes side-saddle showing. I do not do a lot of jumping with him as being 18 years old now he does have a bit of wear and tear due to racing but also he likes to take a jump flat out at a gallop and thinks the jumps are all 5 feet high.
I have since moved out to the country and bought a 14 acre small farm and we now have two ex-racehorses, two dogs, chickens and four Red Ruby Devon Cows.
I was previously working in London in a very stressful job designing and programming banking software and am now very happy with a country lifestyle. I still keep my hand in working with computers as I also work part time at the local college as a computer technician.
The following picture is Larry and I competing at the 2002 National Side Saddle Show at Malvern, England.
Eveline Groiß
I was born in 1965 in Austria. I felt in love with horses when I was 10, after I saw the Black Beauty and some westerns. But riding lessons were too expensive for me these days. I started riding when I was 20. After 3 years I've got a nice stallion (3 years old - and now a gelding). Maximilian grew up in Russia (Ukraine). When he was 1 1 years old, he came to Hungary. He was a naughty mustang. After 2 years he passed the Austrian frontier... Since then we are working together.
I started riding side-saddle when my friend, Mr. Obst Manfred W. bought the side-saddle for me. He saw it again one year later after I bought my own one. That was in 1997.
But riding side-saddle alone is very boring, so I was searching for people with the same interest. In Austria no association exists, there is really nothing for side saddle riding.
I wanted to make side saddle popular and eventually found Mrs. Ruthanne H. and some other ladies riding side saddle and a little club was born. In 1997 the club was launched and soon afterwards I had to leave for personal reasons, but many of my riding friends and myself still take part in presentations. I however continue the training of Maxi.
I meet many interesting and nice people, like Mr. Roger Philpot, Mrs. Dorothee Faltejsek and Mr. Egon von Neindorf. I have also many interesting e-mails and correspondence from all around the world. I hope also in the future to stay in contact with all my friends and I am glad to hear news from the world of side-saddle riding.
 Julija Lauberte
I am from Latvia, small Baltic country. I was dreaming about horses all my life. When I was 11 years old, I started learn to ride in Riga's riding school. It was very fine and I was riding there for 2 years. But once I felt with the horse on jumping competition, since that I am afraid of jumping. Because of horses I got University degree in Agricultural Zootechnology. Since that I was working many years in Riga Zoo as riding instructor. I met very good dressage trainer, Astrida Belovzorova, which trained many USSR dressage winners, and also was USSR winner by herself many years in the past. I started to take dressage lessons. In 1999 was my first dressage competition. In 2000 I organized the first Natural Horsemanship clinic in Latvia with trainer Ellen Ofstad from Norway. Then I started to work with young horse Kapella, we did together many good things: riding in the forest, swimming in lake, taking dressage lessons and competing, a little bit driving in carriage.
Sidesaddle riding is not popular in Latvia. I learn about sidesaddle riding from Internet approx. 2 year ago. I was surprised, that this old fashioned stile of riding is so popular in some countries. I find this way of riding very elegant and useful for women. I was trying to learn more.
At May of 2002 I bought the sidesaddle and started to ride. It was very difficulty to learn how to put on this saddle, because nobody could help us. This saddle was made in Pakistan and very bad quality. But it was only one possibility to get sidesaddle, so I took it. Our saddler repaired it, how he could. But it still was not perfect, but nobody knows how to do it better. Last year I was thinking about the trip to Austria to visit sidesaddle clinic, but it was not possible for that moment. May be I will do it in future.
At March 2003 I have found at small Latvian farm a very old saddle. I was consulting - it probably was 130 years old. It is not in perfect condition and saddler said, that it is not possible to renovate it. But he will try to make a copy of this saddle from new materials. It will be hard and long work (and very expensive), but I hope, that soon I will have a really good sidesaddle.
For the moment I have not any horse, because her owner sold Kapella. Now I am riding sometimes at my friends' horses. But next year we are planing with my husband to bye two horses for us. I would wish to all sidesaddle riders good luck in this beautifull and elegant stile of riding. I hope to participate in some sidesaddle show one day!
Beatrix Visser
I started riding horses at the age of two. I've always dreamt of riding sidesaddle. But I didn't know where and how. One day in a horse magazine a saw an article about sidesaddle association in Holland. I called and made an appointment. That was in July 1999. At first it was a strange feeling sitting sideways but after the first lesson I knew that this was what I was looking for. So I became a member.
After one year of practice the chairman lent me her saddle so I could use it to compete in dressage. Last May I bought my own saddle.
Sidesaddle is all my life. Three years ago I was asked to make the Newsletters and a year ago I became a member of the board. I still have some dreams, competing in dressage and jumping, promoting sidesaddle everywhere I can.
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