Great day at Hickstead

[blackjack]

Hi,

Just to let you all know, we had a great day at the dressage at Hickstead yesterday. Was a long day, up at 6 left home at about 7.30 and went and checked on the boys on the way out. Got to Hickstead at just before 9 and got great seats in the grandstand front row. Saw the Young Riders freestyle to music then around lunchtime they did what they called the Eventers Challenge which was a combination of a bit of dressage and a bit of jumping with some fairly high profile event riders and the show jumpers being represented by Tim Stockdale, John Whittaker, William Funnell and Geoff Billington (ever the clown). The whole class was a bit of a riot with all the other riders hanging around the ring heckling the one that was riding and it all culminating in Geoff Billington coming in for his round wearing Richard Davisons top hat and dressage tails held together around his slightly 'fuller form' with a bit of bailer twine, doing his round and then riding into the hospitality tent (yes you did read right) scrounging a glass of wine, coming back into the ring and jumping a few more fences whilst drinking the wine before riding back into the tent to return the glass !!! The prizes were then presented by Nikki Chapman (Only Fools on Horses runner up).

The day was completed by the Grand Prix freestyle to music with many big names on big horses !! It was fantastic to watch and really highlighted the wonderful partnership and trust between a horse and its rider. Watching these great big horses working so hard and concentrating so much to please was quite humbling to watch.

Apart from the sunburnt arms (despite ample application of factor 50 !!!) it was a wonderful day and cannot wait for next years show.

[The Moo]

That sounds great, I wondered if you were having a good time.

[bevbob]

That sounds brilliant, I love dressage to music, it always makes me cry.

[blackjack]

Bevbob, thank goodness it makes you cry too - I thought I was the only one that it had the effect on !! I just think it is so beautiful and emotional and to see such large animals working so willingly and gracefully for a human is just unbelievable - it is the ultimate art form.

[Deleted]

Any photos? ;D

[khristyne]

pass the hankie!! another weepy!!!! Glad you had a good day. i had to duck out as I just cant stand the heat and sun.

[blackjack]

Think we had better invest in a giant size DF's box of tissues - I did not realise that it affected anyone else in the same way as it does me but I am glad that I am not the only weepy dressage fan. The freestyle to music is the one that REALLY set me off, especially some of Wayne Channon and Lorenzo's piaffe/Passage work - it was just so d**n beautiful !!!

[harveydales]

Oh lucky you being there to see it. It must have been truly inspiring to see those fabulous horses in the Freestyle. I've only ever seen it on video but would love to watch it live - would need the tissues too.

I read about the Eventers Challenge and thought it sounded good fun and will bring dressage to a wider audience. I think Dane Rawlins is great at organising this sort of thing and has some excellant ideas - he's a great showman himself and used to come up here and give me and some others in our Riding Club dressage lessons. I wonder what he would have made of Harvey!

[dalesponyrider]

He'd LOVE him - of course! I also need tissues - well I need tissues constantly - I'll cry at a beautiful piece of music, a lovely view, horses - anything really.