Sarah Baker Riders bottle, courtesy of the brand

“The goal of all dressage riding should be to bring the horse and rider together in harmony…a oneness of balance, purpose, and athletic expression.”  – Walter Zetti

Horsing Around, collage by Rachel K. Ng (family fun)

Life in the country has a natural ease that shows itself well this time of year, and it is especially wonderful if you happen to love horses. Learning to ride is a tradition in my family (cousin Vanessa’s national blue ribbons in dressage are a crowning achievement). Our son has been learning English saddle and spending time at the barn with him feels like home. Capturing the scents of countryside, hay and rich soil, warm heat of horse coats, smooth tack leathers, and energy of the ride are nearly impossible. I’ve long searched for a fragrance that can carry all this with me to inspire my daily routine. Sarah Baker Riders by independent perfumer Ashley Eden Kessler is exactly the scent that accomplishes this feat.

 

Artist, Creative Director and perfumer Sarah Baker, courtesy of the brand

Similar backgrounds in the arts brought brand owner Sarah Baker and independent perfumer Ashley Eden Kessler together to create the equestrian-inspired fragrance Riders (which is a rebrand of  2020 S. Baker Bascule). Sarah’s muse for the project is the fashion icon and great-granddaughter of Grace Kelly, Princess Charlotte Casiraghi of Monaco, who practices show jumping and has competed in the Global Champions Tour. Sarah Baker Perfumes Riders is indeed a scent fit for a princess as it opens with a rush of thoroughbred speed in a setting as luxurious as the Château de Versailles gardens used for the 2024 show jumping Olympic event. A whiff of a horse’s coat as it moves, the warmth of its body, is beautifully captured in the fragrance. This is the scent of the animal in the air as one rides, intermingled with the field, the earth, and the nature all around. Added to this immersive picture is a luscious peach, as if one has just tasted the perfectly ripe fruit as a snack.

Polo Player Empire Polo Fields, California Pixabay

Perfumer Ashley Eden Kessler has created a fragrance that captures the momentum and speed of equestrian pursuits, the actual feeling of galloping in the wind. To accomplish this, Ashley made a deep study of all things equine, “I spent time at the Empire Polo Fields smelling the horses and their environment, as well as the special leather of the tack and accoutrement, which is really the finest leather with the most buttery scent.” A background of hay adds more to the tableau as aldehydic sparkles bring out the metallic parts of fine leather tack. Suederal® creates the anchor for the perfume’s leather accord which is inspired by the interior of a 1974 vintage Rolls Royce. The specific scent of the finest creamy leather and sheep skin floor mats is especially refined and luxe. Sarah Baker Perfumes Riders pulls from the entire world of equestrian social circles and manages to reverberate with its charm.

Perfumer Ashely Eden Kessler, via Linked in

Lily of the valley washes all the animal muscle in a veil of grace. As Ashley explains, “I often wear the fragrance I am working on and during the development of Riders, I happened to meet a friend who was wearing a pure lily of the valley perfume. As we hugged and the two scents combined, I had the impression of the two together and Riders was complete.” This floral addition adds the requisite touch of brightness and elegance to the scene.

Vetiver softens and extends the hay-like grassy countryside as ambery musk warms and animates. Fir and tobacco add nuances of spicy sweetness and fresh dynamism. Sarah Baker Perfumes Riders is a rare experience of energy and grace found within the playgrounds of the elite. If you want to partake in the multi-sensorial experience of vintage cars and thoroughbred horses, then Riders is the scent that will take you there.

Notes: grass, peach, para cresol, bergamot, lily of the valley, hay, leather accord, Suederal®, metal tack, vetiver, amber, musk, fir, tobacco

Disclaimer: bottle my own, as I purchased at Luckyscent; opinions my own

~ Rachel K. Ng, Editor

Sarah Baker Riders box and bottle courtesy of the brand

Thanks to the generosity of Sarah Baker Perfumes, we have a 50 ml bottle of Riders for one registered reader in the US, EU or UK. You must register or your entry will not count. To be eligible, please leave a comment saying what sparks your interest based on Rachel’s review and where you live. Draw closes 10/1/204

Check out our reviews for Flame and Fortune Extrait,  Gold Spot, Loudo, Rules of Attraction, and this year’s Peach’s Revenge.

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