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Shakhoora Riding Stables held a show jumping training event on Friday at their premises in Saar, starting at 9am with a flurry of excitement.
The rules allowed each horse and rider two minutes in the arena, with no restrictions, which meant horse and rider did not have to follow the course plan, they could jump whatever fence they wished. And, if a horse refused the rider could attempt the fence as many times as necessary, yet, on the other hand, if horse and rider went well they could actually jump the course twice!
This proved to be a brilliant opportunity to bring horses out of the comfort zone of their own environment to familiarise them with external shows.
The course was well-devised and included some tight turns and some scary fences; however, all the horses and riders thoroughly enjoyed the morning.
Fences started at 60cms and were then raised to 80cms. The final course of the day had fences standing at 100cms.
Shakhoora will continue their season with an in-house dressage event on November 15, with beginner, preliminary and novice tests.
Continuing in this vein Dressage Anywhere, the worldwide dressage online competition, started its season again recently.
Dressage Anywhere enables riders at any level to compete from home. Members use the website to participate in monthly scheduled virtual dressage competitions and to improve their training. The site hosts members from over 50 countries including, most importantly, Bahrain.
It also stages monthly competitions for all levels of dressage with tests from Introductory to Prix St George. Practice tests for all levels of riding including Riding for the Disabled Association, Pony Club, FEI Under-21s, and FEI PARA, FEI Eventing and British Eventing also take place.
The rules are clear and concise and set out in easy to follow instructions. Basically, once you have learned your test, had it videoed and sent it in, it is then judged. Your score is put onto a master score sheet with winners getting both prizes and rosettes – all from your own paddock, what could be simpler?
There is also an option for training classes. What a wonderful way to practice for a forthcoming dressage which would certainly put you ahead of the game, in my opinion.
There is also an option for groups to enter and with just a minimum of three members you can create a team. The members enter their tests; the top three scores are taken to give an average score, which is used again on the main team challenge scoreboard.
In recent days several members of the Twin Palms Riding Centre (TPRC) submit their tests to Dressage Anywhere and all did extremely well, including the newest partnership at TPRC Kia Jarne felt who entered the Preliminary test with her lovely horse Bluey and gained a very respectable score of 64 per cent. They are certainly going to be a pair to be reckoned with this coming season.
Well done to this pair and the other TPRC team members Yvonne Addison and Maggie Andersson with once again Kat Rushton riding Duke who scored highest for the Twin Palms team.
Check out www.dressageanywhere.com and the facebook page Dressage Anywhere for more details.
