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This is what I've been watching most of the weekend. Even though today was actually cancelled, I was there for a while because people traveled a great distance for this. No competition, just exercise. Beautiful, though. Lots of dedicated young gals.
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Horse skills showcased at dressage show
By Maria Tussing Journal correspondent | Posted: Sunday, June 13, 2010 9:30 pm
http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/news/e9e3c768-775e-11df-8fc5-001cc4c002e0.html
Though South Dakota is considered the West, western isn't the only way to ride a horse. Members of the South Dakota Dressage Society proved that Saturday at the Central States Fairgrounds in Rapid City. The group gathered for the annual Black Hills Dressage Show in chilly wind and intermittent rain on Saturday. Although the show had been scheduled to continue Sunday, events for that day were canceled because of muddy conditions. [MINE: And BOY is it muddy. Soupy is more like it.]
Pam Nowell, the secretary and manager of the Black Hills Dressage Show, said about 20 dressage riders competed in the show, which was smaller than usual because of competition from larger shows in the region this weekend. Most of the competitors are from this area, with those from Pierre and Gillette, Wyo., traveling the farthest.
Dressage, which is French for "training of the horse," is a showcase of a horse's talent, more than the rider's, said Shari Humble-Lamb, the technical delegate from the U.S. Equestrian Federation, which, along with the U.S. Dressage Federation, sanctions the Black Hills Dressage Show. By following the guidelines of these federations, competitors at the Black Hills Dressage Show can have their points count toward championships on a national level, Nowell said.
Dressage can be done on any breed of horse, Humble-Lamb said, but is most often performed on European warmbloods. It is performed on an English saddle in traditional English riding attire, black boots, white breeches and a black coat and hat.
Dressage is an Olympic sport. To reach the level that makes a horse eligible for the Olympics, the horse-and-rider team have to take tests at nine levels, Humble-Lamb said. Shows such as the Black Hills Dressage Show give participants the opportunity to show their horses and test them for the necessary skills. The horse is scored on many aspects of its performance, from ease of movement to responsiveness to the rider. When the rider and the judges think the horse has mastered one level, they move on to the next level.
The highest level being tested at this weekend's show was Prix Saint George, which is where the testing divides the good horses from the Olympic-level ones, Humble-Lamb said. Once a horse passes the Prix Saint George level, the testing gets more much rigorous and physically difficult for the horse. A very small percentage of dressage horses will move beyond the Prix Saint George level.
http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/news/e9e3c768-775e-11df-8fc5-001cc4c002e0.html
=============================
Horse skills showcased at dressage show
By Maria Tussing Journal correspondent | Posted: Sunday, June 13, 2010 9:30 pm
http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/news/e9e3c768-775e-11df-8fc5-001cc4c002e0.html
Though South Dakota is considered the West, western isn't the only way to ride a horse. Members of the South Dakota Dressage Society proved that Saturday at the Central States Fairgrounds in Rapid City. The group gathered for the annual Black Hills Dressage Show in chilly wind and intermittent rain on Saturday. Although the show had been scheduled to continue Sunday, events for that day were canceled because of muddy conditions. [MINE: And BOY is it muddy. Soupy is more like it.]
Pam Nowell, the secretary and manager of the Black Hills Dressage Show, said about 20 dressage riders competed in the show, which was smaller than usual because of competition from larger shows in the region this weekend. Most of the competitors are from this area, with those from Pierre and Gillette, Wyo., traveling the farthest.
Dressage, which is French for "training of the horse," is a showcase of a horse's talent, more than the rider's, said Shari Humble-Lamb, the technical delegate from the U.S. Equestrian Federation, which, along with the U.S. Dressage Federation, sanctions the Black Hills Dressage Show. By following the guidelines of these federations, competitors at the Black Hills Dressage Show can have their points count toward championships on a national level, Nowell said.
Dressage can be done on any breed of horse, Humble-Lamb said, but is most often performed on European warmbloods. It is performed on an English saddle in traditional English riding attire, black boots, white breeches and a black coat and hat.
Dressage is an Olympic sport. To reach the level that makes a horse eligible for the Olympics, the horse-and-rider team have to take tests at nine levels, Humble-Lamb said. Shows such as the Black Hills Dressage Show give participants the opportunity to show their horses and test them for the necessary skills. The horse is scored on many aspects of its performance, from ease of movement to responsiveness to the rider. When the rider and the judges think the horse has mastered one level, they move on to the next level.
The highest level being tested at this weekend's show was Prix Saint George, which is where the testing divides the good horses from the Olympic-level ones, Humble-Lamb said. Once a horse passes the Prix Saint George level, the testing gets more much rigorous and physically difficult for the horse. A very small percentage of dressage horses will move beyond the Prix Saint George level.
http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/news/e9e3c768-775e-11df-8fc5-001cc4c002e0.html


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