So after 2 years of getting to know Galaxy I decided we needed a goal instead of just pootling around The Paddocks .
Levels of dressage
I’ve only jumped a few cross poles and at max a 30cm block of my polyjumps set. So showjumping is way off just yet! So I decided to take a look at dressage, I didn’t know the first thing about it apart from the fact that riders looked very smart and used the letters around the arena! So I started looking into dressage, did lots of google searching, in British Dressage (BD) there is:
- Introductory
- Preliminary
- Novice
- Elementary
- Medium
- Advanced Medium
- Advanced
- Prix St George
- Intermediate I
- Intermediate II
Intro
So on the first level and I found it to be Intro. Introductory level, or Intro, is the first test level and you ride it in walk and trot only and my steering in canter is not quite there yet so I decided this is where to start. There is:
- Introductory A (2008)
- Introductory B (2009)
- Introductory C (2016
A caller
I printed it out and it looked very complicated! I was sure I would never remember the order of it and searched for the term ‘how to remember a dressage test’, lots of advice was to draw it out on paper a few times before attempting to ride it and then have someone to read it out to you while you were riding, I later found out this is called a ‘caller’.
A goal
So determined to do my Intro A and make sure I was going to do it I saw a BHS Dressage show for the 11th of September so I booked myself in and this gave me 12 weeks to practice.
Training
I practiced the test with my daughter Ellie reading me the movements and letters and then got my coach Helen to come and give me lessons and I decided to have a practice run at an event near home Newark Showground first on the 25th of August.
The first try
I applied to do Intro A at a local riding club, on grass as my arena at home is grass. I had looked at the dress code and purchased some white jodphurs, and managed to get a second hand Navy show jacket while at a local clinic. I already had a pair of long black riding boots and a black hat silk.
I was very excited and nervous. I took galaxy for a walk around and all seemed to be going well. Just before it was my time slot of 5.10, I looked to check my reins were straight and noticed his noseband looked a bit loose so dismounted and tightened it up, little did I know his tongue was over it so after getting back on he was acting strangely, I confidently moved him forward, but he threw in a buck and I landed flat on my back! He ran off and I stood up quickly, but quite shaken and worried about him being loose near other horses, a kind member of the riding club checked me over and got the St Johns Ambulance volunteer to check me over and another kind member caught Galaxy, he had snapped his reins. I decided to brush myself down and still go ahead and do the test as I had come this far and luckily had spare reins on the horse box (spookily I saw them the day before and almost put them away in the tack room, but thought no leave them in just in case!) we put on the reins and the lovely judge came over and asked if I’d like to go next.
I went in and did my intro A, I got a score of 52.3% this is not great, but I was fine with it as it was my first try, I had had a fall and I needed a baseline to work on.
So I had a look at the judges comments my circle could be better, in the test there are 3 – 20 meter circles, I actually marked out the circle on my home arena and realised I had been riding approximately a 15 meter circle so fully took that comment on. I didn’t show a stretch in the neck on the walk on a loose rein and we weren’t very straight, I had some nerves and was also in pain so I am sure I was busy memorising the test rather than concentrating on my straightness. So it was all points to work on.
I am really glad I had a go, it got me more clear on a training plan and Galaxy used to a show environment. So I can now plan for further training and events. I am also going to join British Dressage as they have lots of clinics locally.