PARIANI: A CENTURY OF TRADITION,
THE BEGINNING
The long history of Pariani Saddlery started in 1903 in Corso Vittorio Emanuele, a stone’s throw from the Cathedral of Milan, there was a shop called “Mode Pariani, Biancheria Confezionata su misura, camicie, cravatte e guanti. Articoli inglesi” (Pariani Fashion, tailored clothes, shirts, ties and gloves – English articles). “Englis articles” meant saddles and harness imported from England.
THE TURNING POINT
In Pariani were working skilled artisan which produced leather gloves and, due to the high quality of their creations, some customers start to ask to Adolfo Pariani, the founder, why instead of buying saddles from England, he didn’t produce them by himself. In the same years, Federico Caprilli was working on his innovative riding method.
THE SPARK
Pariani needed advices to create something unique while Caprilli needed a saddle that helps him turn into reality his concept of and equitation style that helps – and not contrast – the natural horse movements. This is how the magic started and the “Pinerolo” model borns.
AN INNOVATIVE SADDLE
The Pinerolo saddle turned out to be so innovative that immediately its features were studied and copied all around the world. Saddle name is took from the town in the Piemonte countryside, where the famous Cavalry School had its headquarters. Pariani was the first Saddlery in the whole world to develop and use a spring tree, flexible – which meant elastic – and shock-absorbing. Still today every single tre, basic component of each Pariani saddle, is fully handmade and carefully checked one by one.
GREAT CHARACTERS
Since then the history of Selleria Pariani is full of names that greatly influenced the Twentieth Century and not only in the equestrian fields: at first a long list of Cavalry officers that spread Caprilli’s philosphy all over the world and then personalities such as George Patton, Ronald Reagan, Queen Elisabeth II… together with many notable riders in Italy and abroad such as the D’Inzeo brothers and Graziano Mancinelli, just to name some of them.
THE WINNERS’ SADDLE
Pariani Saddlery widened its experience through the years; all olympic medals won by italian riders (and many of other countries) have been achieved with the help of a Pariani saddle. Always with a Pariani saddle, in 1937, Antonio Guitierrez jump a fence of mt. 2,44, fixing the world elevation equestrian record. Also horse-racing history is full of enterprises where the Pariani saddles played an important role. Horses such as Nearco, Ribot and Molvedo achieved their record wins and became legends with a Pariani saddle on their backs.
THE STORY GOES ON …
Still faithful to more than a century old tradition an history that from nearly 120 see the same family – Pariani-Mutinelli – at its head, Pariani works on research, studies and tailor-made solutions for the needs of each and every customer. This is why Pariani relies on the expertise of professional riders who are the first to test its saddles. Nowaday Pariani is the only saddlery in Italy – and one of just a few in the entire world – to create all its saddles, entirely hand-made, in its workshop in Milan.