June Update

Tuesaday nights in June have found me traveling up to picturesque Stradbally in County Laois to teach a dressage clinic in conjunction with TEAMWOODCRAFT, my new sponsors. It’s a new initiatve to encourage dressage in the younger of their pony club riders from the ages of seven to twelve. We’re hoping to deliver dressage in a new easy to understand way and to allow children who wouldn’t normally have access to dressage specific lessons the chance to try it out with their ponies. Both TEAMWOODCRAFT and I are big believers in instilling enthusiasm and passion at the foundation level of childrens learning. TEAMWOODCRAFT have sponsored the venue, allowing us access to their new fabulous indoor arena and outdoor paddocks which have been great with all the sunshine we’ve been getting and I’ve sponsored eight sessions of training with the riders. This allows me enough time to introduce the kids to the concepts of dressage and to try help them make a real difference with their ponies training.

Everyone has really stepped up to the challenge and some of the ponies and riders having made huge progress, I was also delighted to see some of the youngest riders and how keen they are. It’s the first time a whole group of riders have plaited their horses for one of my training sessions, I was very impressed. I have to be careful not to get too big an ego.

With TEAMWOODCRAFT ‘s support we’ve decided to extend the training into July to incorporate the musical ride at the Pony Club Festival. Aisling Hurley of TEAMWOODCRAFT has put on her artisic hat and come up with a delightful theme for the ride and is doing a sterling job of keeping everyone organised and up to date. The children will be competing for a place in the Brandon Cup for best team artistic presentation and the Ponsonby Trophy (in memory of Mrs Cherry Brandon) for best first time musical ride. Anything that persuades riders that dressage can be both helpful and fun is good in my book.