New training cart: FT RAPID
The launch of our new training cart – the Finntack Rapid!
We are looking forward to showing off our brand-new training cart, the Finntack Rapid! Before we discuss specifications and differences from other training carts, we will give a shout-out to the man we are very proud to have on the team – cart developer Timo Leivo. Leivo is the man who made the Custom sulky a concept in trotting over 40 years ago. With a background in the metal industry, Leivo started building sulkies and carts on order in 1977, which led to the start of the Custom brand.
"The first sulky I sold outside Finland was in 1978 to Ulf Thoresen and Oskar Finstad", says Leivo.
Ulf Thoresen and the horse Grande Frances won the Oslo Grand Prix with a new record that year, which made Timo Leivo a name in the industry. Quality and innovation are descriptions that have followed Leivo ever since, and although it's been a few years since he built his first sulky, this successful amateur coach and driver hasn't yet run out of new ideas. Timo Leivo's strength as a cart developer is his practical understanding of both horse and driver.
"I bought my first horse at about the same time I built my first sulky, and it has been a hobby all these years. I sit in the cart every single day, so it's easy to test out all my ideas when I've finished the prototypes."
Timo Leivo sold Custom in 2005 but stayed on as general manager for five more years. In 2012 he left the company entirely.
"I was banned from competition in the sulky industry for five years ", says Leivo, "and for a while I did not want to think about carts. But I noticed that when I trained, sitting behind the horses every day, I was thinking about how a cart could help the horse even more."
Cart developer Leivo then brewed on a new idea and approached Finntack. Leivo's main idea was that a carbon fibre sulky could weigh almost 10 kg less through changes to the structure of the cart's frame. This resulted in the creation of the Finntack Crafit, at 11.8 kg (including wheels) the world's lightest racing cart.
"The shafts pass through the frame and carry the driver's weight. After Crafit, it's not possible to take any more weight off the carts, maybe a few grammes at the most, unless you come up with a completely new material, Leivo explains.
Timo Leivo has been collaborating with Finntack for the past three years, and now his latest cart development has been completed and is ready for launch – the Finntack Rapid training cart.
"The vision behind the Finntack Rapid was to make a carriage that's lightweight, easy to jump into, shorter shafts which put the driver closer to the horse and a completely new design. It looks different from other training carts", says Leivo.
When looking at the photos of the Finntack Rapid, one thing stands out – the thick wheels. What are they for, you ask?
"Nowadays, many people train on soft sand. These thick wheels roll better, and the cart doesn't shake so much. It's much more comfortable for both horse and driver", Leivo explains.
Here is the full product text for the Finntack Rapid training cart:
Lightweight training cart with drawbar and quick hitch couplings. The new main frame design makes it very easy to get in and out of. Air suspension seat and thick 26-inch wheels provide maximum comfort for both horse and driver. Easy adjustment of seat and footrests makes it easy to find the perfect driving position.
26-inch wheels included. Total weight (with wheels): 38.5 kg.
FINNTACK RAPID
