Classical Dressage with Tracey Lawson BHSIT BD Registered Dressage Trainer

Diary Dates 2012

2012-02-23T14:25:00.003-08:00

February
Sunday 26th Elstead Clinic
Wednesday 29th Sutton Green Clinic
March
Friday 9th Elstead Riding Club Clinic
Saturday 24th Wokingham and Bearwood Riding Club Clinic
Saturday 31st Combined Training At Skylands in Dorset
April
Sunday 1st Combined Training At Skylands in Dorset
Thursday 5th Elstead Riding Club Clinic
Saturday 28th Wokingham and Bearwood Riding Club Clinic
May
Saturday 26th Wokingham and Bearwood Riding Club Clinic
Friday 18th Elstead Riding Club Clinic
June
Saturday 30th Wokingham and Bearwood Riding Club Clinic

January/February 2012

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Well the New Year started with a bang when poor Delboy went into 'orsepital with a tooth root infection. I think he may have hoofed himself in his bottom jaw with all that front leg action. The infection is now gone and we are hoping it does not come back, because if it does, big tooth removal operation. Fingers crossed that is not needed.

On a brighter note, Alf went to his first affiliated Novices winning them both with 74.23% and 73.75%!

Tracey Lawson riding Alfero

Happy happy! He felt and behaved AMAZINGLY and since then we have really seen our confidence in each other go up a notch and we are really starting to engage and believe in each other. It has been such a long haul waiting for his splints to settle down. He is only 6 years old and immature mentally and physically, but oh boy is this horse about to start catching up. No rush, Still lots of hacking for his brain and body, walking up hills for his bum, only schooling 3 times a week......but I'm starting to believe that PSG is not a dream for him, but a definite destination. We are now both really really enjoying the journey.

Sara Malpass is about to start her climb up the BD ladder with some exciting new projects. In the meantime I was very happy for her when Quaker won his unaffiliated prelim class by over 3% with 74.5%, and Basil getting 68%. Super achievement for a lass who was hopping about on a set of crutches last month! Now that's dedication. Basil then went on to win his first affiliated prelim!

Denise Holland and Strider have really improved these last couple of months. Strider is a very tall horse, there's a lot to put together and Denise was struggling to find self carriage in the canter. So we decided to sophisticate the trot work and get that more truly engaged with Strider doing more and Denise doing less. That has now helped with the canter and the self carriage is well on its way. Strider needs to sink down into more articulated hind legs, so that he can push himself more into the air. He needs first to find the suppleness to do this and then to slowly build the strength to maintain it. The 'by product' is that a new medium trot has appeared. Can't complain at that! Now I need to get them to believe they are ready to go show this to a dressage judge. Although to be honest as long as they are both enjoying their time together then i'm happy! That's the most important thing in this art we call classical dressage - Loving the art because its just amazing, not just because we win competitions........

..........However.......Sue Jones and George did their first BD Elementary and came home with a big fat red rosette! Just what she needed to keep her confidence up for the Open Novice Petplan Finals at the BD Winter Championships at Hartbury in April. It may seem like I have just completely contradicted myself but I love both sides of my job. Teaching people how to love riding their horse more and if its what they want, teaching them how this can also lead to higher percentages and better competition results. Just never at the horses expense.

"To be an equestrian in the classical sense is
not just to be a rider. It is a position in life"
Charles de Kunffy

I could not agree with this more.

November / December 2011

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http://www.waynejonesphotographic.com/

Even my very best riders need
centre line assistance!

Clare Turner and I had a fantastic time doing the Spring, Summer and Autumn series of our Combined Training Clinics at Shepperlands in Finchampstead. A super variety of horses and riders kept all 6 of the clinics full. We had baby horses coming for the experience, ex race horses in retraining, horses and riders who are mainly dressage but like to jump for fun, unaffiliated eventers and BE competitors from Intro to International Novice. In the New Year we will plan the dates for 2012. The progress everyone made was such a pleasure to see.

Fabulous photos were taking by Wayne Jones Photography. Waynes team captures every horse and rider at their best, making you and your horse look amazing.There is a 'vibe' that comes out of his photos, they are not just visually good, you can 'feel' the photo. Wayne captures the atmosphere of the surrounding, our emotions are oozing out of the photo. I have never seen anyone else be able to do this. Magical.

Delboy has been out of work from June to October after hurting himself bucking in a trailer (celebraring his two fantastic percentages!) However all is good again now and we went to Snowball for our first outing in ages. Del was very very very excited and the quality of the tests were not in my opinion very good, but somehow he brought home 2 red rossettes! You cant blame him having not been out for 6 months. Will get him out and about doing some horse box practice, hacking and schooling in clients arenas and he will be ready to relax and breathe in the competition ring by January!

Alfs second splint is still active but the original one has shrunk down to practically nothing! Hooray! He is a late developer for sure and his bones are still soft and growing. However he is an incredibly intelligent active little pocket rocket so its very difficult to keep him in 'light' work!

Red Alf and Del will all be out competing once a month in 2012. Bring it on!

Look how much 'rounder' Crunch is in this photo as he bascules with Ellie cleanly over the fence.This is exactly how I would describe the improvement in their flatwork. Rounder, more through the back, more self carriag....... = bigger jumps and more clear rounds!

HAPPY CHRISTMAS AND A FANTASTIC NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL!

September / October 2011

2011-12-17T13:35:00.000-08:00

Emily and Inka

September started with a bang when Beverley Wright got 80% in an unaffiliated prelim, Felix thinks he is Moorlands Totillas. Cathy Howard close behind with 76%, 5th in the end of season overall points championship AND the award for most improved rider of the season. Emily Howard and Inka won the trophy for most points at WEC this season.

Susan Jones and Mission In Motion (George to the rest of us) were Reserve Champions in the Novice Open Championship at the Wellington Area Festival. Cannot tell you how proud I am. Sue came out of the warm up test, took everything on board that Aunty said about how to improve it for the Area Championship test, then went and rode for her life. If George was a tube of toothpaste, then Sue squeezed every bit of toothpaste out there was on offer. Brilliant riding. Now qualified for the BD Winter Nationals 2012 at Hartbury!

Hannah and Finny

Hannah Bown and Finny won his first dressage competition since Feb and then went on to come 2nd and 1st with 68% & 73%, at their second comp, despite Finny thinking things around the arena were going to eat him in the first test!

Well done Holly Kemp at The BE South of England International, third in the BE Open Novice, finishing on her dressage score!

I rode the lovely Andalusion Relajado in two Affiliated Novices and the clever boy won them both! Thankyou Red for winning back your entry fee!

Alf got 73.2% at his first show since May 2010! Just a Prelim this time, Novice next week. But lets say he definitely needs to go back to Checkendon to school past those jumps outside the arena! Naughty spooky nappy pony! However he had grown up by his second comp and at his first Affiliated Novices, behaved like a star and for the first time in his life didnt put a foot wrong. Maybe he's ill?!?! We had to go 'HC' as needs to wear front boots at the moment until second splint has calmed down, but he got top scores in both Novices. Very happy.

Anni and Mercury

In preparation for Mercurys four dressage tests at the BRC National Championships in a couple of weeks time Anni Denton did three tests at the weekend. They won all three of their classes N24 (67%), N36 (68%) and E43 (67%). So proud of my superstars

Anni got over 70% in the Open dressage at the RC Nationals and was on the winning National Rural Riders Test, who won by 36 points!

Very well done to Clare Grant and That Scallywag Prince for coming 9th at the Great Bookham Dressage Champs. 8's for the trot work and 7's for the much improved canter transitions

How cool are these results from BE South Of England 1* International Novice

Lovely pic of Laura and Vardigo looking gorgeous in top

hat and tails at Western Park International Novice.

1 BILLY BLACK JACK Mrs Pippa Funnell 8 30.00
2 SORRENTO III Mr Clayton J Fredericks 7 36.8
3 BILLY CRACKLE Mrs Pippa Funnell 6 38.10
4 BILLY ON AIR Miss Gemma Tattersall 5 39.10
5 WHY NOT Miss Bryony Holloway 4 44.80
6 VARDIGO Ms Laura Normand 3 46.50 !!!!!
7 ACHERON Mrs Lucinda Fredericks 2 46.50

Im so proud to tell you that Laura and Vardigo also won the Goring U18 BE Novice!

Future British Team Selectors take note. Laura has arrived!

Yippee! Ellie Lloyd Jones and Crunchie won Munstead BE100 with a 28.5 dressage! Happy Aunty. I had a tear in my eye a few weeks later watching the video of Ellie doing her first BE Novice! 6th place after the dressage with 31, same dressage score as Lucinda Fredericks and only 1 mark behind Rodney Powell. Well done Ellie and Crunch!

July / August 2011

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Ellie and Crunchie

Ellie Lloyd Jones has had an amazing couple of months...winning the BE90 National Schools at Tweseldown on Lad, then going on to win her Section at the Pony Club Area Intermediate Eventing on Crunchie, qualifying for the Pony Club Nationals, where she came home 5th! Fabulous result!

Grace Lloyd Jones got a fantastic dressage score of 29 at the Pony Club Nationals Intermediate Eventing (team seventh) and won the Pony Club Intermediate Eventing at Hambledon with a dressage of 21.6!

Katie and Sue

Katie Patrick and her mare Sue have also had an amazing couple of months....winning Prelim 12 with 68.8% at the National Riding Club Area Qualifier, and winning the Novice Riding Test with 76%. Off to the RC National Champs! Then went on to win her section of the Pony Club Intermediate Eventing Area Qualifier with a dressage of 23.3 (three 9's!) and was part of Graces team that came seventh at the PC National Champs!

Emma Thomson's and Quinn's unaffiliated Novice scores are nicely improving with a 68.46% and five 8's and they got their first 8 at affiliated Prelim. Now looking forward to BD Area Festivals!

What a day for Sarah Thomas at the Riding Club Area Qualifier winning the Advanced Riding Test with Dysko with a whopping 87%, beating her younger horse Davidoff into second place with 84%!

Emily Farrar and her 5 year old gelding Inca have got some lovely %'s at affiliated Prelim so good luck to them at the BD Regionals!

Anni Denton and Mercury won the British Riding Clubs Open Dressage Qualifier with 71% and won an unaffiliated Elementary with 69%, her nearest competitor on 66%.

Clare and Prince

Having convinced Clare Grant that Prince is now ready to Affiliate, am very pleased to say they have qualified for the British Dressage Area Festivals at Prelim!

My favorite news for this blog is Sue Jones winning an Affiliated Novice on her event horse George (who has been sadly off with an injury for a long long time) WITH OVER 73%!!! I'm still smiling from that now!

So proud of Laura Normand for coming 10th in her first FEI CIC* (International Novice Eventing). Double Clear too round huge courses! Brilliant!

May /June 2011

2011-08-18T04:42:00.000-07:00

Emily and Inka

Delboy and I had another super clinic at the TTT in Guildford with Stephen Clarke. Del has come on so much since we saw him in February and he declared that Del has "Grand Prix stamped all over his forehead!" Woohoo!

Emily and Cathy Howard had a brilliant day out together with their lovely black mare Inka, Emily winning an unaffiliated prelim with 75% and Cathy with 72%!

Emma Thomson and Quinn won her first red rosette at an unaffiliated prelim....time to affiliate me thinks!

She realised was right to affiliate when she won her first affiliated Prelim! Also came third in her first unaffiliated Novice!

Emma and Quinn

I rode Delboy at his 3rd Affiliated competition and he produced his best ever Novice tests and got his best ever %'s of 69.1% and 71.09%!!!

Our British Dressage Novice Open Regionals ticket came through in the post, but sadly we cant go this year as Del had a celebratory buck in the trailer on the way home from his brilliant tests at Checkendon and needs to just walk until the heat has gone from his fetlock joint. Try again next year! Would anyone like to sponsor us so we can upgrade again to a horse box?!?!?!

I am very excited to be back in Horse & Hound after such a long break from competing. Am so lucky to have had lots of name mentions as the trainer but its lovely to be back in as a rider. Thank you Delboy for your Novice win last month that allowed this to happen! Clever boy then went on to win both his Novices at Snowball in May. Happy happy.

Clare and Loki

Clare Wilson and Loki came second in an unaffiliated Prelim with her best ever dressage score of 68.3%.

Anni Denton and Mercury won an unaffiliated Novice with 69% and 2nd in an elementary, both under List 2 judge Patt Watts.
It was a day out for Team Lawson when at Merrist Wood affiliated Prelim, Corrina Heddle won with Savvy and Emily Farrar and Inca second, both with over 70%.

Laura and Jack

At Borde Hill BE100 Under 18's Laura Normand came second on Jack. They were also second at BCA BE100 and Laura was second with Vardigo in the BE100 Open. I then asked for a first place please and Laura obliged by bringing home the winning dressage score of 27 at Longleat International Novice. Unbeatable after her two double clears!

Laura and Vardigo

At the Pony Club Intermediate Eventing Qualifier at Hambledon, Grace Lloyd Jones and Classic won the dressage section with 21.6 and then went on to win on her dressage score after two double clears.

Ellie Lloyd Jones and Lad were on the winning Intermediate team.

March /April 2011

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Clever Delboy attended his first competition and gosh his front legs really can fill the air in his trot and canter work! Very excited boy in the first test of Novice 22, but settled in Novice 35 for a very respectable 67.13%. I only entered the Affiliated Training Section but am pleased to say we would have won the class by 4%. The test was full of lots of little baby mistakes and wobbles like cantering a few strides at the beginning of the medium trots, not yet really relaxed in the free walk, working canter too onward bound, therefore the medium canters were on the forehand, but i am still over the moon with him. I am a great believer in working at least one level above the level you are competing at, and Delboy is really not there yet! But i believe he needs to go out and about so he can start to gain his confidence in the big wide world, whilst we also improve the quality and consistency of the work at home.

Claire Roissetter and Harvey Hooves have had a fantastic start to the season winning both her BE90's. Coming first after the dressage definitely does help! At Munstead her score of 17.5 contained two marks of 10, with her nearest competitor after the dressage on 23!

Emily Farrar and Inca

Siobhan Coultrip and Solly brought home their first red rosette at this level winning Novice 36 at Merrist Wood!

Laura Normand and Zac won Novice 22 at Oldencraig with a whopping 74.48%! To make this even more special this was under a List 5 judge who gave her a 9 for her riding and a 9 for her final centre line and halt!

My clever Lloyd Jones girls are the Surrey Schools Champions! Grace and Classic won the Prelim Championship and then Ellie and Lad won the Novice Championship with Grace coming second on Jack! Emily Howard and Inca won the Prelim at WEC with 73% and Emily Farrar and another lovely Inca won the Affiliated Prelim at Merrist Wood with 69.55%.

Sue Jones and Southerly Roberts had a super successful day at Priory and came home with red rosettes and over 70% tests.

Delboy and I campaigned our first official affiliated Novice. First test was rather fresh with a buck, 3 neighs and a flying change! Second test was much nearer how he felt in the warm up and we won it with it with 68.46%, even though I lost us so many marks for forgetting the test ........TWICE!! I'm a middle aged lady now and need to revise my tests much much more than I did when I stopped competing 6 years ago!

January / February 2011

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My clients have been braving the weather to get their horses out and about competing! Siobhan Coultrip went to Merrist Wood and came home with third place in Novice 27 with 70% and fourth place in Novice 30 with 67.3%. Well done to Katie Patrick for coming joint first in the Junior Dressage Qualifier for the Royal Windsor BRC Championships. All that hard work on their dressage position becoming more functional was so worth it. My young horse Delboy behaved beautifully at his first two day training course at the TTT with Andrew Murphy. This was also his first time of staying away from home and he took it all in his stride (although I am very glad I had my partner James lead me round the block on the first day and my lovely client Mary Mounsey on the second day). I am very excited about a new venture I am doing with Clare Turner from Skylands Equestrian Centre, a Combined Training Series for those aspiring to compete from BE80 to 2*.

I am so proud of my show jumper slowly being converted to dressage client Emily Farrar for taking her four year old Inka to his first dressage competition and bringing me back a test sheet with one 8 and seven 7's. I had an amazing two days training with Stephen Clarke. Delboy has made so much progress since he came into full work three months ago and now we believe he is strong enough to take more weight back in the canter to start to balance his extravagant pace (as opposed to bowling on around the arena like the "charge of the light brigade!"). We then had our first hack around the block by ourselves! Delboy had a few days off after Stephen and then the super star did his home work brilliantly in the canter. It became more engaged, slower but with much more time in the air. Less speed means my eyes don't water so much thankfully! He could not have done any better so had a few more days off. He is a big young boy who is giving me his all and I need him to stay happy and sound in the mind and body to make sure the Grand Prix goal is obtainable.

November / December 2010

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Sarah and my favorite boy Red.

The day before I flew to Mexico to spend two glorious weeks with my lovely better half, I had a brilliant day out with Sarah Harrington's Andalusian Relajado (Red) at his second affiliated competition. Red is a hot little horse and we have taken things slowly with him to give him time to mature mentally and physically. He is now ready to climb the dressage ladder and I'm proud to say he won his first Novice with 68.82% and was third in the second with 67.10%. If it will now PLEASE stop snowing we will get his 2011 competition diary plans, not because I love competing, but because I LOVE training......and climbing up the British Dressage test structure helps me develop my systematic way. It's fun to win, but it's even more fun to see a happy horse improving his dressage skills and muscular development, purely because he loves his dance lessons!

My 5 year old chestnut Alf had his splint x rayed and unfortunately although there is nothing bad to be seen, the bone is still active therefore he needs more time off ARGH!. I will prey that this very very bored young horse will be able to come back into work soon to do the dancing that he loves.

Anni Denton and Mallingold Mercury qualified for the National Riding Club Championships with a lovely 69.5%

September / October 2010

2011-08-18T01:56:00.000-07:00

A brilliant time was had by all at the National Riding Club Championships. Becky Friend came third individually in the Riding Test (with a whopping 84%!). Anni Denton and Mallingold Mercury were in the winning Rural Riders Team for Elstead RC and 8th in the Open Dressage!

My client Emma Thomson has bought the most delicious little horse and I am very much looking forward to helping her train Quinn up the dressage ladder.

Eilean and Shikira enjoying their winter sport!

Eilean and Shakira enjoying their summer hobby!

Another acquisition is a lovely four year old bought by Emily Farrar who originally started training with me to help her with her flat work so as to improve her show jumper Louis. Emily tells me any problems she had in her last show jumping round and together we solve them. Louis is now looking like he could do a PSG after all our patterns to supple and engage him, putting him more into his hind legs so he can now lengthen and shorten easily. I am embarrassed to say I couldn't stop giggling when I first asked Emily to show me her sitting trot. (oh the memory of it has me chuckling away in my chair as I type). So I'm INCREDIBLY proud to have seen Emily today floating around the arena in a beautiful sitting trot, new long legs back and underneath her, Inka working so beautifully under the saddle with Emily saying 'Oh my god I didn't realise how much my position could influence my horse!'

Grace Lloyd Jones and Classic have had a fantastic couple of months competing at BE100 Open. Winning at Munstead on her dressage score of 29, second at Pulborough with dressage of 28.5 and after all her hard work, a 9 for her free walk! Too many other good dressage score and placings at BE100 to mention, but the last four events had double clears inside the time. Wow. I think this proves that good flatwork improves the jumping! No wonder she passed her Pony Club B Test!

Ella Lloyd Jones and Kilcarroll Lad won the BE100 at Pulborough finishing on their dressage score of 27.5. Just as importantly, they can now do a row of tempi flying changes! Yay!

Eilean Appleton and Shakiras dressage score of 25 at BE100 is her best to date! With a 9 for her halts (we've been working on those) and an 8 for her riding (have you seen how good her position has got recently!)

Katie Patrick and her mare Sue have really picked up their game recently and came third in the London and South East Championships both individually and as part of her team. Sue has recently grown a lot and Katie was in need of learning how to start channelling this new found power of Sues in the right direction! We have done some more intensive regular training and loved watching Katie grinning as she rode through some lovely simple changes which helped her to find her super new canter for her dressage and to jump with more control and balance.

Sheryl and the one and only Blixen

Sheryl Holland and the breathtaking black Friesian Blixen have really made some progress recently in their half pass. This has really helped Blix find both his hind legs and both sides of his body, allowing the most beautiful mediums to now power through.

July / August 2010

2011-06-26T10:02:00.000-07:00

Well done to Ellie Lloyd Jones for her score of 21 in her recent BE dressage, and big congrats to Grace Lloyd Jones for her 29, the only person to beat her was Pippa Funnel! My girls are catching up with one of the best riders in the country! Yippee!

I had a brilliant course at the TTT with Herwig Radnetter from the Spanish Riding School of Vienna. Alf was just amazing and whatever Herwig asked for, baby half pass in trot, walk pirouettes, collecting the canter, Alf just did. For just turned 5, I am so proud of him. A video clip of this lesson can be seen on lawsonsnags on YouTube. Wow what a month! Claire Roissetter and Harvey! Winning the RC Area Dressage Riding Test at her first attempt at Seniors qualifying for the RC Nationals.At Tweseldown winning her BE 100 (that’s Pre Novice for us oldies.) Fifth at the BE Regional Final at BE 90....and has qualified for BADMINTON! HOORAY!

My clever Normand girls have been at it again! In 2008 Louise Normand was fifth in the Intermediate Eventing at the PC Nationals with the lovely Casual Opposition, so Julia and Laura Normand knew they had their work cut out this year to keep the family name in the papers! Julia did her bit by winning the Area 13 Novice Dressage and, to make it an even more special day, Laura was one of the winning team in the Open Area 13 Eventing AND was fifth in the Individual Area 13 Open Dressage!
In 2009 Grace Lloyd Jones qualified for all 3 disciplines at Novice level for the PC National Championships, but unfortunately couldn’t attend due to a family holiday. So this year Ellie Lloyd Jones made sure they got to the PC Nationals by winning the Area 13 Intermediate Dressage and coming second in the Intermediate Eventing and therefore qualifying individually! So proud of you girls for qualifying. Now just relax and enjoy it!

Becky Friend, Harriet Green and Rachael Scourfield all qualified their horses for the RC National Eventing Championships! It is so lovely to see how these three 'Eventing' loving ladies are now also really enjoying and getting a 'buzz' out of their flat work, and the improvements they have made to the quality of their canters is now showing through in the jumping phases!

Another adrenalin loving chick, Eilean Appleton and her lovely mare Shakira, are also getting hooked on this 'dressage malarky' and are out and about having fun on the Affiliated ladder for both BE and BD (that is until the hunting starts again and then i might not see so much of her!)

Angela Sumner and her gorgeous young boy Frankie have had a super month, coming 2nd in his first Novice dressage and 8th in his first BE 80! This combination is one to watch for the future in both BE and BD competitions.

Annie Denton and Mallingold Mercury will be making their now annual trip up to the RC Nationals, for so many classes it makes me want to just sit down and have a cuppa tea looking at her qualification card! Open dressage Pairs, Team of 4 Dressage, Rural Riders Dressage. They also qualified for the Riding Test, but her fellow competitors will be pleased to know she's not doing that as well, as this could be all too much for the lovely Mercury.

Becky and Wesley at BRC Eventing Champs.

Grace and Classic