It seems like yesterday, the Western Equestrian Society (WES) were celebrating their very first year as the premier Western Riding Club here in the UK, and here they are, many years later, planning a huge celebration for the 34th anniversary. 

As winter now approaches and our show season is over, it is time to appraise your efforts for this year. My suggestion is to take time out and write down all or any of the problems that you have had in low-scoring rounds so that you have a master plan to work on before next season. Remember, spring is only a few months away and if we take out Christmas, and bad weather days, we have probably got only six weeks left to get into shape for next year’s show season.

We are halfway through the show season and according to Facebook, most riders seem to be extremely happy with their efforts and achievements, so super, well done. For my part, it seems that lessons and clinics are moving to higher levels so these are exciting times. It is nice to know that the two youth riders that I have been coaching these last two years in conjunction with one mother and one uncle have performed well…..well enough to catch the eyes of other trainers and selectors, so there is still some life in this “old parrot” yet!

Dressage and western riding give riders the most opportunity to include some bling in their outfits. Western pleasure and showmanship providing the most creative licence for show apparel.