BDA Event Team

02/09/2024

KANSAS delivered a lovely dressage to put him 4th, and followed up with a classy Novice Double Clear at Sapey Horse Trials 🌟

ZILVERENS DARK N STORMY BDA was his usual fancy self for a disappointing dressage mark (not sure why he didn’t impress the judge), had the tiniest rub for one down SJ, and was an absolute stalwart XC for a solid Clear ✨

Forever grateful to these lovely horses who love their job, and always try their absolute best to do what is asked of them! It’s a great feeling crossing the country on these out and out jumpers with the biggest and purest of hearts! 🤍🤎

18/07/2022

I have something to say. It has been burning a hole in my brain for a while, but I am slightly cautious for fear of coming across all wrong.

Before I get into it, I want to be really clear that the following is NOT a whinge. It is a genuine advocacy for the small yard, the lesser known rider, the one who keeps trying and keeps learning, but who somehow never quite catches the break. So with that said, I shall begin.

As I see it , there are three obvious tiers in the sports horse industry. The early producer, the bringer-onner and the top level rider.

There are many sub tiers, of course. Some riders can and will do it all, from breaking right up to the top level. Lots of bringer-onners may not necessarily do the early work, but they can do tier two and three no problem. Many early producers are also top class bringer onners, but who-for many varied reasons-may not pursue a career into the upper levels.

The bringer-onners and the top level riders are beautifully skilled craftspersons, and they will deservedly take the credit for the successes of the horses they have trained. But there’s no doubting that the successes are a hell of a lot more easy to achieve, if the early producer has done their job well. Here is where the horse is made or lost, inspired or disheartened, well trained and happy, or difficult and corrosive.

The early producer doesn’t tend to-nor look for-any credit. ‘Paid to do a job’, knowing how to do it very well, and then completing the assignment, is their everyday. However, although the early producer does arguably the most important work of all, he will often be the one most in need of a good recommendation. He is the one most likely to need the business, the one charging the least-per-week, and the one likely to be struggling the most to keep going. Horses doing well one, three, eight, twelve years later have long since learned more from someone else-and of course the rider in the spotlight earns the applause. But the early producer still deserves recognition, and a word of acknowledgement from a well respected rider further up the ladder, can do great things for the early producer.

Recently, I have heard a couple of bringer-onner-upper-levellers claim that they had started a horse from scratch, and brought the horse up to whatever stage it had since arrived at. They completely wrote the early producer out of the story. The person who taught the horse to carry a rider, who taught the horse the basic aids, who taught the horse to go on the bit, to go off the leg, to wait, to think, to load and to travel, to be clipped and shod, to handle the show warmups, to learn how to do shows and events, to learn how to be brave, be confident, be easy.

The person who handed over a horse that has jumped nicely around plenty of shows, that rides very well, that understands the questions, and that is ready to go to work. It isn’t quite so
impossibility difficult to do well and to look good on that horse, when you get it.

But don’t claim the credit. Be fair. If you can’t pay it backwards in life, then at least try to pay it forward. It doesn’t take anything away from you, but it may really give something to somebody else.

03/07/2022

****Entries Needed****
Tuesday's British Show jumping show very quiet. If you are planning to enter please do so ASAP to avoid the show being cancelled.

We have the open water as a option for Second Round practice. Nice big collecting rings. Very chilled out atmosphere for both horse and rider.

Entries link.
https://www.equineaffairs.com/eventdetails.aspx?id=384876

22/06/2022

Looking forward to campaigning a happier, stronger and physically more developed Billy Maple in the next couple of weeks!

Veterinary Physiotherapy and Equine Rehab About Equine Athletes Antonia is a qualified veterinary physiotherapist who also holds equine sports massage and chiropractic certificates. She is fully i…

08/06/2022

🌹Take control of your corners... courtesy of Inspire Dressage Official

All dressage tests are just a series of straight lines and circles linked by corners….
Corners are the “free spaces” within a test that allow you to rebalance, reorganise and, if ridden correctly, can really change the overall appearance of the test.

First you need to understand what a correct corner is.
🌹The horse should remain upright (not appear to motorbike), bend around the riders inside leg, (whole body not just neck bend!) and continue to track straight. By this I mean the hind feet should step into the prints of the front feet, as opposed to the haunches coming in or swinging out.
🌹To do this the horse must carry the weight behind and really step forwards and under to maintain the balance in the turn.
🌹A good corner should rebalance the horse and look fluent.

My favourite exercise to improve corners.

Start in trot
Make a downwards transition just before the corner, at or just after corner marker, walk slowly through corner, really pushing the horse deep into the corner with inside leg,
As you are heading out of the corner make an upwards transition back into trot.
Repeat this in all corners.

By using the transitions we teach the horse to wait and carry weight on hind legs going into the corner. To stay balanced and supple through the corner, then think forwards, pushing from behind coming out of corner.

Moving forward coming out of the corner is very important as you need to ride forwards, from behind into movements. You can’t ride forward if your horse is not in balance, therefore you must half halt on the way in to create this balance. Using transitions is an exaggerated version of half halt to show the horse what you want.

I do this exercise in other paces too:
- canter with trot transitions
- Canter with walk transitions
- Progress to trot with very collected trot transitions
- trot with piaffe/half steps round the turn then trot forward out

08/06/2022

Eric Smiley, a four-time Olympian for Ireland and a European medallist in eventing, on why keeping a horse’s record spotless shouldn’t be riders’ priority

06/06/2022

❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

With Pride month in full swing and the recent story of Jake Daniels ending decades of silence within men’s football to become the first player in the UK to come out as gay since Justin Fashanu in 1990, it has got me thinking.

I feel very lucky to be living my life in the equestrian world where attitudes towards LGBTQ people are so open, inclusive and understanding. Some of the best riders in the world are openly gay and not only accepted, but celebrated which I think is so cool. Unfortunately it would seem this is unusual within most sports!

I had the courage (and it took a lot) to admit I was gay 20 years ago, when the world was a less accepting place to men like me - it was scary! To my relief and delight I was welcomed whole heartedly by the equestrian community. Bar one person, I have experienced nothing but kindness, acceptance and compassion in the following 20 years from anyone involved with horses. (Alright, alright, maybe the odd leg pull😂)

Pride month for me stands not just for pride in the gay community, but the equestrian one too. Thank you for being such a great bunch and let’s continue to help young people feel comfortable in their own skin - to live, love and be happy regardless of who or what they want to be!

09/05/2022

All of our thoughts are with Nicola Wilson Eventing and her family and team, sending healing vibes and love 💕

20/04/2022

“There’ll be no one single fence that should catch them out — it’s a test of being able to deal with terrain and a number of different varieties of question,” says Badminton course designer Eric Winter

16/04/2022

Thinking of Caroline March Equestrian and all of her family and friends! Hoping for more positive news ❤️

We are all with you Caroline, as we know you would be with us if the situation was to be reversed ❤️ Sending you lots of love and now is the time to show everyone just how strong you really are!

30/12/2021

💫🤍

Happy Birthday unser liebster Ben ❤️ Du bist der beste Engel den wir uns vorstellen können ❤️ Und jeden Tag vermissen wir Dich so sehr. Zeit heilt eben keine Wunden…

06/11/2021

❄️ WINTER MIDWEEK CLEAR ROUND CLINIC DATES ❄️

Delighted to release the dates for The Winter Clear Round Clincs with BDA Equestrian’s Kyle Hassell at ARENA UK SHOW Centre

🌟1pm until 5pm ~ Individual 1-2-1 coaching around a full BS course £50 (including arena hire)

🌟5pm onwards ~ Two Rounds/20minutes £20

🔹Wednesday 24th November
🔹Thursday 9th December
🔹Tuesday 18th January
🔹Wednesday 2nd February
🔹Wednesday 16th February

ALL ABILITIES WELCOME 🤗

Please follow the link below to book your slot👇🏼
Or call myself on 07833108304 ☎️

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06/10/2021

A nice reminder from Carl Hester that surrounding yourself with the right support can be more important than owning an expensive horse.

28/07/2021

🇬🇧 Let the games begin! 🇬🇧

One more sleep until trot up!

27/07/2021

First sneak peak of the Olympic XC track out in Tokyo! 🇯🇵

Good luck Team GB! 🇬🇧🇬🇧