Adalie Tuman's Story
At The Distinguished Rider, our goal is to help riders create boots that not only look good, but help them feel and perform their best. This can be instrumental for many riders, like Adalie Tuman, an up and coming US Para Dressage Rider who met our representative Jessica A. Kaczmarek at the US Festival of Champions this summer.
From Jessica:
"Adalie Tuman is an up and coming US Para Dressage Rider who, with her mother and trainer, approached me at Festival of Champions for a new pair of boots this summer. Adalie deals with a neuro muscular diagnosis that has affected how the muscles in her body work, therefore the shape of her legs and feet require special attention in order to provide proper fit and comfort."
In order to design a pair of boots for Adalie that would not only suit her own individual style, but also provide her with the utmost comfort, I spent time listening Adalie and her trainer's (USEF Judge Heidi Berry) concerns and ideas; as well as watching video of Adalie ride. They were looking for something to provide some support for Adalie's lower leg, fit her foot well, and be classy and fashionable.
That boot ended up being a custom DeNiro S9601 with reinforcement along the outside of the shaft for stability, a back zip to allow ease of entry and a gorgeous Rondine top featuring Great Blue leather and crushed black crystals. Special attention was given to the shape of her foot and DeNiro was able to create a custom foot bed based on photos and measurements.
It was truly a pleasure and honor to be able to work with Adalie, her mother and coach to put together the very best boot for Adalie."
From Adalie:
"I’m continually amazed by how many awesome people I meet in the para equestrian world. While at Lamplight, I happened by a vendor tent to browse and ask a few questions about boot fitting. I was blown away by how kind, approachable, and knowledgeable Jessica Kaczmarek from The Distinguished Rider was.
As an OT and an equestrian, she was not only able to understand me from a physical point of view, but also from a rider’s. As people with Muscular Dystrophy or other limb impairments know, it is extremely difficult to find shoes that fit well, let alone riding boots! Jessica took extensive time to make sure my feet and legs were measured perfectly and came up with some incredible design ideas to solve the problems I have with getting into and wearing tall boots. She was even so generous as to offer sponsoring me for a new pair, and I cannot wait to see the final product!
It was a truly exceptional customer service experience, and I highly recommend reaching out to TDR if you have any boot fit issues!"
We are honored to get to help riders like Adalie design boots they not only love, but fit like a glove and help them ride to the best of their abilities! Because ALL riders are DISTINGUISHED riders.