Local riders strut their stuff at dressage show
Mataffin Riding Club hosted its first graded dressage show on Saturday which was a very exciting milestone for both the venue and the riders.
The judge for the day travelled all the way from Johannesburg and only had positive feedback on both the venue and the competitors.
Dressage is often referred to as horse ballet. In a modern dressage competition, successful training at various levels is demonstrated through the performance of certain tests, which is a prescribed series of movements ridden within a standard arena.
Judges evaluate each movement on the basis of an objective standard appropriate to the level of the test and assign a score from zero to 10 – zero being not executed and10 excellent.
Along with the normal dressage tests, ranging from preliminary to elementary, there was an added pleasure of watching freestyle tests. In these higher level dressage riders perform a test which they have compiled themselves and synchronised to music – pure magic in motion.
For the first time ever, the dressage was held in the top arena, making it much more spectator-friendly.
The event was very well supported by riders and spectators alike.
