Amateur Dressage

Elaine Hayes & Lake Norman Dressage, Mooresville, NC are hosting a clinic with Catherine Haddad-Staller on April 16-17 at Finncastle Farm in Mooresville, NC.

Elaine reports that the clinic is full but interested riders can contact her to be put on a waiting list.

"Like" Lake Norman Dressage on FB or visit their website lkndressage.com for more info!

Auditing is $20/day or $30/ for 2 days paid in advance or at the door.

Come join us for the unique opportunity to learn from one of the worlds best competitors and trainers. For more info on Catherine her website is internationaldressage.com and her blogs regularly appear in The Chronicle of the Horse. She is also a featured trainer on dressagetrainingonline.com

I just returned from the Palm Beach Derby and am so inspired by the riding I saw there – many, many examples of beautiful rider and horse harmony and very happy looking horses.  Many of the horses were breath-taking and it was, of course, a thrill to be able to watch some of the well-known riders school and compete.  The Palm Beach Derby is a really accessible show for auditors – you can stand close to the warm-ups and eavesdrop on trainers and riders and you can sit ring-side and see just about every visible aid (which, truth be told, there weren’t too many).

I started going to the PB Derby two years ago after a friend told me it was a friendly, laid back show.  This was the first (and is still the only) Florida dressage show that I’ve attended.  Being able to watch very good high level riding for a couple of days has been an important part of my dressage education.  For example, there were four arenas with rides going all day, including one arena on Friday that had GP from morning til night.  Being able to watch numerous GP rides and the warm-ups has given me more insight into some of the mechanics and physics of what I’m trying to do at home with my very kind and sweet schoolmaster.

One of my favorite moments was on Saturday as I was leaving the show for the evening.  Heather Blitz and her amazing horse Paragon were schooling.  Paragon seems to float on air and Heather is such an elegant rider.  Paragon seems so light and yet so powerful – it is really a wonder to watch this team live.  I know I’ll be channeling the image of them for the next month or two as I school on my own.

I also had fun at the vendor fair and even splurged on a pair of breeches this year – something I haven’t done before when attending the Derby.  On the plane ride home, I memorized a new test that I’ll ride in a couple of weeks.  I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I can remember the elegant rides from this weekend and emulate them soon!