About North Star Sport Horse Services
Prestige Saddle & North Star Sport Horse Services opened in 1982 as Prestige Saddle. Some of you may be familiar with the Italian saddle under the same name. There is no relationship between the two companies. The saddler under the Italian company originally came into America (in the late 80’s) under the name Appaloose, but changed to Prestige.
You can imagine the confusion that caused here. At the time Karen was not involved in the art of saddle fitting and sales of custom saddles so she didn’t think the “adoption” of the same name would be a problem. But it has been a source of confusion ever since. In an effort to differentiate between the two Prestige entities, Karen’s saddle fitting and custom saddle sales is denoted as “North Star Sport Horse Services” – a division of Prestige Saddle. Karen only sells saddles made in England as she feels their design and construction enable her to achieve the best results for horse and rider.
Over the years Karen has and still does work on any brand. Even as the top seller of Albion saddles, she would work on many other brands from many different countries of origin. The experience of dealing with the different designs and execution of those designs is the basis of her opinion that saddles made in England allow her to achieve the best results. Others are beginning to catch up – but many were left behind.
Karen Porter travels in a large mobile workshop to enable her to have everything she may need in order to complete “the job of the day.” Be it demo-ing saddles in a new purchase – flocking and fitting an existing saddle, or even sewing on new billets – most work done on site whenever possible.
Appointments can be lengthy affairs due to the thorough nature of her work and you will ride in the process of flocking an existing saddle to your horse. Maybe even more than once, depending on various elements. Fitting a saddle to a horse body in the barn is not always enough as they can produce a very different posture when in work – especially correct work. You will ride. Of course there will be much riding in the event you are shopping for a new saddle – again, details matter and time must be taken to address them.
Karen Porter’s History
Karen started riding at the age of 6 at a local lesson barn. She started out riding Western, competing in pleasure, equitation and trail and Gymkhana classes. Then the “jumping bug” bit her and the switch to Hunt Seat began. At the same time she began dabbling in driving ponies at the same barn where she had been learning the Western & English disciplines.
This jambalaya of horse experience laid the foundation for her next era of “horseness” which was being introduced to the versatile Morgan Horse. What a fun and fabulous breed. The Morgan Horse does it all and does it well. It was time to learn to ride Saddle Seat and also start learning Dressage. If eventers sometimes lament the cost in tack and riding clothes to compete – just imagine what is needed when you’re off to a show and your horse is entered in the Hunt Seat, Western Pleasure, Saddle Sear and Driving! On top of the equipment it also helps to have a “Pit Crew” to help with the tack changes. But what fun to work with horses that talented and so keen to please.
Throughout all this the driving continued and eventually became the focus. After many years of driving singles, the next step was a tandem, as the ultimate goal of a four in hand was unrealistic.
Because of her early years driving ponies, everything was scaled in that direction. Karen owned, trained and competed Welsh Ponies in pleasure and roadster (like trotters in the show ring compete with racing silks) with great success. The ultimate driving ponies came her way when she had the opportunity to purchase a full brother and sister pair of Morgan cross welsh (Morgan X Welsh) ponies. One a yearling and the other a 2 year old. She raised and trained them to both ride and drive. They also fox hunted in the winter.
Both ponies competed as singles in pleasure, reinsmanship dressage, cross country and marathons. One of them even competed in a 25 mile competitive drive finishing second overall first time out. The Morgan spirit.
Boredom set in with driving singles so the challenge of putting together a tandem began. They were perfectly suited for it and went on to win their division in the Devon Horse show marathon 5 years in a row. When not competing in pleasure events, combined driving kept them keen and fit. Cross country was the favorite. Time constraints when conditioning after demanded riding the wheeler while ponying the leader, instead of actually harnessing up and going out in the carriage. All fabulous fun and educational too. The importance of properly fitted and functioning tack is never more important than when driving – especially multiples.
But as the business grew there was less and less time for driving and competing so the ponies were retired – and a thoroughbred was bought for fox hunting, paper-chasing, and hunter paces.
Karen also acted for a local Hunt for a few seasons but by then the business time requirements and especially the necessary travel for the custom saddles and saddle fitting was making that impossible to continue. So the thoroughbred was retired from hunting and became a trail horse – a feisty trail horse of course – he missed the hunting.
In 1992 at the World Pair Driving Championship in Gladstone, NJ, Karen was working with Albion at their display booth and had an amazing once-in-a-lifetime meeting with the one and only Prince Philip – the husband of Queen Elizabeth II of England. Karen had volunteered to stay behind at the booth when she saw the Price casually walking through the displays. He stopped at Albion’s, they had a brief but delightful exchange, and he went on his way.
Karen became the top Albion representative in the United States and Canada. Her years working with varied horses and competing in demanding disciplines has given her a foundation based on the need to do it right and to get it right. That applies not only to her approach to prepare a horse for its career but also her outlook for saddle fitting. Details matter. And not just for the competition horse. All horses and riders deserve to have the best their budget will allow.
With that in mind, Karen searched for a saddlemaker who could do even more of what she felt her customers needed other than what Albion offered. She found that company in IDEAL Saddlemakers of England. Collaborating with Ideal to create a saddle incorporating all that she has learned over the years, the result is the custom “Crown Concorde” dressage saddle. The Concorde has become so successful that it impacted her sales of Albion to the point where it made no sense to continue carrying the Albion line. While Karen still works on and fits and flocks Albions, she no longer sells them. The Crown Concorde became her most in-demand dressage saddle. Ideal also produces a hunter-jumper saddle, a cross country and a trail saddle for her. The depth of what Ideal offers is amazing and as a company Karen has found them fabulous to work with.
To round out the lines Karen carries and offers different price points and stock saddles as opposed to “bespoke.” You will find the Fairfox and Kent and Masters lines offered; great quality, flexible fit and reasonably priced, and of course made in England.
Karen also worked with Barnsby – which is now available under the “Barclay” badge name as Barnsby was sold to 2 different parties. One of which bought the name and the other bought everything else. As in the building, leather patterns, tree manufacturing, etc. And as a stroke of luck, the purchaser of the “nuts and bolts” of Barnsby just happened to be Ideal Saddlemakers. Another reason there is so much Ideal Saddlemakers brings to the equestrian.
Karen has recently decided to begin using JRD Saddlemakers as well in her business – she finds their saddles to be well-made and looks forward to working closely with them as well as riders who favor their saddles.
About Karen’s Saddlemaking Certification
Karen’s career as a saddler and fitter began long before the Society of Master Saddlers in England offered their certification course in the U.S. When she called the S.M.S. to inquire about the course, they told her she didn’t need to take their course – she could teach it. So no, Karen has not been certified by the S.M.S. as she is far more advanced in her skills than their course requires.
