Tipperary Sportage Plus Question :)

So my old troxel looks like it's going to have to get replaced. A friend of mine rides in a Tipperary Sportage and they are in my price range, and a bit less bubble looking than the troxel which is already a plus.

Hopefully I will be getting my feet wet at some events sometime soon, so I wanted to see if this would be a helmet suitable in all phases despite not being the typical velvet covered type hat? (*newb alert*) It doesn't look to me like a cover would work very well on it either.

I would be going with the "carbon grey" colour to keep it conservative, but I'm not sure if it will cut it.

I would -love- the GPA "titium" unfortunatly it's way out of my budget right now.

Also, any one have any reviews of it?
http://www.doversaddlery.com/tippera...36268/cn/1965/

I have a Tipperary Sportage and I love it. I was just at a Tack Store last weekend, and I asked the owner if she sold Skull Caps, and she said "no" - I asked "why?" and she said, because everyone is now wearing the Tipperary Sportage.

I asked her what was the most popular helmet amongst the Eventers in the area, and she said the one's who come to her store, buy the Tipperary Sportage.

Go figure, the Skull Cap was very popular last time I looked, and now the Tip Sport is now the hot item.

Awesome. I'm going to go try out some helmets this weekend since it's my christmas gift to myself :)

Of course...I could always get this instead: http://www.doversaddlery.com/aegis-p...X1-3654/cn/40/

I have one - it's okay. The old tipps were a hundred times better... sad they don't make them anymore.

It seems the new ones fit very "round".

OMG, that's hysterical!

As far as the sportages go, love em! Much less "alien helmet" looking then the old ones. Much better designed then the "new" sportages they made last year.

Is the new one the Sportage 8500? I only saw them online and didn't quite like the looks of them and haven't seen anyone in them.
Apparently they're well ventilated though which for me is a big plus because I sweat like a man.

Yea, the new one if the 8500. Wish they made them in green <sigh>

Here's the original:


Here's the Plus:


Here's the new 8500:

So is the 8500 any better than the Plus?
I know the store has the plus, not sure about the 8500

These are okay to ride in for dressage and stadium then?

From what I've heard most people like the fit of the 8500 MUCH better than the Plus, but personally - idk, haven't tried it on yet.

You can definitely ride stadium in it. I would use a black velvet helmet for dressage. You could probably use a velvet helmet cover on the 8500 if you wanted, I don't think one would work with the plus because of the shape though.

I've used all 3 and IMO the new 8500 is much better then the plus. The padding is almost the same (the old 8500 padding was kind of like the troxel, very light) but the vents are MUCH more open so it's significantly cooler. And it's a little rounder so it doesn't have the weird pointy part at the back of your head that the Plus has. Well, not as bad! Out of the 3 it's the most "normal" looking helmet and less "space alien".