Tag Archives: Dressage Stallion

6 Tips for Picking Out Awesome Freestyle Music for Your Horse

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Don’t freewheel …Freestyle instead

1. Know your horse’s ideal BPM (beats per minute)

2. The average horse has the following BPM:

•   Walk 90-106 BPM

•   Trot 138-160 BPM

•   Canter 96-108 BPM

3. Pick music that matches your horse’s BPM within 4-6 BPM range.

(For example if your dressage horse has a canter of 104 BPM, choose music that is between 100 BPM and 108 BPM)

4. Choose music that has a very clear downbeat. (You’d tap your toe to the downbeat.)

5. If you CAN’T tap your toe or clap your hands easily to the beat of the music, it’s not great freestyle music!

6. Choose freestyle music that will help you achieve your horse’s ideal tempo.

For example: If your horse is a bit on the lazy side, choose an upbeat and energetic piece of music that will help YOU ask for more energy. If your horse is hot or nervous, choose freestyle music that will help you feel calm and steady as well as help your horse with rhythm and relaxation.

Here are the facts – Thanks to British Dressage

There has been no stopping the popularity of the freestyle dressage to music test, also known as a kür, since Goodwood CDI hosted the first one at international level in 1979. There is even a separate set of individual medals up for grabs at the Olympics, World and European Championships for this crowd-pleasing form of the sport.

If you want to have a go, it is worth watching a few kürs to give you an idea of what works and doesn’t. Marks are awarded in a different way to ordinary tests. There are two categories: technical and artistic.

The freestyle test sheets tell you the compulsory movements required at the different levels and these are available through our Online shop.

To play copied music in public, you must have a music licence. You can arrange this by completing and returning both a music sub-licence agreement and a music licence record form to:

Michelle Garland, British Dressage,  Meriden Business Park Copse Drive, Meriden West Midlands CV5 9RG

Michelle will then send you stickers, which you need to put on your freestyle tapes/CDs to fulfil the licence agreement. This allows you to use any music from the record labels listed on the Phonographic Performance Ltd (PPL) repertoire list.

Follow this link to access the PPL online search facility.

2014 PPL Licence

There is no charge for this service if you are a BD member. If you are not a member, you can become a BD music member for £36 per year or £25 if you are a riding club member. Contact Michelle Garland (tel: 0247 669 8832) for more information.

You can put your own test and music together or you can pay a professional to help you. It is a good idea to take two CDs or tapes with you to shows in case there is a problem with one. Check with the organiser whether they have any requirements; at international shows, organisers like two different mediums, such as a mini disc and CD.

You need to give the organiser one CD or tape marked with your name and that of your horse. It needs to be ready to start at the right place with a note as to whether this is at the halt or at the position outside the arena where you will give a signal.

Rock and Roll guys. Horse Scout has a number of Dressage trainers and instructors who would, I am sure, be only to pleased to help you put your test and the music together with you and your horse! Good Luck.

Stallion at Stud Timolin

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View our exceptional stallion at stud Timolin here

Timolin  is an elegant, light-footed stallion of exceptional quality showing outstanding paces with a lot of athleticism as is shown in his jumping ability. Heads turn where ever he walks with him eluding presence and natural self-carriage. He is thought to be a refining sire and is expected to produce quality foals for dressage and probably for eventing with his ground covering strides and great jumping ability. His temperament is ideal for both disciplines.

His Sire, Totilas was World and European Dressage Champion, the first horse to win all three available gold medals at a World Equestrian Games in 2010. His name is legendary and was the first dressage horse to top 90% at Grand Prix level and at that time held 3 world record scores.

His dam, the International Small Tour Dressage mare Samira, was ridden by Jane Gregory and is by the Dutch stallion Sion.

Timolin was presented at the BEF Futurity as a yearling in 2012 where he was awarded the Overall highest score of all Dressage Yearlings with a score of 9.38. A very good Elite score.

Stallion at Stud

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Perfect British Riding Pony Stallion Littledale Bright Star

Graded with the Sports Pony Studbook Society Littledale Bright Star breeds up to height, introducing quality and movement to all his stock. He has been described as a “supremely talented horse in a ponies’ body”.Littledale Bright Star has competed in BSJA, but due to the lack of a suitable small jockey has only been very lightly competed under saddle.His wonderful temperament has enabled him to do a variety of disciplines including driving and vaulting. He has a wonderful jump and whenever the horses are being jumped Bright Star joins in too! He has wonderful, floating movement with tremendous ground cover, very quick and agile with an abundance of presence.His Sire, Catherston Nightsafe is one of the most famous pony stallions ever produced in this country. A prolific winner in-hand and under saddle, Catherston Nightsafe was the Lloyds Bank Supreme In-Hand Champion at the Royal Bath & West, Supreme Champion at the National Pony Show, West Midland Stallion Show, New Forest Stallion Show. Catherston Nightsafe had lifetime breeding permission in Germany where he was leased for 2 seasons and his first foals there included both the National Male and Female 2 year old champions. Nightsafe can be found in the pedigrees of most of the best dressage ponies in Germany.His dam, Gwersyllt Town Mouse, was a much loved lead-rein, first ridden pony of impeccable breeding with some of the best Welsh and riding pony bloodlines available.Botingelle Kingfisher was a prolific sire of ponies in the showring and Coed Coch Asa was probably one of the most famous Welsh Pony Stallions of his time.Like his dam, Littledale Bright Star has the temperament to be ridden by a child as can be seen here where he is being jumped by 10 year old James Whitacker. He was also ridden by Charlotte Dicker since she was 6 years old. Charlotte was vaulting on him as well as riding him at the Stallion Viewing Days at Hartpury and Addington when she was 12 years old.

Looking at Eventers?

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New String to your Bow for the season

Eventing in mind – Looking for something special?

Have a look at Rosco, Sallybog Tim or Derroe Champ

Horse Scout has got some great prospects for the coming season.  If you are looking for a new ride for the new season scroll through the lovely horses posted here.  If you are looking for something young and ready to go have a look at Rosco Aaron Millars’ latest good looking grey Irish Sports horse which has competed in the Stepping Stones League in Ireland (equivalent to BYEH). He was placed in the finals with fences at 1.10m. Rosco has three lovely paces and does a very smart test. Great attitude, eager to learn and quick on his feet. Exceptionally neat jumping technique, real scope. Very kind natured on the ground, lovely to handle. He is now ready to go on and realise his potential with someone who can really enjoy his considerable talent and great temperament and would make a super all rounder.  In fact a great Mother Daughter combination. Born in 2009 he is still young but he is now ready to affiliate he’s ready to affiliate.  He can be seen in Dorset.

Perhaps you would prefer something a little older? Then have a look at the lovely Sallybog Tim who would make a great schoolmaster with the experience he has got under his belt.  A nice looking BE Intermediate Novice with points. Working at BD medium and handy to hunt, hack and ready to compete. A great all rounder.  He can be seen in Hampshire.

Or are you looking for something smaller.  There is a cracking looking pony called Connemara Derroe Champ based over in Ireland who has done everything and who at 14.2hh is just waiting to be a perfect gentleman on the cross country course for a lucky small person.

 

Nicola Buchanan The three D’s – “Dedication, Discipline, Determination!”

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Professional Profile in the Spotlight Today is Nichola Buchanan.

Nicola Buchanan is an International Dressage Rider based in the United Kingdom based in Hampshire. She represented Great Britain between 2002‐2014. Highlights including winning Grand Prix at the Hickstead CDI *** in 2008, being listed for the Beijing Olympics and competing in World Cup Qualifiers including Olympia London. In 2008 and 2009 Nicola was asked to demonstrate grand prix dressage at Gatcombe Park during a three day event, “More than 10,000 people were watching, making the performance all that more special.

Nicola learnt to ride while growing up in Indonesia on the native ponies, “My mother had always been a keen horse women and it was her influence that got me started. I was sent to school in England at 11 and my riding took a back seat until the holidays. These were then spent in Singapore where I spent all my free time at the Saddle club riding and competing. One of my highlights while on holiday was competing on the pony club team. We were sent to Hong Kong (where I was born ) to compete against Malaysia , Thailand , the Philippines, Indonesia and most of South East Asia. It was an excellent experience and I won individual silver.”

Nicola spent 4 years working and training in Holland at the yard where the Dutch National Dressage Championships took place. For 6 years she was based in the USA importing, training, competing & selling Dutch dressage horses. 2 beneficial years were spent training in Germany with German Olympic Dressage Team trainer, Jonny Hilberath. Nicola has been based in the UK since 2000 and she trains with Carl Hester Team GB Olympic Gold medalist. Nichola is an Ambassador for TRM. TRM stands for ”Thoroughbred Remedies Manufacturing Ltd.” And is Europe’s largest manufacturer and distributor of Nutritional Feeds Supplements and General Healthcare products for Horses.

Her grand prix Horses St Swithens & Sancerre have now retired but their highlights include competing internationally at Lingen, Oldenburg, Saumur, Olympia, Hickstead and Hartpury.

Nicola currently competes, Don Corleone VH Scheefkasteel, a 16.3hh Belgian‐bred bay gelding by Turbo Vant Gestelhof, born in 2003 and owned by Nicola, he has benefited hugely from TRM supplements, recently achieving a 4th place in his first International Grand Prix in 2014. In the spring of 2014 Nicola purchased Half Moon Dark Magic, a five year old gelding, and plans to bring him up to International level over the coming years.

She continues to share her passion for the sport and, for her, training is about sharing her experience training riders from Novice to Grand Prix level.

British Dressage Team Quest – Find your perfect partners

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Its time to think about your competing strategy for next season. If you are a rider and thinking of taking up dressage or just getting out more with your horse? How about team dressage? British Dressage introduced the Team Quest competitions last year and this year it seems set to take off.

With 30 competitions scheduled countrywide in February its time to sort out some competition teams.  Each team has three or four members and the three highest scores count, with a reserve in case of any horse being unable to compete.

TQ Qualifying competitions to take place from 1 February 2015 to 31 August 2015. With eight Regional finals to take place in September, followed by a final championship to be held in November.

To take place all team members must have a minimum of a Team Quest Club membership (or any other paid category of BD membership), and all horses must have a minimum of a FREE Associate Horse Registration – This can be done online.

Teams are divided into three age categories – BYRDS Team members 16 and under, 25 and under, and Open Team riders of any age – and each competitor can chose to ride an Intro, Prelim or Novice test.

For the inaugural championship  in November 2014 there where not only prizes for the best performance but also . Best Dressed for amazing outfit coordination and inventiveness –  Which the Yahooligans took home. What caught the judges eye where the inventive clipped ribbons on the horses in support of a fellow team mate, who has competed in TQ whilst battling breast cancer. Then there is was also Best Team Spirit award which was awarded to the loud and lively u16s team, Chaos Cousins who could not be missed as they gathered round the arenas whenever their team mates competed to sing, dance and do whatever they could to settle their comrade’s nerves.

Norfolk Divas, Little Little Little and Large and The Charnwood Chancers were the three big winners at the first ever Team Quest finals over the weekend at Bury Farm, Buckinghamshire (1 – 2 November 2014).

Over the course of the two day competition, 195 competitors in 50 teams contested in one class per day – with the top three percentages from each team on each day combining to achieve an overall score.

Riders can choose which level they ride at, providing that all combinations are eligible for Intro, Preliminary or Novice (qualifiers) in accordance with BD rules.

Are you thinking of finding your perfect team horse, then have a look through our for sale pages.  Good luck with your Dressage Team Quest for 2015

 

Looking for Livery?

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Livery review

Ewelme Park Stables, Nettlebed, Oxon

Kate Lockwood who runs Ewelme Park says the yard is set, very peacefully,  in the heart of the Chiltern Hills. She goes on to say “We are very friendly and have a very relaxed atmosphere with amazing off road hacking directly from the stable door for miles and miles”

The yard has great facillitites with a lovely 20 x 40 outdoor school that never floods or freezes (although because Ewelme Park is in an area of outstanding natural beauty lights are not allowed on the school). All horses are turned out in single sex small groups. We don’t do grass livery but all horses are turned out everyday throughout the year. There is 24 hour supervision which is always reassuring.

As a bonus there is a lovely coffee room with a wood burning stove for those chilly winter days.

Kate Lockwood herself specialises in the treatment of horses and their riders. Using equine osteopathy along with the structural assessment of the rider she can make sure that you are both functioning at 100%, helping to increase your overall performance together as a team.

She is an ex Veterinary Nurse and has been a keen horsewoman all her life regularly competing in eventing and dressage.  She is currently bringing on her own young Warmblood.

I note that she has had a variety of interesting clinics hosted at Ewelme Park Stables including Pilates for Horses. Other sell outs last year where Equine First Aid, Lower Limb/Foot Anatomy and Dissection, Equine Dentistry, Bitting, and Saddle and Tack Fitting and also very usefully an Equine Massage for Horses course. All facilitated by experts in their own fields.

This sounds a charming well run stables in an exceptional setting for those who want to get out and enjoy their horses. A stables with the care of the horse and rider team at its heart.

 

HorseScout’s Update on Futurity Awards

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Catherston Stud’s Timolin Scoops Futurity Award for the third time with the Billy Stud taking 3 young horse awards.

If you are looking for Stallions for this season take a look at Horse Scouts Stallion Page where you can find contact profiles for two dozen top class Sports Horse stallions including Timolin who stands at Catherston Stud and the “Billy” Stud too.

The 3 year Olds award went to Timolin, who was winning a Futurity award for the third time, bred by Aram Gregory, this colt is destined for a dressage and stud career, having recently been purchased by Catherston Stud. Other winners in the Futurity age awards are, Rosie Moreton-Deakin who picked up the foal award for breeding Fiderstar, a potential dressage prospect. Zoe Feeney collected the yearling award for Just Soda No Ice, a show jumping prospect. The two-year old award went to Summertime Blues bred by Lynne Crowden.

The Young Horse Awards for the three disciplines saw a range of breeders step forward to collect their awards and the Billy Stud collected the five year-old and seven year-old British Eventing Young Horse Breeders Medals On for Billy Walk On and Billy Cuckoo – and the five year-old showjumping award for Billy On Ice. Amongst the other winners was Sharon Bishop who now has three British Eventing Young Horse Breeders Medals as breeder of Parkfield Quintessential; the four year-old, five year-old and now six year-old winner of this prestigious award and River Rise Escarla took the five year-old dressage award, bred by Sarah Tyler Evans by the KWPN stallion Lord Leatherdale.

 

 

Coloured Stallion with Horse Scout

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View the stunning coloured stallion on Horse Scout now 

Our home bred homozygous coloured tobiano warmblood stallion standing at stud, Solaris Buenno, is an interesting addition to the world of warmblood and sport horse breeding.

His sire, the coloured Dutch Warmblood Stallion Umenno has an accomplished performance record to date and his dam, Edwina, a Supreme Champion high scoring 1st premium mare who’s progeny have consistently been successful in the county show ring.Solaris Buenno is an interesting addition to the world of warmblood and sport horse breeding and an excellent choice for the showing enthusiast.His sire Umenno, has an accomplished performance record to date and his dam Edwina a first premium Supreme Champion mare who`s progeny have already been successful in the county showring.Buenno, has not only inherited the qualities of both sire and dam but consistantly passes them on to his progeny, elasticity, suppleness, atheleticism, tremendous shoulder reach and powerful hind engine, despite his injury which has prevented him from following an inhand showing and ridden career.His bloodlines are a combination of both jumping and dressage genes from the worlds leading stud books including the grand prix show jumping stallion Wellington by stallion of the century Nimmerdor, on his damline we find the bloodlines of Ekstein, Lucky Boy & Joost. His pedigree is also made up of nearly 50% thoroughbred blood including Perciles xx Lucky Boy xx, Compromise xx, Lucky Boy xx, Katamaran xx, Le Faquin xx, Korridon xx, Relic xx and Katouchon xx.In addition to his proven performance bloodlines Buenno is Homozygous for the tobiano gene, thus providing breeders with the certainty that his progeny will be tobiano.For the showing enthusiast his progeny have already been shown with great success.Cevera Caviar 1st CHAPS Non Native Youngstock and Overall Champion Stewarton Show. 1st Non Native Youngstock Royal Highland Show 2013.Solaris Fechinna 1st Yearling & Chaps Youngstock Non Native & Inhand Champion Reserve Royal Highland Show 2011 on first outing & Inhand Coloured Champion Perth Show 2011.Picti Warrior 1st Sport Horse National Foal Show 2012Cevera Charisma 1st CHAPS youngstock class and CHAPS Overall Champion Reserve at the BSPS Scottish Championship Show, Strathallan Castle 2012Buenno adds top line and muscle development, beautiful well developed quaters, clean well defined limbs, ample movement, plenty of elevation in trot and good reach in walk.His first progeny have been sold as far as the Czech Republic Switzerland & France.Full ancestry report and extensive library of videos and photos of his progeny available on our website.

Dressage Stallion

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Opposition Bombshell is a very eye-catching horse with tremendous presence, a beautiful head and next, and a good length of rein. His paces are bold, expressive, and off the ground. his temperament is superb. Unfortunately as a 4 year old Opposition Bombshell unjured himself in the field, so has not competed himself. His first crop of foals earned him 2nd Ranked Stallion from the BEF Futurity Eventing Section He has had four foals in 2012, 3 of whom were presented at the BEF Futurity Evaluations, all 3 were awarded Higher Firsts, which gained Opposition Bombshell 2nd in the Eventing Stallion Rankings. He is standing 3rd in the All Time Sire Component Rankings on the BEF Futurity List. Opposition Bombshell is a very eye catching horse with tremendous presence, a beautiful head and neck and a good length of rein. His paces are bold, expressive and off the ground. His temperament is superb. Unfortunately as a 4 year old Opposition Bombshell injured himself in the field so has not competed himself. He has had a few foals in 2012, 3 of whom were presented at the BEF Futurity Evaluations. All 3 were awarded Higher Firsts, which gained Opposition Bombshell 2nd in the Eventing Stallion Rankings.