Mercury Bay Pony Club Dressage Cup Day 2023

By Lisa Lailey

On Saturday, 4 March, the sun was shining, and Mercury Bay Pony Club held its first event of 2023, Dressage Cup Day. There is often a great deal of unnecessary mystery about the word “dressage”. It is very well summed up by Dictionary.com as “the art or method of training a horse in obedience and in precision of movement”. Our young dressage riders aim for their horses to show rhythm, relaxation, connection, impulsion, straightness, and collection – the six steps of the dressage “Pyramid of Training”.

Results: Junior: 1 Violeta Popadich and Josh.

Intermediate: 1Tahlia Osborne and Kalani, 2 Lexi Ford and Grace

Senior: 1 Ella Scott and Christmas,

2 Sarah-Kate Lusby and Planet,

3 Ella Simpson and Nike.

Prix Caprilli: 1 Sarah-Kate Lusby, 2 Tahlia Osborne, 3 Ella Simpson,

4 Ella Scott, 5 Lexi Ford

Sponsors and Thank You: Thank you to Pub Charity for funding the coaching for our young riders and to our fabulous judge, Abby Lawrence. Abby is a Whitianga local who has represented New Zealand in the past in the sport of dressage and is always keen to encourage up-and-coming riders. Mercury Bay Pony Club would also like to thank Serenity Retreat, the best “tiny house” bush escape in the Coromandel, for sponsoring prize ribbons and rosettes for the event (www.canopycamping.co.nz/serenity-retreat).

Lisa Lailey is Club Secretary

Caption: Tahlia Osborne riding Kalani, Sarah-Kate Lusby on Planet, Ella Simpson on Nike, Ella Scott on Christmas, Lexi Ford on Grace. Seated: Violeta Popadich.