Prestige Italia has just introduced the X-Brillante, a new member of the Brillante dressage family. It comes in the double flap X-Brillante and the mono flap X-Brillante K.
The Brillante AS-X has been one of Prestige’s best-selling dressage saddles, and for good reason. Its jointed AS-X tree flexes with the horse’s back, and riders love the deep, close seat. But not every horse-and-rider pair wants a tree that moves. Some combinations go better with a more solid platform under them, and that’s who the X-Brillante is built for.
What’s different
The big change is the tree. Instead of the jointed Adaptive System used in the AS-X, the X-Brillante sits on a new single-structure tree for riders and horses that benefit from more stability. Prestige kept what people love about the Brillante:
- X-Technology with the injected membranes in the rear of the seat, for a deep, cushioned seat that still lets you move
- The same Brillante geometry and the very thin front section, so you feel the horse clearly and your aids stay quiet and precise
- Comfort Skirts (soft lined leather and Cordura) and cut-outs on the flaps for closer contact
- A narrow twist from reduced thickness under the thigh
- A unisex tree
Fitting options
This is where it gets interesting for fit. The X-Brillante K offers:
- Seat sizes: 16, 17 and 18
- Panels:
- Standard
- CP (shorter in front for greater shoulder freedom)
- Wool flocked
- NEW: long tree points option for high-withered horses (changeable by your fitter!)
- Blocks: large blocks for more support, or small blocks for more freedom at the knee. Both are extra soft.
- Flaps: lengths from XS to XL, with forward or back projection options
- Leathers: black or tobacco
With two panel styles and the new long points option, there’s real room to fit different backs well, not just make do.
Who should try it
If you’ve loved the Brillante but your horse prefers a steadier base, the X-Brillante is worth a ride.
As always, the right saddle depends on your horse’s back and how you sit, so the best way to know is to try it on your horse.
I’m an authorized Prestige Italia representative for Northern California, New Mexico, Las Vegas and Southern Utah. If you’d like to try an X-Brillante or talk through whether it suits your horse, get in touch and I’ll come out for a fitting.
— Robyn Drake, Drake Equine