Congratulations everyone!

Thrilled to say that despite the weather it was a fab day – and we raised a total of £520. Results and a full report to follow tomorrow when I’ve recovered!

Times for Sunday are available now:

If you collect your times online, please email katdibbits@gmail.com with your name to let me know – otherwise you space may be given to someone on the waiting list

	Name	Horse
Intro A – Tiny Tots
10.00	Molly Pagett	Waxwing Peppermint
10.05	Charlotte Pendlebury	Nutkin
10.10	Alexandra Smith	Swinford Strongbeam
10.15	Ellie Pendlebury	Daisy
10.20	Ruby Taylor	Jeremy Fisher
10.25	Erin Longmire	Jobie
Intro A – Juniors
10.30	Georgia Thorpe	Drybarrows Jan 11
10.35	Katie Green	Bobtail
10.40	Olivia Bromley	Jess
10.45	Melissa Pierce	Olivia (in place of Martha – their cheque)
10.50	Sian Podmore	Star
10.55	Niamh Scanlon	Centaurus Eragon
11.00	Abby Calderbank	Townend William
11.05	Jack Moss	Turton Crown Prince
Intro A – Seniors
11.15	Hannah Barton	Jen
11.20	Melissa Westhead	Sheldon
11.25	Janet Grantham	Herons Glaze II
11.30	Helen Allanson	Finn
11.35	Joanna Baxter	Ella’s Sapphire
11.40	Jo Mitchell	Chloe
11.45	Debbie Dobson	Isn’t She Lovely
11.50	Viv Willcox	Tamara
11.55	Kathryn Williams	Dolly
12.00	Kathryn Newman	Friday
12.05	Hannah Barton	Herbie
12.10	Sheila Connolly	Timmy
12.15	Wendy Bentham	William
12.20	Melanie Snape	Miri
Prelim  12 – Junior
12.35	Charlotte Cross	Loughtonoras Golden Rocket
12.42	Lydia Rowe	Ellington Sion
12.49	Gemma Isherwood	Pip
12.56	Harriet McCormack	Miss Hettie
13.03	Charlotte Brown	Carrwood Goldleaf
Prelim 12 – Senior
13.10	Sue Dutson	Chloe
13.17	Karen Calderbank	Rumworth Desert Storm
13.24	Amy Collison	Pilgrims Field
13.31	Susanne Beesley	Woodlands Romance
13.38	Gemma Macdonald	Absolutely Fabulous
Prelim 14 – Junior
14.00	Gemma Isherwood	Pip
14.07	Harriet McCormick	Miss Hettie
14.14	Charlotte Brown	Carrwood Goldleaf
14.21	Laura Bent	Dickie Bow
14.28	Victoria Perry	Westley
14.35	Katie Hodson	A Bouncing Star
14.42	Hannah Whittle	Irish Little Lady
14.49	Alice Martindale	Society Prince
Prelim 14 – Senior
14.56	Sharon Cotton	Patch
15.03	Amy Collison	Pilgrims Field
15.10	Gemma Macdonald	Absolutely Fabulous
15.17	Emma Bracegirdle	A Bouncing Star
15.24	Samantha Sale	Princess of Genovia
15.31	Alison Cowan	Niamph
15.38	Debbie Aitken	Perplexed
15.45	Megan Johnson	Townend Willie
15.52	Savannah McMullen	Pennal Champagne Charlie
15.29	Leanne Taylor	Humphrey
16.06	Christine Harbinson	Coco
16.13	Lorna Taylor	Willem
16.20	Abbie Lilley	Euphoria Queen
Novice 28 – Junior
16.38	Charlotte Cross	Loughtonoras Golden Rocket
16.45	Victoria Perry	Westley
16.52	Katie Hodson	A Bouncing Star
16.59	Holly Watson	Towerlanze Kiss of Gold
17.06	Sophie Ditchfield	Fairgate Sion
Novice 28 – Senior
17.13	Kathryn Williams	Dolly
17.20	Megan Johnson	Townend Willie
17.27	Savannah McMullen	Pennal Champagne Charlie
17.34	Leanne Taylor	Humphrey
17.41	Christine Harbinson	Coco
17.48	Lorna Taylor	Willem
17.55	Abbie Lilley	Euphoria Queen

 

Entries are full!

We are now at full capacity and I am doing the times. This means that if your entry arrives today and I am not expecting it (you haven’t rung/emailed/text) you WILL not be allotted a space unless we have some withdrawals. 

Times to follow later!

A perfect circle

Riding a circle of any size is one of the most basic dressage movements, and is bound to be asked for in any test at any level. And yet it is one of the most difficult things to get right, and a place where a lot of people simply throw marks away. Happily, we’ve found this helpful article, with tips for an exercise which should help you improve your circle riding.

http://www.krowchukdressage.com/training-articles/how-to-ride-a-perfect-circle/

Just some of our fab prizes…

 

Click to enlarge

A note about readers

Please note, readers will be available for those who need them. However, as this is a charity event we will be charging £1 per test for this service.

Video helped the dressage star

I’ve always found one of the best ways to improve my dressage test is not only to watch back videos of my own riding, but also to watch other people. YouTube is a really valuable resource as you can watch other people riding good (and sometimes not-so-good) tests. I’m always particularly grateful to people who are willing to publicise their percentage!

To help our Horses For The Hospice competitors, I’ve rounded up the best videos on YouTube of people riding the tests that are set for September 30^th. Feel free to post links to your own videos at the bottom.

Intro A:

Prelim 12:

Prelim 14:

Novice 28:

Horses for causes!

Our press release can be downloaded from the tab on the right, but if you’re having technical trouble, I’ve also pasted it below!

Any press enquiries or requests for entry forms can be directed to me via katdibbits@gmail.com

 

It’s horses for causes at charity dressage event

SHINING flanks, plaited manes, crisply tied cravats and more Swarovski crystal than you can shake a stick at… it must be the glamorous world of dressage.  But it’s not all about the bling. A dressage competition to be held in September will be raising money for Bolton Hospice in its 20th anniversary year.

The event, called Horses For The Hospice, has classes for junior and senior riders from Intro to Novice, and a separate class for tiny tots who can even compete on the lead rein. It is part of the Bolton News’ Hospice At Home campaign, which is aiming to raise £110,000 to provide more nurses to care for patients in their homes.

It will take place on Sunday, September 30^th, at Landlords Farm Equestrian Centre, in Aspull, Lancashire.

Prizes have been donated by a host of companies, including Likit, Naglets healthy horse treats, Equimins, The Original Rug Bag Company, Horse & Rider magazine and Snuggy Hoods. Two McTimoney practitioners, Zoe Sherlock and Amanda Griffiths, have offered free sessions, and publishers Howell Equestrian Library and J.A.Allen have been joined by author Debbie Lush in donating books.

Organiser Kat Dibbits said: “This is a fantastic cause and I hope that riders from all across Lancashire will enter to raise money to help Bolton Hospice provide at-home care for those who really need it.

“It doesn’t matter if you have never tried dressage before – as Carl Hester said at the Olympics, it is not just a sport for the elite, it is something everyone with a pony (or even one they can borrow) can have a go at.”

Kat is hoping that more equestrian companies in the North West will donate prizes to encourage competitors to enter.

Entry forms are available to download from the website, www.horsesforthehospice.wordpress.com. Entries must be received by Wednesday, September 26^th. For more information, email katdibbits@gmail.com. 

Improve your dressage scores: Part four

Gwyneth Lewis has trained her pupils through to National level, so combined with her experience as a List One judge knows what she’s talking about when it comes to riding a good test.

She says the most common mistake she sees is the old classic – people not riding the test accurately.

“It could be for a number of reasons,” she says. “Maybe the horse doesn’t want to play that day or maybe the rider isn’t clear how to ride a particular movement.”

The solution is to ask for advice from your trainer or from a more experienced rider – Gwyneth calls it simply “arena craft”.

“I wouldn’t say I dislike seeing it, it’s just we don’t like the riders to throw away the marks!” she says.

Combine this with Jane Kidd’s advice about riding into a forward contact, Sandy Oglesby’s guide to collection and Debby Lush’s instructions on preparing for movements and transitions and hopefully you’ll be in contention for the red rosette – and all those lovely prizes!

Improve your dressage score: Part three

Determined to get a good score at our competition on September 30th? So far we have heard from Jane Kidd, on contact, and Sandy Oglesby talking about impulsion.

List One judge and Grand Prix rider Debby Lush, who wrote the book The Successful Dressage Competitor, says the worst mistake she sees is a lack of preparation for both movements and transitions – and this is one that is particularly prevalent among less experienced competitors – no matter what level they ride at.

She says: “Springing a movement or transition on a horse when it reaches the marker where it should be performed is unforgiveable – do they expect horses to be mind-readers? They need a minimum of three strides warning for most things.”

According to Debby, this is the main cause of a horse losing balance, stiffening or losing its outline through a movement.

“You can always tell the good riders/performers by their diligent preparation of every moment of a test,” she adds.

Debby says the key to breaking this bad habit is threefold – and includes a change in attitude from riders.

“Firstly, trainers need to point this out to their riders,” she says. “Second, riders need to know exactly how to prepare for each and every movement and transition in a test before they try riding it. Thirdly, they
need to be conscientious about doing the preparation whilst riding their test.

“I often find as a trainer that this involves an adjustment in rider attitude to competing: I make my riders go into tests with the goal of helping their horse to have a good time; this makes them mindful of preparation as a means of helping their horse.”

Tomorrow: Gwyneth Lewis share her most commonly-seen mistake, and we round up our judges’ advice.