Area 12 Competitions - Dressage to Music
Report by Lynn Pugsley on the Area 12 Dressage to Music day
It’s always cold, wet and windy when I go to Kingston Maurward, so it was no surprise to wake up on Bank Holiday Monday 25th May to cloud and drizzle. After a fairly slow journey to Dorchester due to heavy traffic, I got out of our truck and the heat hit me – despite there being a good covering of cloud, which soon dispersed to leave a hot, sunny day!
Three of us from BKRC had entered the Area 12 Dressage to Music Championships.
Laura Cavill riding the lovely Frankie, Becki Dunstone on sweet little Spirit and myself with Izzy. Laura was riding in the Novice as well as in the pairs music with Becki. I was also doing the Novice and the Elementary.
Laura had already done her individual dressage to music test, which she seemed pleased with – so she should, getting 73.89% and being placed 3rd overall! It was amazing she got there at all as she had a last minute phone call from Becki(Laura’s booked taxi!) to say her mare had foaled that morning, but hadn’t cleansed properly, so she had to wait for the vet. Laura had to very quickly sweet-talk her Dad into driving her and Frankie down. (Laura you really need to take your towing test!)
Izzy went fairly well in our Novice test, but not as well as she could have done. We achieved a score of 64.72% , not one of our best tests, but not too terrible either. As I came out of the arena I was greeted by Laura with the news that Becki still hadn’t arrived and I’d best prepare myself to do the pairs test with her! As luck would have it, with all of 20 minutes to spare, Beck arrived. Spirit was whisked off the trailer, tacked up in record time and warmed up just in time to do the pairs test. The ponies worked well together – Frank just getting a little carried away in the canter work! They were placed 4th, with a score of 63.91%.
Finally it was time for Izzy and I to attempt our Elementary test. I was pleased with how she went and was thrilled to see we had a score of 71.04%, which put us in 3rd place.
So we all went home with rosettes and quietly pleased with how our mounts had performed. Now for next year…..! It would be lovely to see more members having a go. The Dressage to Music is great fun to do and most horses really enjoy working to music. If anyone out there would like to give it a go, but wants to know more, I’d be more than happy to help, if I can!