Not-So-Speedy Dressage
From Endurance to Dressage
I've lamented my lack of a nearby dressage trainer since ... forever. For a number of years I've been making the long trek to Simi Valley, a 5 hour round trip, to ride with Chemaine Hurtado (owner and trainer at Symphony Dressage Stables). For the past six months, I've been able to round up enough interested riders that I was able to put on twice monthly clinics here in Bakersfield with Chemaine teaching. Having a lesson twice a month gave Speedy, Izzy, and me a big upward boost in our training. Then, Chemaine bought a house in Bear Valley Springs, an equestrian community just an hour east of us. That changed everything. All of a sudden, I started getting a lesson once a week. Today is lesson day. I am so thrilled with how much Speedy and I are learning. Last week, we tackled the shoulder in - ask me sometime how to ride it completely WRONG. Now that I see Chemaine every week, we can work on finessing little stuff instead of always tackling one huge issue at a time. Today I am hoping we can do some work on travers (haunches in) - Speedy's a little braced and definitely heavier than I think is right. And like the shoulder in, I am probably going to find out that I've been doing it wrong anyway.
I'll let you know! Comments are closed.
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About the Writer and RiderI am a lifelong rider.
I began endurance riding in 1996 where I ultimately completed five, one-day 100 mile races, the 200-mile Death Valley Encounter, and numerous other 50, 65, and 75 mile races. I began showing dressage in 2010. Welcome to my dressage journey. About Speedy GSpeedy went from endurance horse to dressage horse. After helping me earn a USDF Bronze medal in the summer of 2020, he is now semi-retired. Speedy is a 2004, 15'1 hand, purebred Arabian gelding. His Arabian Horse Registry name is G Ima Starr FA.
About IzzyIzzy was started as a four-year old and then spent the next 18 months in pasture growing up. I bought him as a six-year old, and together, we are showing at the lower levels. He is a 2008, 16'3 hand warmblood gelding. His Rheinland Pfalz-saar International (RPSI) name is Imperioso.
National Rider AwardsState Rider Awards
State Horse Awards
Working Towards:
CDS Sapphire Rider Award Third Level: 63.514% Third Level: 62.105% Fourth Level: Fourth Level: 2023 Show Season
Show Rating (***) CDS/USDF/USEF (*) CDS (s) Schooling (c) Clinic (r) Ride-a-Test Clinic 2023 Show Schedule
TBD 2023 Completed … Pending 2023 Qualifying Scores
Regional Adult Amateur Competition (RAAC) Qualifying Training Level 3 Scores/2 Judges/60%: Score 1: Score 2: Score 3: Archives
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