Tag Archives: Hartpury Festival of Dressage

British Dressage Dressage General Horse Advice Professional Rider

Abigail Hutton – International Dressage Rider

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Abigail Hutton, International Dressage Rider based in Oxfordshire

Since arriving at Talland in 2009, Abigail’s rapid rise in the world of dressage has been nothing short of impressive. Here she talks to Horse Scout about her goals and tips for keeping competitive horses happy.

When did you start to ride competitively?

I come from a non-horsey family and I was happy hacker until I was about 23 when I went to work for a show jumper in Ireland. I had always been interested in dressage and in 2009 my life changed when Pammy Hutton offered me a scholarship to be a working pupil at The Talland School of Equitation in Gloucestershire.

So that’s where you met your husband Charlie Hutton, Pammy’s son?

Yes, I arrived on a Sunday and met Charlie on the Tuesday and that was that!

How difficult did you find the transition to dressage and did Charlie help?

I had to play catch up and was given a schoolmistress, Amo, to start out competing at medium advanced! I had some crap scores, but some good ones too, and eventually rode Amo to Inter 2 and in two regional championships. That opened up the doors to take on more rides.
Charlie is a huge help and I train frequently with him — he is brutally honest with me!

Do you train with anyone else?

I have regular sessions with Carl Hester and sometimes with my mother-in-law Pammy Hutton.

What do you struggle with most?

I guess I struggled with my seat and posture as I hadn’t ridden from a young age and i’m a natural sloucher. Putting your neck in back collar really makes you sit up. Also, I had a long battle with competition nerves and I just found that just going out more and more really helped. I’m going to start pilates too.
What are your career highlights over the last year or so?
I’ve ridden at three National Championships and represented Ireland at Hartpury, Hickstead and Saumur CDIs in 2015. I also placed in the top five at Hickstead International with Armagnac and had a win at Keysoe Premier League with my young horse, Giraldo, owned by Lotty Chatterton.

Tell us about your other top horses?

I have another 12-year-old horse called Don Dino, a 17.1hh Hanovarian gelding, which belonged to Charlie but as he has kissing spine the vet suggested he should have a lighter rider. He’s really talented and we have qualified for the Nationals at advanced medium.
Then there’s Starlet Blue, a nine-year-old mare owned by Judy Peploe. She’s premium graded in Germany but very inexperienced so we’re competing at novice and elementary.
I also ride Giraldo, a really special five-year-old gelding owned by Lotty Chatterton.   I’m off to Hickstead young horse champs with him (national and international class). He has been getting 80% scores and has a really amazing big uphill balanced canter and is really adjustable. And his brain and attitude… I’ve never known anything like it — he just loves to work!

What tips would you give to other riders?

Train hard but don’t take it too seriously — it has to be fun.
Most riders put too much pressure on themselves and their horses but that can make things worse. If you get a bad mark, it can only get better! And if you’re having a bad day when you’re schooling, just go for a canter.

What are your goals?

To keep riding for a living, have happy horses and have fun.
Of course I’d also like to win a national title, go on international big tour and ultimately ride for the Irish team at the Olympics.

Any tips to help keep horses sound and happy?

Horses thrive on routine but don’t be afraid to experiment. Some of my horses do a couple of days dressage, then a hack on Wednesday, then dressage again and have the weekend off. Others have a jump day or a canter day in the middle and Dino only does dressage twice a week — he hacks and canters the rest.
Be patient and take note of what makes your horse feel the best, but don’t worry about breaking it every once in a while — sometimes routine may alter for a show so you need to be relaxed about it!
I’m also a serious fan of getting your stirrups up and working in a light seat to get your horse forward and loose in the back — it’s also great fun! Dressage horses are being bred with so much power and energy now, I think you have to be up for a bit of adrenaline to keep them fresh in their minds and entertained. I also take Giraldo to the water treadmill once a week. (see our blog about Hydrotherapy)

Why Horse Scout?

It looks professional and is it’s clever how horses and riders connect and how you can see the history of a horse and who used to ride it. I also like the fact that there are some great horses for sale but many at realistic prices.

images provided by Judy Peploe

Find out more about Abigail Hutton on Horse Scout

Abi Hutton has a profile on Horse Scouts’ Professional Rider Pages which goes into detail about her career and what she can offer you.  It also has some lovely photos; click through and follow Abigail Hutton on Horse Scout.

 

Dressage Trainer Nicola Buchanan
Dressage

Horse Scout profiled Professional Dressage Trainers : Nicola Buchanan

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Wishing Horse Scout Profiled Dressage Trainer and rider Nicola Buchanan all the best for Hartpury Festival of Dressage (9th-12th July 2015)

Reviewing Horse Scouts’ Profiled Professional Dressage trainers.

Horse Scout Profiled FEI World ranked International Dressage Rider (and trainer) Nicola Buchanan is set to thrill us at the Hartpury Festival of Dressage this weekend with her own Don Corleone VH Scheefkastee and the Horse Scout Team are wishing her the very best for her ride.

Last year at the Hartpury Festival of Dressage Nichola Buchanan (nee Joudain) was delighted with her ride Don Corleone VH Scheefkastee when competing at Hartpury last year in the CDI3* Grand Prix  and taking a very respectable score to 5th place behind Carl Hester on Nip Tuck. And a Fith place to Anders Dhal (Denmark) Wie-Atlantico De Ymas, who has six years on Don Corleone VH Scheefkastee. The pair have 291BD points. (10/07/15)

Don Corleone VH Scheefkastee  BWP (Belgian Warmblood) by the show jumping stallion Turbo Vant Gestelhof (Darco-Furioso) out of Simply You (Blesse lines) bred by the hugely successful Johan Hubrechts, (Bochholt) whose Scheefkastee progeny are deservedly in the record books.

Campaigning two horses Don Corleone VH Scheefkasteel and a new acquisition last spring Half Moon Dark Magic, a five year old gelding, and plans to bring him up to International level over the coming years, and who is out in the competitive arena with two BD competitions under his belt, and already 3 points. Nicola is introducing him to his new world with outings in the lorry and going away to school at new venues.

One of the UKs top Professional Dressage Trainers Nicola shares her passion for dressage training and the progression of a horses way of going through her clients, sharing her experience and helping clients become effective independent riders at all levels from Novice to Grand Prix.  She is, obviously, so effective on a horses back and it is wonderful to see how she can effortlessly find the right tune on any mount, but she is also an observant and effective trainer from the ground.  Her clients give very positive reviews on her effective methods which really make a positive impact on both horse and rider. Of Nicola, as a professional dressage trainer, paritipants at a recent clinic said “…most of all we love the way she trains both rider and horse”  — so whether you’re a novice rider or more advanced. and are serious about learning from the best, then take the opportunity to contact this “on point” Dressage Trainer.

Nicola regularly gives clinics at the Bovington RAC Saddle Club and is available for private or group tuition by arrangement.

To find out more or to contact Nicola Buchanan please visit her professional profile on Horse Scout by clicking on this text.

Stallion-review-royal-rubin
General

Stallion Review. Royal Rubin

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Stallion Review of Horse Scout Profiled Dressage stallion at stud: Royal Rubin

King Pin in the dressage arena – Grand Prix Stallion Royal Rubin.

royal Rubin progeny are well represented at the Hartpury Festival Of Dressage this weekend (July 2015)

Hayley Watson Greaves on Rubins Nite rides in the Grand Prix today at 3.26

John Chubb rides his own Ruby Rubin took 5th in the Lovington Ace Advanced

Rubin Esque x Limbo owned by Kim Seaby and Linzie Seaby have two classes 02 GP / 04 GPFS

Royal Rubin himself  is a well made deep chestnut standing at 16.3hh and with his white stockings is an eye catcher in the dressage arena doubtless drawing attention to his elastic, powerful and elegant presence in the ring with his own profile page on Horse Scout.  This lovely, upstanding International Grand Prix stallion by Rubinstein has now retired from competitive dressage. Royal Rubin stands at Brownnscombe Stud in Devon, where the mares have every facility for both short and long term boarding and foaling.

Royal Rubin, is a Sachen-Anhalt with an impressive pedigree and a temperament which makes him a pleasure to handle and compete. He has a 70 day performance test with the Brandenburgh/Anhaltiner Studbook,and has been Accepted by WBS-UK, BHHS, and the Oldenburgh.

When you review this stallions career you cant help but be impressed. As well as an impressive dressage career Royal Rubin has an amazingly kind, gentle, straightforward temperament and these attributes are also seen under saddle. In competition his marks averaged between 65 – 76%.

His career gave him wins at Grand Prix including the Hamburg Derby in 2008 and Leipzig in 2009. After the Derby when the best 3 riders change horses for a short Grand Prix his owner and rider Heike Kemmer (team Gold and individual Bronze medal winner at the 2008 Olympics) said of Rudi “his willingness to work and his willingness to participate are always priceless. If I had several Rudi’s in the stable I would be totally lucky.” Royal Rubin also qualified for the World Cup finals.

His pedigree is exemplary, Royal Rubn’s sire Rubinstein, who needs little introduction, has 40 wins at Grand Prix, and he was a member of the 1996 Olympic team, sired 89 state premium mares and 66 approved stallions including Rodhiamant and Rotspon.

The dam line of Royal Rubin are predominantly jumpers. Barbarella is by Brandenburger who made his name in Puissance. He is also the dam sire of the incredibly well thought of stallion Quaterback. Brandenburger’s dam is by is the influential Hanoverian stallion Wendekreis, who is well known as a producer of riding horses with great trainability. Brandenburger was sired by Beach Boy, a KWPN stallion who sired 8 approved stallions and 239 competitive offspring who earned him a BLUP score of 137 for jumping and 143 for gaits. As a dam sire Beach Boy most famously sired Unika, dam of Arko lll who, ridden by Nick Skelton, was the number 1 horse in Europe for 3 years running.

Royal Rubin’s first crop of foals were born in 2014 and we were thrilled with them. They have excellent conformation, very uphill movement with good hock action and lovely temperaments. His fertility is excellent.

You can find comprehensive stallion listings on www.horsescout.co.uk and if you would like to go straight to Royal Rubins profile page and see some wonderful images of this expressive stallion then you can visit Royal Rubins page on Horse Scout here. http://www.horsescout.co.uk/horses/profile/750