Aussie Dressage Rider Ilse Schwarz First to Wear Flag Dressage Boots
15 years ago StraightArrow Comments Off on Aussie Dressage Rider Ilse Schwarz First to Wear Flag Dressage Boots
WELLINGTON, Florida, Mar. 2–The first ‘Show Your Flag’ dressage boots will be on display this weekend when Australian rider Ilse Schwarz competes at the Palm Beach Dressage Derby.
The dressage boots bearing the Australian flag were created by Der Dau of New York City specially for Ilse, who is married to an American and lives in Wellington.
Joseph Der, chief executive officer and chief designer of the company that provides custom boots across North America, created the flag boots for the Nations Cup at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center on Friday, Mar. 5. Teams from several participating nations will be wearing the boots bearing their flags.
“We have worked with Ilse in creating boots for dressage riders for several years,” Joseph said.
“We designed the boots bearing their national flags for jumper riders at this year’s Winter Equestrian Festival,” he said. “Although all our boots are custom made we were able to ramp up production to make them available from measuring to delivery in two weeks. They became an instant hit.
“For Ilse, we designed a stylized Australian flag then placed it on the boot by hand, one star at a time and the Union Jack.
“We used patent leather for the boot to make them even more distinctive.
“We put them on display at WEF for a day before Ilse picked them up, and the word most used including from jumper riders was ‘Wow!'”
The U.S. Equestrian Federation had no objection to Ilse wearing the boots in competition.
“I love them,” Ilse said. “I’m very proud of being Australian, but we Aussies often don’t display it as much as some countries.
“These boots are so beautifully designed and made, and my flag is clearly visible but discreet.
“I feel pretty special to be the first dressage rider with these boots.”
Word of the dressage flag boots has already led to Ilse being asked to model them along with her custom designed tail coat with its collar of green and gold at a leading equestrian clothing boutique in Wellington on Tuesday night, Mar. 9.
