About D-Lua Park
D-Lua Park was founded in 1990. David Somerville & Karen Johanson purchased the business in 2006 after being customers for many years.
The business was to be internet based, with a fully interactive website/shop, however, they soon realised that riders, their potential clients, needed to be able to “ Touch and Feel” the product, so that they could be confident of the quality of materials and workmanship, in every D-Lua Park Pure Wool Saddle Cloth.
D-Lua Park on-site sales were based originally in a small gooseneck ( Later, in 2007, in a large 30ft gooseneck) with a distinctive blue, sign written, marquee. These rigs were to travel many thousands of Kms covering Qld, NSW, Vic, & Sth Aust. Karen and David were able to put faces to the many client names and, over the years, to become firm friends with many of them.
Travelling and meeting riders enabled Karen and David to gain 1st hand knowledge & feedback from the interaction with them at these events. “Meeting our clients face to face has been great and made each sale more personal” said Karen recently.
D-Lua Park has developed a close relationship with the various state organisations and major clubs by sponsoring many events at State Championship level. D-Lua Park also developed a close relationship with the AERA as the principle sponsor of the “Teams Event” at the Tom Quilty 160 Km ride for many years. D-Lua Park saw the sponsorship of the “Teams Events” as a qualifying experience for later FEI Teams competition by elite riders.
In 2015, D-Lua Park was given the opportunity to attend the AERC conference in Reno, Nevada. Karen attended this important event and was able to meet many American riders and learn the differences between the Australian endurance riding and the American endurance riding scenes. From this event, D-Lua Park now has an agent in the USA, a very well respected rider, Karen Chaton, who is using & promoting D-Lua Park Saddle Cloths to the endurance market in the USA.
In addition to the USA, D-Lua Park is now exporting to a number of countries including Canada, UAE, & have recently supplied into Germany.
As the D-Lua Park name & product have become better known, we are now supplying into the Trail Riding scene with more and more enquiries coming from this group.
As ex-riders Karen and David are still motivated by riders opinions and requirements, recently increasing the colour range with the addition of two new colours, making a total of four colours now available. These are Charcoal, Silver, Latte, and of course, Deluxe Natural, the original & still the most popular.
