Passier Young Champ Dressage Saddle Review
The Passier Young Champ Dressage Saddle is a German-made dressage saddle that is designed and proportioned for an older child or a very petite adult rider.
Pros of the Passier Nicole’s Grand Gilbert Dressage Saddle
- The Passier Young Champ saddle is an option for smaller riders and/or smaller dressage horses and ponies in need of a saddle with shorter and smaller flaps.
- This saddle is high-quality and should last a lifetime if well cared for.
Cons of the Passier Nicole’s Grand Gilbert Dressage Saddle
- The Passier Young Champ only comes in two seat sizes (15.5’’ and 16’’), both of which may be too large for small children. It seems to be proportioned for a roughly “Tween-aged” (i.e. 9-12 year old) child.
- Some models of the Passier Young Champ have reddish-brown piping, causing the saddles to have a less “classical” look.
- The retail price of this saddle is over $2,500
Description of the Passier Nicole’s Grand Gilbert Dressage Saddle
The Passier Young Champ dressage saddle is a children’s dressage saddle that appears to be as high-quality and well-designed as Passier’s saddles for adults.
Review of the Passier Nicole’s Grand Gilbert Dressage Saddle
I tried a Passier Young Champ saddle on the advice of a saddle fitter who told me that it was a youth version of the Passier Grand Gilbert. Not so. The Passier Young Champ is built on a different tree than the Grand Gilbert and accordingly, it has a completely different fit and feel.
I wanted a scaled down version of the Grand Gilbert because I wanted to maintain the fantastic fit that it gives my horses, but dump the long flap of the Grand Gilbert. I’m a petite woman (5’2’’, 110 lbs. or so, 28’’ inseam), and the Grand Gilbert’s flap is just too long for me.
So, I was pleasantly surprised when I sat in the Passier Young Champ because the flaps were about the right size and the (very generous) 16’’ seat fit me fine.
I will say that the seat Passier Young Champ, although not rock hard, is in keeping with Passier’s reputation as a maker of saddles that are less than perfectly comfortable for the rider.
When I rode my horse in the saddle, I was saddened to see that it didn’t fit her nearly as well as the Grand Gilbert does: the saddle slid forward as soon as we started cantering. Although we have had problems finding a saddle for her that doesn’t slide forward, the Passier Young Champ slid forward on her more than any saddle ever has. Its very high clearance allowed it to actually slide partially over her withers and onto her neck.
The Passier Young Champ seems to be a very well-made saddle that could be a good fit for a serious youth dressage rider or a petite adult rider. However, it is certainly not a scaled-down version of the Grand Gilbert.
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