Dressage is the image of concord and magnificence — aside from the occasions when it’s not. Right here, 21 Horse & Hound readers recount their hilarious tales of when issues did not fairly go to plan between the white boards…
1. “The top of our check went: halt, salute, shake head, maintain shaking head, bridle swinging within the breeze (pictured). I had no clue what to do apart from collect it up and amble in direction of A, then leap off with my horse Pink Cell, or Sir Pink to his associates, trying quite satisfied. One decide even commented on my check sheet how calm he was. I used to be glad to not be eradicated, and got here fifth.” Laura Eaton
2. “I took my home-bred four-year-old to his first dressage competitors, and ‘canter at A’ turned ‘buck at A’. I misplaced each stirrups, my hat tipped ahead and Dougal belted off. Unable to see the place we had been going, we left the world and careered around the decide’s automobile. In some way, I managed to seek out one stirrup, shove my hat again up and re-enter the world. I scrambled by one thing that approximated vaguely to the check and after I halted at X, the decide and her scribe had been doubled up in laughter — so I dropped my reins, held up my palms and shrugged. It appeared extra becoming than a salute.” Catherine Robinson
3. “My pony as soon as trotted down the centre line straight previous C and caught his nostril right into a plate of sandwiches on the decide’s desk.” Alison Job
4. “I made a decision to enter my four-year-old ex-racehorse Mr Hill (Billy, pictured beneath), in an intro class. He was so chilled out he didn’t care concerning the white boards or dressage markers or the scary decide’s field. Smiling away about remembering my check and the way effectively Billy was going proper to the tip, we halted at G, I saluted the decide, and actually out of nowhere Billy determined to salute too. I used to be nonetheless smiling and the judges liked his salute.” Emma Marshall
5. “My horse Olena hated dressage and was seeking to get to the ‘good bit’ of the BE90. We had been doing the dressage on grass, and it hadn’t occurred to me to make use of studs (I did be taught my lesson), so whereas doing a quite 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 was unharmed, simply disinclined to do any extra dressage. I used to be mortified, not simply to have fallen off, however that my horse was now taking a nap in the midst of the world with all of the rivals after us questioning how on earth there may very well be a maintain on track for dressage! We had been really allowed to complete the check and, following an intensive vet test, to finish the occasion.” Jo Parkes
6. “I travelled to Bury Farm, Bucks, from Edinburgh for the British Driving Golf equipment dressage to music championships a couple of years in the past, when my horse was badly spooked getting into the primary area. Poor startled Onyx bolted and jumped the white boards and flower pots — and we discovered ourselves within the area standing in entrance of the decide at E. Whoops – it wasn’t fairly the dramatic entrance I had been planning.” Sarah Johnsen
7. “Because the earlier competitor completed their check at my first Space Pageant, I used to be allowed to stroll across the outdoors of the world. As I did so, my horse Harry’s tail brushed on of the plastic bushes adorning the world. He leapt into the air, then spooked on the viewers, jumped into the world over the white boards, and eventually unseated me, leaving me in a pile on the ground. He then trotted as much as the opposite competitor who had simply halted on the finish of her check. Fortunately, as I hadn’t technically entered the world, they let me get again on and we completed second!” Hannah Burrage
8. “As a youngster I used to be midway by a prelim check on my pony Minstrel and every little thing was going effectively. Then he determined to throw in considered one of his particular bucks. I slid straight down his neck, and on the way in which down, I in some way managed to hook my thumb by his headpiece and take away his entire bridle. I don’t know who was extra shocked: me or everybody else watching. However I tacked Minstrel again up, bought on and carried on with the remainder of the check. I saluted to the decide, gave my pony a giant pat and left the world calmly. I made all of it the way in which to the trailer earlier than bursting into tears!” Sophie Irvine
9. “A few weeks in the past on the British Dresssage summer time music championships, I did a gorgeous freestyle check. My transitions had been spot on to my music modifications, I used to be grinning from ear to ear, up the centre line, salute, massive pat for my superb pony… Then I heard the bell ring — I used to be going through the mistaken method and the judges had been sitting behind me! I’d turned up the centre line the mistaken method…” Sarah Hayter-Sharpe
10. “A few years in the past I entered my 18hh Shire/Clydesdale/thoroughbred, Maisie, into two prelim assessments. There was a brief break between the 2, so I slackened my girth and went for a stroll across the warm-up. Sadly I forgot to tighten my girth earlier than the second check… We had been going effectively till the 20m circle when my saddle and I slowly slid round to Maisie’s facet and gravity finally took maintain. The decide 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 music check on the Horse & Hound Pageant of Dressage at Sheepgate, my horse took huge exception to the hog roast. He determined he couldn’t probably transcend P in direction of it, and that upwards was the best choice! Pressured to retire I then confronted the acute embarrassment of being unable to get out of the world (and all of this to the tune of The Lion Sleeps Tonight)!” Lesley Wheatley
12. “Once I took my teen to his second ever dressage present we entered the world, went down the centre line and that was that! He didn’t wish to dance so plonked his toes and wouldn’t transfer additional than 10m, no matter what I did. In the long run the decide was laughing as I laughed, shrugged and saluted my so-called check. ‘Wants extra miles on the clock’ and ‘effectively tried’ had been the feedback, with a quite unhealthy 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 by one of many wood dressage boards. It was caught — fortunately he’s a peaceful pony and after seeing he was not injured, my Dad and the present organiser ended up sawing the wood board off his hind leg! After checking he was unharmed — and gathering fairly an viewers — we went on to finish the check and completed third!” Hollie Blakeston
14. “I’ve myself just a little airplane spotter; he’ll watch planes and helicopters! Once I first bought him simply over two years in the past I had no concept about his little passion. We had been competing for our native using membership within the space dressage competitors, and coming down the centre line to halt. Simply as we bought to X the British Pink Arrows flew over in full formation, and my horse stopped lifeless and caught his head within the air to look at them fly over.” Demi Davis
15. “I had nobody to take care of my youngsters so I took them out to Discipline Home, and advised them to remain within the café as I may 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 look and shouted “again within the café!”. The decide’s remark was ‘anxious entry’ — however we nonetheless bought a seven!” Julie Barber
16. “I had discovered the check however it went fully out of my head, although a sort particular person referred to as for me. All I needed to do was get to the tip and get out of the world. Crossing the diagonal, I heard the caller say “and present some medium trot strides” — and realised I used to be nonetheless in canter. The decide rang the bell and bought out of the automobile, however I used to be so determined to complete the check that I ignored her and saved going. I don’t know who was extra traumatised: the poor caller who learn the check completely, the decide who needed to mark the final two actions standing on the automobile door, or me.” Elizabeth Rushton
17. “Having efficiently accomplished a dressage check for as soon as with none main dramas, I relaxed as we moved off on an extended rein after the salute. At that time the decide stood up and pulled again the sliding glass window within the decide’s field. My pony teleported left. I ended up mendacity on the bottom on my again trying up on the decide, who mentioned ‘oh…sorry…was that my fault?’” Jane Sanders
18. “My horse was a jumper, however I misguidedly did a dressage check on him. Cantering down the lengthy facet, I felt him abruptly setting himself proper to leap the hedge, which was the boundary on the quick facet. I couldn’t persuade him to not leap it. The judges referred to as me again and instructed I ought to keep on with leaping.” Jackie Bell
19. “Competing at native indoor dressage championship, I used to be extremely nervous and there was a giant silent crowd of native riders watching. Because the bell rang to begin, I trotted down the lengthy facet and my horse farted very loudly — echoing across the area. I heard the booming voice of my coach saying ‘Oh! Poor Rebecca, she suffers so badly with competitors nerves!’ The gang collapsed into laughter — as did I.” Rebecca Jackson
20. “I had nearly accomplished a pleasant novice check on my cheeky colored pony, Patch. As I got here to halt on the centre line, Patch, completely with out warning, determined it was the right time to get down for a roll. I managed to get her up mid roll, jumped again on, saluted the decide and left the world with a really pink face! Fortunately the decide had a way of humour to match Patchy’s, and we bought a 4 for the halt, with the remark merely saying ‘rolled’.” Claire Hazeldine
21. “Once I was younger I attended a neighborhood unaffiliated dressage check on just a little gray pony referred to as Dinky. The proprietor was calling the check for me and at A I commenced a 20m circle in trot with the intention of cantering left earlier than X. As I requested for canter Dinky did an enormous buck and despatched me flying. The proprietor swiftly gave me a leg-up and I commenced the motion once more from A — the identical factor occurred once more. The third time, the bridle got here off with me! By that point there was fairly a big viewers gathered and the decide then popped out of the field to say that she thought it was time to go away the world.” Katie Rutter
And a bonus story from H&H’s former dressage editor…
“Throughout a check on my extravagant Anglo-Arab gelding, Toby, considered one of my contact lenses bought dislodged simply as we set off throughout the diagonal in prolonged trot – his occasion piece. Unable to see correctly, and to evaluate how distant the intermittent white boards forward of us had been, we sailed straight out of the world at M and nearly made it to the boundary fence. The decide referred to as after us, ‘Oh do come again!’…” Polly Bryan
Credit score: Trevor Meeks
Library picture.
Credit score: Lucy Merrell
Credit score: Future
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