Dressage is the image of unity and style — with the exception of for the days when it’s no longer. Right here, 21 Horse & Hound readers recount their hilarious tales of when issues did not moderately cross to devise between the white forums…
1. “The top of our check went: halt, salute, shake head, stay shaking head, bridle swinging within the breeze (pictured). I had no clue what to do as opposed to collect it up and amble against A, then bounce off with my horse Purple Mobile, or Sir Purple to his pals, having a look somewhat satisfied. One pass judgement on even commented on my check sheet how calm he used to be. I used to be satisfied to not be eradicated, and got here 5th.” Laura Eaton
2. “I took my home-bred four-year-old to his first dressage pageant, and ‘canter at A’ was ‘greenback at A’. I misplaced each stirrups, my hat tipped ahead and Dougal belted off. Not able to peer the place we have been going, we left the sector and careered around the pass judgement on’s automobile. Come what may, I controlled to seek out one stirrup, shove my hat again up and re-enter the sector. I scrambled thru one thing that approximated vaguely to the check and after I halted at X, the pass judgement on and her scribe have been doubled up in laughter — so I dropped my reins, held up my hands and shrugged. It appeared extra becoming than a salute.” Catherine Robinson
3. “My pony as soon as trotted down the centre line immediately previous C and glued his nostril right into a plate of sandwiches at the pass judgement on’s desk.” Alison Activity
4. “I determined to go into my four-year-old ex-racehorse Mr Hill (Billy, pictured underneath), in an intro elegance. He used to be so chilled out he didn’t care concerning the white forums or dressage markers or the dreaded pass judgement on’s field. Smiling away about remembering my check and the way neatly Billy used to be going proper to the top, we halted at G, I saluted the pass judgement on, and actually out of nowhere Billy determined to salute too. I used to be nonetheless smiling and the judges beloved his salute.” Emma Marshall
5. “My horse Olena hated dressage and used to be having a look to get to the ‘excellent bit’ of the BE90. We have been doing the dressage on grass, and it hadn’t passed off to me to make use of studs (I did be informed my lesson), so whilst doing a somewhat unbalanced 20m potato, aka circle, in canter she slipped and fell at X. Then she sat there for some time refusing to rise up — she used to be unharmed, simply disinclined to do to any extent further dressage. I used to be mortified, no longer simply to have fallen off, however that my horse used to be now taking a sleep in the midst of the sector with all of the competition after us questioning how the heck there is usually a dangle on the right track for dressage! We have been in fact allowed to complete the check and, following an intensive vet take a look at, to finish the development.” Jo Parkes
6. “I travelled to Bury Farm, Greenbacks, from Edinburgh for the British Using Golf equipment dressage to track championships a couple of years in the past, when my horse used to be badly spooked coming into the primary area. Deficient startled Onyx bolted and jumped the white forums and flower pots — and we discovered ourselves within the area status in entrance of the pass judgement on at E. Whoops – it wasn’t moderately the dramatic front I have been making plans.” Sarah Johnsen
7. “As the former competitor completed their check at my first Space Competition, I used to be allowed to stroll across the outdoor of the sector. As I did so, my horse Harry’s tail brushed on of the plastic trees adorning the sector. He leapt into the air, then spooked on the target audience, jumped into the sector over the white forums, and in spite of everything unseated me, leaving me in a pile at the ground. He then trotted as much as the opposite competitor who had simply halted on the finish of her check. Thankfully, as I hadn’t technically entered the sector, they let me get again on and we completed 2d!” Hannah Burrage
8. “As an adolescent I used to be midway thru a prelim check on my pony Minstrel and the entirety used to be going neatly. Then he determined to throw in one in all his particular dollars. I slid immediately down his neck, and at the means down, I by some means controlled to hook my thumb thru his headpiece and take away his entire bridle. I don’t know who used to be extra stunned: me or everybody else staring at. However I tacked Minstrel again up, were given on and carried on with the remainder of the check. I saluted to the pass judgement on, gave my pony a large pat and left the sector evenly. I made it all of the solution to the trailer sooner than bursting into tears!” Sophie Irvine
9. “A few weeks in the past on the British Dresssage summer time track championships, I did a stupendous freestyle check. My transitions have been spot directly to my track adjustments, I used to be grinning from ear to ear, up the centre line, salute, giant pat for my wonderful pony… Then I heard the bell ring — I used to be dealing with the unsuitable means and the judges have been sitting at the back of me! I’d grew to become up the centre line the unsuitable means…” Sarah Hayter-Sharpe
10. “A few years in the past I entered my 18hh Shire/Clydesdale/thoroughbred, Maisie, into two prelim checks. There used to be a brief wreck between the 2, so I slackened my girth and went for a stroll across the warm-up. Sadly I forgot to tighten my girth sooner than the second one check… We have been going neatly till the 20m circle when my saddle and I slowly slid round to Maisie’s facet and gravity in the end took dangle. The pass judgement on ran over to test I used to be alright and assist me remount. We then carried on and completed our check.” Alison Dummer
11. “In our track check on the Horse & Hound Competition of Dressage at Sheepgate, my horse took large exception to the hog roast. He determined he couldn’t most likely transcend P against it, and that upwards used to be the most suitable option! Pressured to retire I then confronted the extreme embarrassment of being not able to get out of the sector (and all of this to the track of The Lion Sleeps This night)!” Lesley Wheatley
12. “After I took my teen to his 2d ever dressage display we entered the sector, went down the centre line and that used to be that! He didn’t wish to dance so plonked his toes and wouldn’t transfer additional than 10m, irrespective of what I did. Finally the pass judgement on used to be guffawing as I laughed, shrugged and saluted my so-called check. ‘Wishes extra miles at the clock’ and ‘neatly attempted’ have been the feedback, with a somewhat dangerous mark subsequent to it.” Madeleine Moon
13. “I used to be as soon as doing a prelim dressage check with my pony, who’s a cheeky chap. He spooked simply as we had began the check and his foot went thru one of the crucial wood dressage forums. It used to be caught — fortunately he’s a peaceful pony and after seeing he used to be no longer injured, my Dad and the display organiser ended up sawing the wood board off his hind leg! After checking he used to be unharmed — and accumulating moderately an target audience — we went on to finish the check and completed 3rd!” Hollie Blakeston
14. “I’ve myself just a little aircraft spotter; he’ll watch planes and helicopters! After I first were given him simply over two years in the past I had no thought about his little passion. We have been competing for our native using membership within the house dressage pageant, and coming down the centre line to halt. Simply as we were given to X the British Purple Arrows flew over in complete formation, and my horse stopped useless and glued his head within the air to observe them fly over.” Demi Davis
15. “I had no person to seem after my kids so I took them out to Box Area, and advised them to stick within the café as I may just see them from the indoor area. As I began the dressage check my daughter got here out of the café — I gave a her a stern glance and shouted “again within the café!”. The pass judgement on’s remark used to be ‘disturbing access’ — however we nonetheless were given a seven!” Julie Barber
16. “I had realized the check however it went utterly out of my head, even supposing a sort individual referred to as for me. All I sought after to do used to be get to the top and get out of the sector. Crossing the diagonal, I heard the caller say “and display some medium trot strides” — and realised I used to be nonetheless in canter. The pass judgement on rang the bell and were given out of the automobile, however I used to be so determined to complete the check that I neglected her and stored going. I don’t know who used to be extra traumatised: the deficient caller who learn the check completely, the pass judgement on who needed to mark the remaining two actions status on the automobile door, or me.” Elizabeth Rushton
17. “Having effectively finished a dressage check for as soon as with none main dramas, I at ease as we moved off on a protracted rein after the salute. At that time the pass judgement on stood up and pulled again the sliding glass window within the pass judgement on’s field. My pony teleported left. I stopped up mendacity at the floor on my again having a look up on the pass judgement on, who mentioned ‘oh…sorry…used to be that my fault?’” Jane Sanders
18. “My horse used to be a jumper, however I misguidedly did a dressage check on him. Cantering down the lengthy facet, I felt him all at once surroundings himself proper to leap the hedge, which used to be the boundary at the quick facet. I couldn’t persuade him to not bounce it. The judges referred to as me again and instructed I must keep on with leaping.” Jackie Bell
19. “Competing at native indoor dressage championship, I used to be extremely anxious and there used to be a large silent crowd of native riders staring at. Because the bell rang to start out, I trotted down the lengthy facet and my horse farted very loudly — echoing across the area. I heard the booming voice of my instructor pronouncing ‘Oh! Deficient Rebecca, she suffers so badly with pageant nerves!’ The group collapsed into laughter — as did I.” Rebecca Jackson
20. “I had nearly finished a pleasant amateur check on my cheeky colored pony, Patch. As I got here to halt at the centre line, Patch, utterly with out caution, determined it used to be the easiest time to get down for a roll. I controlled to get her up mid roll, jumped again on, saluted the pass judgement on and left the sector with an excessively pink face! Fortunately the pass judgement on had a way of humour to compare Patchy’s, and we were given a 4 for the halt, with the remark merely pronouncing ‘rolled’.” Claire Hazeldine
21. “When I used to be younger I attended a neighborhood unaffiliated dressage check on just a little gray pony referred to as Dinky. The landlord used to be calling the check for me and at A I commenced a 20m circle in trot with the aim of cantering left sooner than X. As I requested for canter Dinky did an enormous greenback and despatched me flying. The landlord impulsively gave me a leg-up and I commenced the motion once more from A — the similar factor came about once more. The 3rd time, the bridle got here off with me! By means of that point there used to be moderately a big target audience collected and the pass judgement on then popped out of the field to mention that she concept it used to be time to go away the sector.” Katie Rutter
And an advantage tale from H&H’s dressage editor…
“All over a check on my extravagant Anglo-Arab gelding, Toby, one in all my touch lenses were given dislodged simply as we prompt around the diagonal in prolonged trot – his birthday celebration piece. Not able to peer correctly, and to pass judgement on how some distance away the intermittent white forums forward folks have been, we sailed immediately out of the sector at M and nearly made it to the boundary fence. The pass judgement on referred to as after us, ‘Oh do come again!’…” Polly Bryan
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