‘The most dangerous part of a dressage show…’
After conducting over 50 awards ceremonies over the weekend at the GAIG/USDF Region 6 Dressage Championships, Morgane Schmidt had the following revelation:
About the artist: Morgane Schmidt is a 28-year-old teacher/artist/rider/show announcer who still hasn’t quite decided what she wants to be when she grows up. A native Floridian, she now lives in Reno, NV, where she’s been able to confirm her suspicion that snow is utterly worthless. Though she has run the gamut of equestrian disciplines, her favorite is dressage and her plans this year in include pursuing her USDF bronze medal. Visit her website at www.theideaoforder.com.
- Send an email to wylie, the author of this post at wylie@horsenation.com
If a horse can’t even handle an award ceremony, you wonder if their rider has missed the horse-training chapter about exposing the horse to different things and connecting with her horse so that unfamiliar situations don’t produce a meltdown. Can you say, “Ground work?”
I’m partial to eventing victory gallops. Put six or ten super-fit ex-racehorses in the ring together, strap long flapping ribbons to their faces, crank up the jams, and see what happens.
Seeing as i fell off in an awards ceremony at the Aecs, this makes me giggle!!
PLEASE tell me you have photos or video!!!
It seems kinda funny that this is the moment all the riders take off their helmets.
It’s funny because it’s true!
Wyle, my dad was filming but he almost dropped the camera when my horse took off so we dont have it!! im hoping someone filmed it and it will turn up on youtube at some point!
although we have some photos of my mom running after my horse
Or my victory gallop that ended up looking like Affirmed and Alydar on a stretch run. My OTTB, a graded stakes winner and another very competitive OTTB, ended going around three times while we tried to pull up our fiery mounts. The spectators thought is was fun.
That sounds HILARIOUS (for everybody but you:)
Now I laugh about it! My wife teases me about it. Both horses still compete against each other. IF we are asked to take a victory gallop, we only need to remind them what happened last time. We allowed to walk around the ring.
It amazed me that two mares that I do not believe ever crossed paths, hated and still hate each other that much. If they are at the same event and are close to each other nasty looks with ears pinned back are exchanged. I would guess kicks and bites would be next.