A Brief History of My Career
I have been a saddler for about 24 years.
I am currently Master Saddler of The Royal Mews, Buckingham Palace. I run a private Bridle making company, (Frances Kelly Bridles), I serve on the Executive committee of The Society of Master Saddlers U.K. and The Saddlery Steering Group of The Worshipful Company of Saddlers (the steering group is responsible for running and overseeing all British Saddlery Apprenticeships).
I started
my training at Cordwainers College in Hackney, London. Famous for teaching shoe designers Jimmy
Choo and Patrick Cox. I took what was then a one year Diploma in Saddlery.
From there I went to work for a company called Turner Bridgar in Goring
on Thames where I trained for the next 7 years as a harness maker. Turner
Bridgar had a Royal Warrant and most of my work there consisted of restoring
very fine state harness. The company began to experience some financial
difficulties so I moved from there to a company called Norton and Newby
in Beaconsfield, Bucks for the next 7 years. My work there was quite different,
mostly making very high quality made to measure bridles and re-flocking
saddles. It was whilst working there that I first entered the Society of
Master Saddlers annual saddle and bridle competition. This is a very grand
annual event held at The
Saddlers Hall in London and sponsored by the Worshipful Company of
Saddlers. There are usually about 9 classes ranging from saddles through
harness and bridle making classes, and there are also classes for apprentices.
There are trophies for the best saddle, the best apprentice piece, and
also the top prize trophy for the best made item in the competition, I
have myself won this three times, in 1998, 1999, & 2002.
After leaving Norton and Newby I set up my own business and secured a contract with the Royal Mews repairing and maintaining the state harness. After about 3 years the Royal Mews decided to have all saddlery work carried out in house, I was offered the job…
But the money was not great and at the same time I was offered a job teaching at Cordwainers college for better money, so I worked there for about 4 years. I found that the teaching job became rather more paperwork than actual teaching and was again offered a job at the Royal Mews but for better money so I took the job but also continued making bridles for private customers. In February 2001, I was becoming very busy with bridlework so I decided to reduce the number of days worked at the Royal Mews to 2 and now I share the job with Catrien Coppens, who started her training as a student of mine at Cordwainers. we have found that this job share makes the travelling less tedious and having a variety of different work keeps us fresh with interest and ideas.
With my bridle making business I am mostly producing made to measure bridles for professional showing and dressage riders who have found that the off the peg bridles do not fit as well as they should. You might find the noseband that you want on a bridle but you don't like the browband or reins, so you end up buying other bits and pieces to get the type of bridle you want, and still it is not a good fit. Ultimately you will get exactly what you want with made to measure and it will fit exactly how you like it to.
The showing professionals understand that a good bridle can very much enhance, the look of an animal, and good quality leather will last longer, be easier to maintain, and be more comfortable on the hand and the horse, and of course if the horse is comfortable he will perform better.
As a rider myself I have
put many different leathers, fittings and other materials to the test over
the years and come up with what I believe to be an excellent range of bridles.
My customers return many years later asking for a bridle for a new horse,
saying they still have an old bridle of mine going strong.
My bridles are all finely stitched by hand using the best materials available, and finished to a very high standard, this may make them more expensive, but once tried there is no going back to off the peg.
Over the last few years an I have endeavoured to put something back into the trade through the training of numerous saddlers, all of whom I am proud to say are successful saddlers and prolific prize winners at the annual saddle and bridle competition. In fact, in some classes all the prizes have gone to saddlers trained by myself. This indeed is one of my proudest achievements.
