Above and right – Kirsten Wing & Ravel 322 – by Beth Hicks Photography
Kirsten Wing is a South African dressage rider, and Lecturer in Sport and Exercise. “I love Bombers Bits – they’re made by horse people, and for horse people, and it shows,” she says.
Kirsten’s pictured with her top ride, Ravel 322. We asked Kirsten about her plans for the rest of 2022.
What is your training or competing priority this year?
“I am really looking forward to just enjoying another year with the Prof (Ravel 322). As he’s an older horse, I need to take care how to ‘spend’ my shows, and his training schedule.”
“We will continue to keep him in top form with the help of the lovely team around us, and where suited, take him out and compete in the middle tour (Inter 2).”
“I think what 2020 and 2021 has showed us is that while we love competing, we love training at the level just as much,” Kirsten explains.
Was there anything you missed about training and competing in the early days of the pandemic?
“What I missed the most during the pandemic is the master classes I would usually attend, and the willingness to share knowledge/training. Normally Ravel and I would take the trip to Germany from the UK to train, which I have greatly missed the last two years. It is unclear if we will make the trip across the pond again this season, but we definitely intend to re-plug into the way of training that I really enjoy in Germany with Laurinne Dittmann,” she continues.
Can you share a simple training exercise?
“With a ‘cold’ horse it is so important to have them really listening to the leg, which is something I negotiate with Ravel often. My favourite way to convince him to really move forward is using repeated trot/walk and trot/halt transitions in shoulder fore off the long-side, really focusing on the reaction of the hind leg into a steady outside contact,” Kirsten explains.
What’s your favourite Bombers mouthpiece and cheekpiece bitting combination, and why?
“The ultra comfy lock up in the eggbut format is my favourite, go to bit!” Kirsten tells us. 
“I use it on almost every horse I work with to start with. It is kind, soft and offers me a really ‘clean’ and stable way to communicate with the horse while I get to know them.”
“Ravel trains in this regularly’ and even competes in it when we feel he needs a softer option,” she concludes. The Bombers team wishes you well for 2022, Kirsten!
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Pics by Beth Barkway.