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Helen Kitto Dressage

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Holsworthy
Helen Kitto Dressage

BD List 3 judge, coach and competitor British Dressage List 3 judge with competition experience up to and including Inter I.

29/06/2024

I'm an ebay seller's dream customer 🤦🏻‍♀️🤣

25/06/2024

Actual hacking today (not like my usual efforts of walking 50 metres down the road and then back again 🤣) Thanks for nannying us Alana Macartney - Equine and Canine Sports Therapy!

20/06/2024

James's turn for an outing today to Bicton Arena. Super happy with him at only our second show. A bit of a mixed bag after a slight (ahem) miscommunication on the first centre line but then some really lovely work for an overall win on just under 70%. I now need two more 68%+ scores before the 30th June... Nothing like leaving things to the last minute 🤦🏻‍♀️

17/06/2024

Dressage is a funny old business. We went out yesterday as a last ditch opportunity to get Regionals qualification for the Prix St George on Leo. Having had three 'clear rounds' at the test on our last three outings but only one Regional qualifying score I thought the test being fine was a fair conclusion but the score wasn't. Instead, the test felt like our worst one EVER - mistake after mistake after mistake. I was so cross with myself I left without getting my sheet or even checking the scores. Turns out, we got our qualifying score 🤷‍♀️ No idea how, and frankly, I don't care 🤣 So we'll be off to our (and my) first ever Regionals at that level (as well as having Advanced Medium qualification). I just hope I don't f*ck up quite as badly when we get there 😂 (Also, must be better at cleaning him pre-show 🤦🏻‍♀️)

07/06/2024

Lovely morning teaching Gemma Bartlett and the gorgeous Zara, fully on course for nailing some qualifying scores at their next show. Phillip was an exceptional assistant coach in his doggy papoose 🤦🏻‍♀️

01/06/2024

Lovely Saturday watching someone else compete - Steph Franz and Sunny having a fantastic first outing for a little while, over the moon with their progress!

Only disappointment was NO ROSETTES, despite a second and third place?! 😲 Still, no day can't be brightened up by prosecco, flowers and chocolates, so hopefully that made up for no frilly. Next time, we'll go somewhere more generous with their ribbons 🤣

Thankfully there was an actual photographer there, so there's a chance of something less blurry than my efforts.

Well done Steph!

24/05/2024

Beautiful evening for teaching! Getting ready for the first show in a little while for Steph Franz and her gorgeous boy Sunny. They are absolutely smashing it, improving every single lesson and working so hard! They're a total joy to work with and make my job easy!

21/05/2024

I have to confess, I always thought Quince looked a bit plain. You know, mostly because he's not a chestnut warmblood 🤣 But I'm thinking either he's growing into his looks, or I'm changing my mind.

20/05/2024

When Joan grows up she wants to be a footballer 😍 (Someone will need to explain to her it's more feet, less face)

Thanks Alana Macartney - Equine and Canine Sports Therapy for getting her started young 🤣

19/05/2024

Another PSG today for Leo to try to get Regional qualification. He was a total star, one tiny mistake in the test by me (which I corrected), I was confident it was more than enough for the 64% required. The judge did not agree 🤦🏻‍♀️ and dropped us down to 62%, so over a 5% drop from his last test. He still won, and the nice lady who came second dropped over 6% from last Sunday at the same venue.
So perhaps I should be pleased not to have lost even more marks?!! I was too cross to even get my rosette 🤣 so you'll have to make do with a picture of him delighted to be back in his field and not a red ribbon! Bloody dressage judges 😂

18/05/2024

Happy 18th birthday to the Number 1! Sadly no night on the tiles for him to celebrate his turning of age as we're off to a show tomorrow, so instead he gets to celebrate with a night of field nudity (which I might regret when I need to clean him in the morning). Happy birthday Leo 🧡

09/05/2024

Took Quince for his first hack today. Wtf is wrong with all my tack?!?! (And before anyone says it, I refuse to believe it's because all my bridles were £30 on ebay and purchased about a decade ago). He thought it was a brilliant excursion.

05/05/2024

James's turn to go out today for our very first show together! High levels of thuggishness in the car park meant it took me 30 minutes to actually get on, so our warm up was a bit shonky (one trot circle left, one trot circle right, one canter circle right and no time for a left canter 🤣). Totally fluffed the canter to trot transition in the test but still managed a win both in our section and overall with 70.83% (and out of ten competitors! The biggest class I've been in for a while!) I know he's capable of much more but absolutely delighted with him, despite his manners on the ground being, shall we say, suboptimal ...

Thanks again to for another super efficient show, and more polos!

04/05/2024

Baby Joan has gone up the road for her spring holiday with her new friend Domino, another filly who will be two this year. She walked the half mile up the road as if she'd been doing it forever! And straight in with Domino, both good as gold. The best baby girls 🖤🤍

Thanks to Alana Macartney - Equine and Canine Sports Therapy for the holiday home!

26/04/2024

As promised, finally some proper photos 🙌

For anyone who doesn't know why I gush so ridiculously much about Leo, the final photo is him on 28 April 2023, so almost a year ago to the day. At that point I thought he wouldn't last the year - he'd been scoped, worked up, every blood test under the sun! Nothing definitive showed up, so the next step was ultrasounding his stomach and intestines to look for tumours. At that point I decided to just keep him comfortable until the time came and didn't think he'd last another winter 😭

We never did work out what was wrong! But I'm definitely not complaining 🤣 He still needs a bit more weight on but we're getting there gradually.

Cherish every moment with your horses 🧡🧡🧡

Thank you to Tanja Davis Photography for the gorgeous shots!

25/04/2024

Can hardly believe this happened but Leo went out today to do his first Prix St Georges since June 2021. And he beat his personal best score at the level by over 3% (also, under a List 1 judge who is also an international rider 🙌). And he won the class overall 🥇 (and it wasn't only me in the class this time!). I did a little cry in the show office while collecting my sheet and would have done an Oscars-style speech if there had been anyone there to hear it 🤣 The absolute best part of this was that there was a photographer there!!! So I will soon be able to post some photos of the very best horse in all of the world dancing his little socks off 🧡🧡🧡

The Grange Equestrian - thanks for a great day and also the polos!!!

21/04/2024

Well, this happened today. Didn't even bother lunging first (and forgot a neck strap 🤦🏻‍♀️). Was meant to wait until my helpful assistant was here but she's gone gallivanting off on the Orient Express and I couldn't be bothered to wait. Thankfully Quince is literally the BEST four-year-old in the world so we did our first little ride solo 🤍🤍🤍

16/04/2024

'How to start the young dressage horse': One idiot with her phone out and a pocket of biscuits.

Riding tights and coat courtesy of top stylist Helen Joanne Wyatt 🤣

10/04/2024

Advanced Medium Regional qualification done in three tests and with points to spare ✅️

Now for a break ... Or to start browsing the schedules and try to qualify for the Prix St George summer area festival?! 🤣

05/04/2024

Inspired by Leo's success I decided to take James to the arena up the road in preparation for getting him out to some shows. I arrived and promptly managed to snap my reins in two places before even getting on 🤦🏻‍♀️ The sensible thing would have been to lead him back, swap the reins and try again. Instead, I went with this... Where's the baler twine when you need it?!

21/03/2024

The boy is well and truly back! 🧡🧡🧡 First show since September 2022 for Leo and a personal best score at Advanced Medium. Yes I was the only one in the class. And yes I still took the rosette 🤣 🥇

01/03/2024

Thank god for the sand pen (aka mini pond). Also, what a perfect pair 🤍🖤

25/02/2024

FML 🤦🏻‍♀️

#

21/02/2024

Decided to get a tough outdoorsy cat to tackle the rats at the yard ...

30/01/2024

No-stirrup Tuesday, the perfect way to incapacitate yourself until the weekend 🤦🏻‍♀️

31/12/2023

Things I am grateful for over the Christmas period:

1. The only thing that needed vetwrap was the radio.
2. I got waterproof overalls.

Happy (nearly) 2024 to everyone! Love your horses and do whatever you enjoy doing with them - as long as they're looked after they don't care if they're doing GP dressage, 5* eventing, hacking the lanes twice a week, or living a life of luxury doing sweet FA 🤣

30/12/2023

A distinct lack of enthusiasm from both boys to be back at work this week after a Christmas break. My enthusiasm was high but my athleticism low.

P.s. You can blame Helen Joanne Wyatt for the leopard print. The shiny gold is all me.

10/12/2023

After a slightly hectic few months 🤣 I'm now ready to offer teaching from my new base in North Devon.

I'm a List 3 BD judge, have competition experience to Inter I and am fully insured.

I have a beautiful 25×50 arena with mirrors, parking, and tea/coffee/gin/wine available. I welcome EVERYONE! Whether your goal is to compete at Grand Prix, stay inside the boards in an Intro or improve your flatwork to help your jumping or hacking, I would love to help.

04/12/2023

🪞🪞🪞 The difference a weekend can make (including the weather ❄️ ➡️ 🌧) Happy days (not including the weather)

27/11/2023

Joan's first rug, and just in time by the look of the forecast. She was typically unphased, such a smart girl who takes everything in her stride and learns so quickly! Welsh D (plus 50% Oldenburg 🤣) power 💪🖤 🙌

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Holsworthy

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+447780118734

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Videos

Actual hacking today (not like my usual efforts of walking 50 metres down the road and then back again 🤣) Thanks for nannying us Alana Macartney - Equine and Canine Sports Therapy!

When Joan grows up she wants to be a footballer 😍 (Someone will need to explain to her it's more feet, less face) Thanks Alana Macartney - Equine and Canine Sports Therapy for getting her started young 🤣

'How to start the young dressage horse': One idiot with her phone out and a pocket of biscuits. Riding tights and coat courtesy of top stylist Helen Joanne Wyatt 🤣

My lovely new friend Emily came to have a play with Leo yesterday as she's without horse at the moment. First time on him, first time doing changes, and she just casually slips in a little line of 4 times. What a team! 🧡🧡🧡 Standard fantastic camera work from me of course 🤦🏻‍♀️ #teamwork #besthorse #natural

Decided to stop waffling about and ride through the PSG on both boys this morning. Think if I was allowed to switch between them for different moves throughout the test we'd probably have a reasonable chance of a plus 60% score. Might be an idea for #britishdressage?! #gingersrule #mixandmatch

After his self-imposed retirement, the No. 1 (chronologically, not in order of preference 🤣) has decided that the endless rain, wind and frankly filthy mud of Devon is to his liking, and is currently enjoying a second (third? fourth? fifth?!) wind. Don't want to tempt fate but it might be time to think about dusting off the clippers and checking the BD schedules 🤞🧡🙌🦁

17 year old and 9 year old being turned out versus 3 year old and 1 year old being turned out #oldernotwiser

A distinct lack of enthusiasm from both boys to be back at work this week after a Christmas break. My enthusiasm was high but my athleticism low. P.s. You can blame Helen Joanne Wyatt for the leopard print. The shiny gold is all me. #matchymatchy #dressagediva #cheeseandwine

James being the endless legend he always is and playing with some baby half steps with @jazzalawj 🧡🧡🧡 #piaffe #dressagehorseintraining

James meanwhile had a mooch about and a stretch #demoted 🤣

Hasn't been schooled since March, but today I was bored. Poor Leo... He's having the most drawn out retirement on record, but who can blame me when 5 months off and he just pops through some tempis pretty much with his eyes closed. He might not have James' fancy moves, but what a boy 🧡🧡🧡

Starting to put the changes together. Yes, some of them are a bit ropey (rider error 🤦‍♀️) but what a boy James is 🧡🦄🧡 #flyingchanges #dressagetraining #gingersrule

I'd been struggling with the right to left change but, hurrah, nailed it today! Also, vaguely on the bit in the snaffle. Progress doesn't have to be fast, or in a straight line! #dressage #training #keepimproving #babystepstosuccess #flyingchanges

BAD LANGUAGE WARNING!!! Improvements all round at the clinic today. Apologies for my foul mouth, but when it's FLIPPING lush, it's flipping lush, so what else can you say?!

Happy Easter! We celebrated with a trip to the beautiful arena at Burgh Farm Dressage for a session with the genius that is Ryan Shannon at Shannon Equestrian Loads for me to work on (myself, almost entirely 🤦‍♀️), but James was of course a superstar (admittedly a slightly half-a*sed superstar, but I need the exercise 🤣). Thank you so much to everyone involved for this amazing opportunity! And to Rachel Baker and Bella for the immense moral support (and videoing) ❤

First play at home with the changes on James. As usual, I need to: 1. Ride more forwards 2. Have reins that aren't as long as washing lines 3. Wear less ridiculously oversized knitwear 🤦‍♀️ James was, as ever, without fault ❤ #dreamhorse #practicewhatyoupreach #practicemakesperfect #workinprogress

Easy day today after another amazing treatment from Claire Lawrence Mctimoney Animal Therapist. Leo decided no human assistance was needed for the walk poles 🤦‍♀️ #doityourself

James 😍 With a bit of his dinosaur-esque neighing at the start, and a bit of my horrible effort at the half steps at the end #alwayslearning #dressagehorse #kwpn