In the StirrupsJANUARY 2016

● 6 TIPS FOR REGAINING CONFIDENCE AFTER A FALL

● PERIDONTIS: WHY YOU NEED TO KNOW WHAT IT IS

Olympia:The ins,outs, up

andovers!

Sponsorship 101:Tips to plan andsecure sponsors

Being away from home,Rio 2016 and tips forriders

MEET THETEAM BEHINDDUTCH STAR

TIM LIPS

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WELCOME…I hope you all enjoyed a lovely festive period and

haven’t suffered to much in the rain. December

brought us an action packed Olympia as well as

the World Breeding Federation for Sports Horses

recognising the very best examples in our sports.

New Year has brought us a blank canvas to work

upon and set new goals for you and your horse

this year - from competing to just spending more

time together, I hope you all succeed in your

goals. We speak this month to Scott Brash who

finished as World Number One when the year

ended and is a fabulous example of hard work and

h o r s e m a n s h i p

paying off. So

whatever your

target, stay focus

but most

importantly, enjoy

yourself!

Natasha

Dutch Olympic Eventer Tim Lipsis in hot pursuit of the 2016Olympic Games in Rio deJaneiro. Tim also won TeamBronze at the 2014 AlltechFEI World Equestrian GamesNormandy.

Tim Lips

Daisy is a 17 year old BritishDressage rider. Full of ambition,Daisy is certainly one to watch forthe future. Also a fully trainedinstructor, Daisy is always busy ashas a lot to tell us.

Daisy Jackson

Patricia is The Dressage Tipsterand founder of Crystal System.Patricia provides us with usablereliable tips to improve allaspects of your dressage work.Her advice can help your ridingimprove and adjust your mindset.

Patricia Pitt

REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS

Feature Page Number

I N S I D E T H I S M O N T H S I S S U E

See Page 13 See Page 23 See Page 29

COVER PHOTO CREDIT: Christian Manz

See Page 5

Anne Gage

Anne Gage is a Clinician, RidingCoach, Horse Trainer and CertifiedProfessional Coach based inCanada. Anne focuses on themental and physical aspects of bothyou and your horse so you candevelop trust and respect whilebuilding confidence in each other.

5 Minutes with:Hannah Coleman

WBFSH: Awards foroutstanding breeding

Scott Brash: Life ontop

Meet the team: TimLips

Tried and Tested:Cush Gel Grip Whip

Olympia 2015

Rolex Grand SlamJumping

7

8

9

13

22

24

33

REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS

Applause is an American MiniatureHorse and part of AlamandaTherapy Animals. At just 28” tall,Applause is their main star as wellas being, quite possibly, the onlytherapy ‘Unicorn’ in the world.

Applause

Chris runs EQPR EquestrianMarketing & PR - the worlds onlyfull service equestrian agency!Helping both riders and equestrianbusinesses stand out from the crowdthrough a complete range of services.Chris has a passion for all thingsdressage thanks to his partnerinternational dressage rider andtrainer Luke Baber-Davies.

Chris Baber-Davies

Tyne Sigley is our trusted reviewpanellist. Providing honest andimpartial reviews on the newest andhottest equestrian items. Also aqualified equine veterinary nurse,Tyne has a huge passion for ridingand animals in general.

T yne Sigley

Olympia:Dressage,Jumping,Driving

and more!

Pages24-29

See Page 16 See Page 35 See Page 11 See Page 22

WantIn the Stirrupsdirect to your

inbox eachmonth?

Mike O’Brien

Renowned Equine DentalTechnician Mike has experience andqualifications from around theworld. Based in Surrey he shares hisknowledge on the importance ofregular dental care in horses.

Photography team:

Marc Moggridge Rose Lewis Ben Clark

Then visit our homepage and sign up to our newsletter!It’s FREE! www.inthestirrups.com

CONFIDENT HORSEMANSHIPWITH ANNE GAGE

Losing “your nerve” after a fall– even if you haven’t been hurt

– is not uncommon in horseriding. Your mind is a powerful

tool that can work for you oragainst you. Much of what goes

on in our minds happens un-consciously. Here are some

quick tips to help get you backon track.

1) How you are feeling is perfectly normal.

Even if you haven’t been injured, a fall fromyour horse or a close call can cause mentaltrauma. Your brain is programmed to makeconnections between places or situations andpotential danger to your safety. Hormones(adrenaline, noradrenaline and cortisol) areautomatically released that prepare you forflight or fight by causing physical changes inyour body - increased heart rate, shallowbreathing and tense muscles. This chain ofphysical and emotional symptoms is trig-gered automatically and unconsciously.

2) Calm your mind with changing yourbreathing. Changing your breathing is thefastest way to help you to feel more calm andconfident. It helps your mind to slow down andrelax. When you are in a relaxed state you’rebetter able to see things as they really are be-cause you’re not experiencing the clutteredthinking caused by your emotions. You can dothis before you ride, while you are riding andanytime you recognize the first symptom offear. Take long, slow, deep breaths using yourdiaphragm. Inhale through your nose, exhalethrough your mouth. Feel your belly expand onthe inhale and collapse on the exhale.

CONFIDENT HORSEMANSHIPWITH ANNE GAGE

3) Release tension from your body. Stiff muscles and joints not only affect yourbalance, suppleness and confidence, it also affects your horse. Whenever you arenervous, anxious or fearful, you will hold tension somewhere in your body. Itmay be in your shoulders and neck, hips, arms, even your toes. Pay attention towhere tension creeps in. Then let it go by breathing deeply and releasing onevery exhale.

4) Change the pictures you see in yourmind. Visualization is a proven techniqueused successfully by elite athletes to improvetheir skills and confidence. Your mind can’ttell the difference between a real or an imag-ined event. When you mentally replay mis-takes you’ve made or situations that youimagine might happen, your mind believesyou. Replace that negative mental video thatfocuses on the possible catastrophic outcomewith a positive one that focuses on the out-come you want. Your mind believes you eitherway.

5) Mind your self-talk.The ‘audio’ you play inyour head has the sameaffect as the ‘video’. But,positive self talk is morethan ‘positive thinking’.Instead of focusing on theproblem and what isn’tworking, ask questionsthat gets your brain look-ing for solutions.

6) Slowly expand your comfortzone. Start and end your ride whereyou are most comfortable. Move outof your comfort zone avoid graduallyand notice your breathing, tension andthoughts. If your stress increases tothe point where you can’t manage anyof these 3 areas, go back to your com-fort zone until you are calm again.

“As you repeat this process,over time the ‘scary’ place will

feel more comfortable.”

- Anne

5 MINUTES WITH:HANNAH COLEMAN

In the Stirrups caught up with Hannah Coleman,groom to World Number One in Showjumping,Scott Brash. After a busy year we asked her whatthe highlights have been and how she copes withsuch a full on lifestyle.

What has been the highlightof 2015 for you?Oh it’s definitely got to be theGrand Slam overall! Aachenwas amazing, the whole expe-rience but also Miami sticksout because it was the firstyear it was held on the beach.It was awesome.

What does your daily rou-tine consist of?At home we start at about7:30am, giving the horsestheir breakfast and much out around 7:45-8am. Thenwe head inside for our breakfast at 9am before Scottexercises the horses, either riding or hacking out. Wehave lunch between 12-1pm before the horses go outto the fields, if it’s too wet they will be walked out forgrass usually twice a day. They will have a feed at4/5pm and then usual checks done at night. When weare at a show we are often up at ridiculous times, infact when we’re away it’s rare we don’t see the hourson the clock twice in a day! We try to keep the feedtimes the same and they are worked before being fed.Our main goal is to keep as much routine as possiblereally.

How long have you been a groom and had aninterest in horses for?I’ve always loved horses from a young age and I’vealways wanted to travel so my job is perfect! I’ve beengrooming for 8 years and been at 5* shows for threeor four years now.

What do you find is the most rewarding part ofyour job?When our horses win! Everything goes into themwinning, from preparation, routine, training, every-thing so it really is a fantastic moment. Also watching

young horses come through trainingand progress, for example My Ladycame to us at 7 years old, she was abit crazy, well she’s a little crazy butshe’s doing great and it makes youreally proud to be a part of that.So to counterbalance the last ques-tion, what’s the most challengingpart of your job?I think it’s when there is a showevery week. I’m lucky because wefly to a lot of shows, I now can’t beat every single one so I get a fewdays break. When there were less‘Fly to’ shows it was harder because

you were bouncing to each one all the time, now it’sless strenuous.

How do you cope with being away from home somuch?I don’t mind it at all, it’s not a problem for me. Ifanything I feel a bit cooped up when I’m at home fortoo long!

Do you have a favourite show?All of the shows inn America are always good, Miamihad the stables on the beach and Los Angeles thestables were in a building but in the middle of LAwhich was a cool experience. The city shows are goodtoo, like Paris!

What are your goals for 2016?For me, I always said I wanted to do all the 4 yearchampionships; I’ve done 3 so it’s only the Olympicsleft. So Rio 2016 is a big aim for me as well as Scott!Also we have young horses to bring on this year so it’snot just about Rio. 2016 will be as busy as ever.

The World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses has held theannual award ceremony in cooperation with their sponsorRolex in Geneva to honour and celebrate the leading breeders

The world's leading breeders gathered in the city of Geneva Satur-day night to be honoured for their extraordinary breeding products.The winners of the WBFSH Rolex Breeder Rankings in dressage,show jumping and eventing received their WBFSH diplomaspresented by Jan Pedersen, president of the WBFSH, and anexquisite Rolex watch presented by Laurent Delanney of Rolex.Dutch breeders Martje and Joop Hanse won the dressage prize forthe third consecutive year whilst Belgian breeder Willy Taets wonthe show jumping prize for the second year in a row. The winnerswere:

Martje and Joop Hanse, the Netherlands for breeding the No.1 dressage horse Valegro by Negro/Gerswin

From the very beginning Valegro was a star, winning national championships as a four-, five- and six-year-oldon his way to a triumphant London 2012 OlympicGames. Following the Games it was rumoured thatValegro would be sold, but the two owners, Carl Hesterand Roly Luard, subsequently assured the world thatValegro would finish his competition career with Char-lotte Dujardin, and also that he had a home for life.

Willy Taets, Belgium for breeding the No. 1 showjumping horse Hello Sanctos by Quasimodo vdMolendreef/Nabab de Reve

As a member of the British showjumping team, HelloSanctos and Scott Brash (GBR) won team gold and fifthplace individually at the London 2012 Olympic Games,

and one yearlater at the European championships in Herning (DEN) againclaimed team gold, plus an individual bronze medal. In September2015, Hello Sanctos wrote himself into the history books when hecarried Scott Brash to victory in the CP International Grand Prixpresented by Rolex at Spruce Meadows, Calgary, and in so doingbecame the first winners of the Rolex Grand Slam, following theirvictories in Geneva (December 2014) and Aachen (May 2015).

Rolf Lück, Germany for breeding the No. 1 eventing horseHorseware Hale Bob by Ituango xx/Carismo

The 2014-2015 season started brilliantly for Horseware Hale Bobwhen he won the Pau CCI4* in France – only his second CCI4*level event. He also had podium places at Luhmühlen CIC2*,Badminton CCI4*, Luhmühlen CIC3* and Aachen CICO3*. In-grid Klimke and Horseware Hale Bob this year also finishedsecond in the German eventing championships held in Luhmühlen.

Credit: Ridehesten.com

Credit: Ridehesten.com

Rolex representative Laurent Delanney, Willy Taets, his daughter Lieve and sBs presi-dent Marc Pierson.Credit: Ridehesten.com

O U T S TA N D I N G E X A M P L E S O F B R E E D I N GH O N O U R E D B Y W B F S H I N G E N E V A

RIDING HIGH: SCOTT BRASH ATTHE TOP

Scott Brash jumping Hello Santos. Photo Credit: Ridehesten.com

What moment of 2015 stands out to you?

It would have to be the Rolex Grand Slam. It wasamazing and it really stands out above everything else.

Day to Day, what is your routine?

I don’t really have a routine, it’s a bit erratic. I’malways doing something different each day, preparingto fly to different shows and things like that. It keepsme busy but it’s never the same.

How many weeks of the year are you away fromhome? Do you find that difficult?

That’s a good question, probably 45-48 weeks of theyear are spent away from home. I don’t mind it, I like

being away, I’m the type of person who would getbored in an office job. It does get tiring but you getused to it, it’s part of my life and part of my job so Ireally don’t mind it.

If you could give one tip to aspiring riders, whatwould it be?

It has to be ‘Never give up’, follow your dreams.Keep your head down, when you’re younger andyou’re working hard but don’t seem to be gettinganywhere it’s easy to think you don’t have enoughmoney to reach your goals, you’re too tired andthings like that, don’t give up on it. You need to keepgoing, I know many successful business people whoall started with nothing so just don’t quit!

After finishing 2015 as World Number One in Showjumping, we spoke to Scott Brash,asking what he loves most about his job, how he feels about Rio 2016 and the spurcontroversy at Olympia.

With the Olympic Games, in Rio de Janeiro, justaround the corner, how are you feeling?

I’m looking forward to it, we’re in a good position. Ihave 2, maybe 3 horses to choose from and Rio isdefinitely on my mind. We’re are looking good.

You were at Olympia last month, what was thebest part for you?

The World Cup was good, I finished fourth and wasreally pleased with how my horse, Hello M’Lady,jumped. It’s a nice show and it’s always great to ridein front of a home crowd – that’s always great!

What are your feelings regarding the BertramAllen spur Controversy at Olympia?

I felt it was wrong, I saw the horse and I feel the rulesneed reviewing. I know Bertram really well and hedidn’t go in to spur the horse, he’s such a nice guy.He came out with a touch of a spur mark, behindwhere spurs would usually touch – I’m guessing heslipped his leg back and the skin there wasn’t used tocontact. When the horse came out it looked happy tohave jumped a clear round, didn’t have its ears pinnedback or show any signs of being unhappy. I think itwas the wrong decision, don’t get me wrong I think

we have to have welfare rules and checks in place butwithin reason.

What is the most rewarding part of your job?

Just getting to work with great horses on a daily basis,I really enjoying seeing them progress. It’s reallysatisfying teaching horses and bringing them on. Thefeeling of winning is also great, winning a Grand Prixclass, it’s the sort of feeling that money can’t buy. It’samazing!

What do you find the most challenging about yourjob?

It’s probably the logistics, getting to different venuesand shows each week. A lot of hard work goes into itall and it’s not just me – the whole team has to workhard ensuring paperwork and other important thingsare ready. Really it’s all part of the job so I still lovedoing it, it’s no hardship!

Do you have a New Year’s Resolution 2016?

Errrm No… not really. It should probably be to eatless biscuits but I know I’ll break it so I just wontbother!

Scott Brash

I head up EQ.PREquestrian Market-ing & PR which is theworlds only full serv-ice equestrian agen-cy. We work withsome of the best rid-ers, businesses andequestrian productsall over the world andover the upcoming is-sues we will beexplaining how you

can always ensure your marketing & PR are tip-top!

After the success of our last issue we thought it bestto follow on from last month and cover off each of thecrucial steps that you should follow in order to bagthat crucial sponsor:

1. Get organised! Ensure that all of your social me-dia accounts are performing well and getting agood level of engagement, it is worth spendingtime beforehand increasing followers or runningcompetitions to increase the number if peoplethat interact with your page. You also want toensure that your blog or website is also up todate and showing your full potential to your pos-sible new sponsors.

2. Create your wish list, this step is crucial and wellworth spending the time to get it right. Come upwith a list of 10 potential sponsors! These spon-sors should be current suppliers as they willcheck their database and they will probably binyour application if you have never placed an or-der. If the sponsor is a brand or sold throughmultiple distribution channels (lots of differentshops or websites sell it) then you might want tothink about getting some photographs showinghow much you love their products.

3. Get personal, do not just write to “The Director”,“The Manager” or “The Owner” as your request

will probably just end up in the recycling bin!There are lots of websites that allow you to checkcompany information so just a simple search onthe internet would tell you who the director is byname and make your request personal to them.

The government also allow you to search for acompany by using their online tool.

4. Decide on your approach, this is the chance foryou to shine so be creative, be different andyou’ll be sure to stand out from the crowd. Thereare hundreds of people asking the same compa-ny for sponsorship every year so it is important toget creative. 95% of people seeking sponsorshipdo so by sending a plain email with no photo-graphs to the potential sponsor and many fail toeven get a response. Just put yourself in theirshoes and think about what would make yourespond to someone.

5. What media will you use? You might want tomake a small investment and get some profes-sional help here to design and print your collater-als to help bolster your offering. Think outsidethe box and you will be sure to succeed! Youcould put together a sponsorship brochure whichwould introduce you and easily display the waysin which you could help promote their brand inreturn for sponsorship. You might also want tothink about a A4 leaflet or flyer too which wouldhelp describe and promote your offering. Youmight also choose to put on your director hat andmake a short video to introduce you and this waythe potential sponsor will get to know you a littlebetter too! Whichever the approach it is all aboutstanding out, evoking emotion and getting yoursponsor to bite!

6. Create a checklist, now we know who we aregoing to target, how we are going to target themand what we are going to use! You must nowcome up with a checklist and way of recording

The What, Where and How to getting on the sponsorship ladder

Chris Baber-Davis of EQ-PR

what you have done on what date to help withfollowing up your requests.

7. Crunch time! I would recommend picking yourtop three potential sponsors and approachingthose first! You do not want to do a mass mail asyou simply will not have sufficient time to followthese up. You might want to pick three sponsorsfor three different types of product at first thenin the second wave you can have a far moretargeted approach. If you are using a brochure orflyer I would recommend a snappy and grippingcover letter and try to include a photograph ofyou and the product you are seeking sponsorshipfor. For those choosing to go down the videoroute you might want to think about emailing thecontact directly as the link can be embeddedwithin the email versus them having to try toretype the long URL from a letter.

8. It’s a waiting game, out of all sponsorship re-quests that we have created or sent on behalf ofour clients - over 80% respond to our request,20% agreed to sponsor just off the back of our

request and 60% agree to discussing next steps orto schedule a date to come and meet the rider!Compare that to the usual 95% of people whojust send a boring letter or email at least 90% ofthose requests are ignored.

9. Next steps, hopefully your new potential sponsorwill have jumped at the chance of coming onboard and your approach has grabbed their at-tention so they get in touch with you! Businessesare busy so if they do not reply I would simplyfollow them up as they haven’t said no! I wouldgive it 2 weeks before making a phone call toenquire whether they had received the sponsor-ship pack you sent. You could also send them anemail to follow up but we recommend using aalternative method to follow up to that that youchose initially. You can then think about repeat-ing the process to approach other sponsors insimilar sized batches.

10. Keep them happy, you have promised to do cer-tain things for a sponsor so make sure that youmanage their expectations and do as you prom-ised. This will help to keep them happy and keepthe relationship strong which will lead to greateropportunities in the future.

Stay tuned next month for more marketing & PR tipsand if you have a question you would like us toanswer just use #AskEQPR on Facebook or Twitter,visit www.eq-pr.co.uk or email us at hello@eqpr.co.uk

Be Original in your approach!

TICKET TO RIO: TIM LIPSThe best team any person could hope for..

I have, over the years, gathered a greatteam around me. Each team memberplays, in his or her own way, a largepart in my success. I imagine they arevery proud of that, as I am proud ofthem.

The first person I must mention ismy girlfriend, Emma, who worksvery hard at our stables. If youwant business, you'll need to put alot of effort into the sport and forthe people who are close to you isnot always easy. Training week-ends, large amounts of travellingfor competitions, long hours, youname it... none of this makes arelationship any easier! Fortunate-ly, they all understand what impor-tance the sport has to me and usas a team and never fail to supportme. I can talk to her and when necessaryshe always keeps me grounded and level head-ed. I have occasionally needed a moment totake a good reflection. At the same time, shehelps me to relax, to unwind and take a momentfor myself, beside the sport notleaving much time for other things,I think it's very important that I canlet go and relax with Emma.

Family is obviously very importantfor an athlete anyway, but it isespecially important for me. Myfather Martin Lips, is essential forme as a coach as well as a father.Besides being the Dutch eventingteam coach, he also has so muchto teach us. What I find very impor-tant is that he has always let me gomy own way, he has let me makemy own mistakes so that I wouldlearn from it. But on the otherhand, I can always turn to him foradvice, even when it comes tobusiness. That is also an important

part of our sport which I feel lucky to have.

My mother and sister are not working for us, buthave been supporting me for years whenevernecessary. My mom has been with me for yearsas a groom and also during the London Olym-

pics, she was there with me, sheand my sister will still jump to it ifnecessary! My mother does notride anymore, but she still lungesthe horses as well as accompany-ing new grooms, teaching and ex-plaining everything to them. Mysister supports us whenever pos-sible. She has a full-time job, butwhen we are away at competi-tions, she rides in her spare timesometimes rearranging her plansto ensure she can help us out – forthat I am grateful.

Besides my family, my team at thestable is indispensable. Unfortunately, I do

not have the time to train and care for all of myhorses, so my groom Klara handles all of mysport horses and always goes with them to inter-national competitions. For competitions the sta-

ble team are responsible for thepreparation and the packing ofeverything before we leave! At firstI found this quite difficult, I am verymeticulous and found it so difficultto let go, but she has helped out allseason and done a fantastic job.The horses always look gorgeousand she has the same drive as me,namely to put a top performance inRio so I feel assured I can let herhandle things!

Besides my groom we also haveseveral stable riders around. It isobviously crucial that all of myhorses receive proper training,even if I am not home, for examplebecause of a competition. That iswhy, this summer, Francois start-ed with us. He is a French event-

Tim and Emma

Tim and his mother Annette

ing rider who rides all of the younger horses andwhen I am away from home, he rides the olderhorses too. This is to ensure that all horses candevelop well and consistently. He has done acourse in Samur, one of the best courses forriders in France. He also rides at a high level andparticipates in international competitions, so Iam very pleased that he has come to joinour team.

Evelien Hammers has fourhorses in our stables, I haveguided her, but with her groom Elenore, they are re-ally part of the team. Wetrain and compete in thesame competitions lot to-gether.At the stables, Johan is ourhandyman. Anything not di-rectly related to horses, re-quires Johan! He takes care of allthe important peripheral issues sothat we can focus fully on the horses andtheir care, which is very nice! He is the silentstrength in our stables which ensures that every-thing goes smoothly and we are thankful.In addition to the staff, I have to mention aparticular group at the stable... The team fromthe Chinese province of Jiangsu who are prepar-ing us for the Chinese Games. We exchangeknowledge with each other and try to assist as

much as possible so they can do great at theChina Games.

Not only in the stable, but also at competitions Iam extensively supported. When with the Dutchteam we have Rob Ehrens for jumping, Dres-sage with Wim Ernes and my father Martin for

the cross country. As a team we can be verypleased that we get guidance from

these three great specialists!

During competitions, veterinaryDr. Welling responsible for vet-erinary supervision, he over-sees the welfare of all horses.In addition, I ensure a check isdone on all of the horses oncea quarter, by a private veteri-

narian. Gerrie de Krom and Le-on Leuster, our farriers, are of

very great importantance. A mara-thon runner runs on good shoes, a

horse no different! These men both de-liver masterpieces and ensure that the horsescan perform at their best.

The sponsors and the board of my foundationare really part of the team, without their support,I could not be at this level of elite sport. Theythink proactively with us and often provide otherinsights which prove very useful in solving prob-lems. To me, they are just as much a part of

"A MARATHON

RUNNER RUNS

ON GOOD

SHOES; A HORSE

IS NO

DIFFERENT"

Tim with his Father Martin JiangSu Team

Foundation 2016

T I C K E T T O R I O : T I M L I P S

Team Lips. Be it groom, owner,financial support, rider or family,they all form part of one team withthe goal to follow the Road to Rio2016!

Someone who might be lessknown to the public is Rianne.Behind the scenes, she is busy24/7 with my administration, com-munication and events for spon-sors. She also maintains contactsand contracts with sponsors andall sorts of other tasks. Aroundcompetitions she regulates theapplications of health and trans-port papers for the horses. Overthe years she has become indis-pensable to me and she is alwaysthere for me, I would be lost with-out her!

Besides Rianne I have three otherleaders who guide me personally.Robert van der Sluis is my physio-therapist and always makes sureI'm fit as a fiddle. Heidi Stiegelisaccompanies me as a mentalcoach and helps me perform moreconsistently. Additionally, EllyHardenberg is my dietician, shemakes sure that I get proper nutri-tion so that I can perform at my

best. I also wear a movementmonitor 24 hours a day, 7 days aweek, it provides data to analyseand on that data they give meadditional advice. The sport runsthe difference between a goodand bad performance for per-centages… and similarly for me,it means I can make the most ofmy career.

I myself, do not sit still and do IEG management and finance.But I try above all to focus onriding and also to stay motivated,to ensure I perform optimally inall areas. I've never been sopleased for our team as I amnow, so I am looking forward toworking with this team on theRoad to Rio!

Incidentally, I haven’t mentionedall of the people in this piece thatsupport me on my Road to Rio,including my fans that I followclosely through my website andsocial media. I am very gratefulto all of you and hope with yoursupport we will put in a superbperformance in Rio!

Francois, rider.

Rianne, left.

Rio is in sight!Have a great

2016 from TeamLips!

Mike is a fully qualified EquineDental Technician. Priding himselfon practicing a calm and gentleapproach, he has vast experiencehandling a wide variety of horsesand donkeys; running his own yard‘Equine Unity’ for 5 years as well asworking in racing for 25 years. Hehas completed dentistry trainingboth in the UK and the USA andworked in Egypt doing dentistry foran equine charity 'Prince FluffyKareem'. He is now based in Surreyand covers the whole of the UK.Mike wishes to educate about theimportance of equine dental care.Follow Mike on Facebook: MikeO'Brien Equine Dental Technician

Mike O’Brien: EquineDental Technicion

Periodontal Pocket in a young horse

Periodontal disease (Peridontitis) is probably the single greatestcause of premature tooth loss in adult horses. Around 60% of horsesover the age of 15 will have some degree of periodontal disease,which if left untreated, could culminate in tooth loss. During myrecent visits to clients I have seen a large amount of periodontaldisease and it is because of this I have decided to explain it to youtoday.

Happy Mouth + HappyHorse + Happy Owner =

Happy New Year!

Peridontitis is a painful condition that damages the gums, the cementum,gingiva, and periodontal ligaments. The periodontal ligament andsupporting tissues can cope with normal masticatory (chewing) forces,however excessive forces can overload the support system to the tooth,weakening the periodontal attachment causing the beginnings ofinflammation and degeneration. It can eventually result in the toothloosening completely and falling out. When inflammation is not tooadvanced, the periodontitis can disappear by removing the cause,however in well advanced periodontitis, extraction of the tooth issometimes unavoidable.

So what are the symptoms and causes of periodontitis andwhat can you and your dental technician do to alleviate theproblems?

A diastema is a narrow opening between two molars thatshould normally fit neatly together. Food can be forced upbetween the teeth while the horse is chewing. Humans can

remove this food with either their tongue or byflossing, however a horse cannot and thereforesuffers continuous discomfort and pain in thegums underneath. Food stuck between theteeth is a perfect environment for bacteria tomultiply; which then causes inflammation at theedge of the gum that can affect the outside ofthe tooth and cause periodontitis. This in turnleads to periodontal pocket formation andGingivitis (inflammation of the gingiva). Thismay be located to a single tooth or series ofteeth or even an entire arcade.External signs of periodontitis includeabnormal mastication (chewing), halitosis (badsmell), hyper salivation and loss of bodycondition. Quidding may also be an obviousand well recognized sign; food falls from themouth due to pain caused by extra pressure onthe gums from chewing. As we talked aboutlast month, chronic pain can result in a changeof behavior or problems when being ridden orhandled. However, horses may show no signsat all, so proper diagnosis requires carefulexamination using a speculum, a good lightsource and a dental probe.

Treatment consists of removing the wedgedfood with long forceps and cleaning the spacebetween the teeth with water and/or airpressure. This however is usually a temporarysolution and it is often a good idea to exchangehay or dry feed for softer grass or watereddown feed.

Periodontitis andsubsequent tooth losscan be minimized orprevented by regulartreatment by a qualifiedEquine DentalTechnician. In severecases your EDT maywork in conjunction withyour vet to aid your horseand a more permanentsolution may be sought.

Happy Mouth, HappyHorse, Happy Owner anda HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Severe periodontal pocketing of food caused by cheek teeth diastemata.

A diastema with a periodontal pocket, which has already been cleaned ofaccumulated feed material.

FASHION

What to buy, where to buy -for you, your horse and

pets!

This cute knitted sweater from Pink Whiskers brings atouch of Nordic glamour and warmth to your dog’s winterwardrobe. The Nordic Style Wool Sweater is woven innatural wool, which allows your dog’s skin to breath,whatever the weather and features a gorgeous Nordicdesign throughout in Slate Grey and Ecru. A cute jumperthat you will be wishing came in human sizing!Sizes: XS - XL RRP: £18.00 www.pinkwhiskers.co.uk

FASHION

The Childéric FXL Double Flap Jump/GP Saddle incorpo-rates Childéric’s unique tree technology, which allows thehorse greater freedom of movement, thanks to it’s anatom-ically shaped panels and carefully positioned points. Thefurther set back points coupled with the tree work togetherto allow the horse to move through it’s shoulder to ensurethat the horse’s stride is never compromised in-between orover jumps.The Childéric FXL Double Flap Jump/GP Saddle for abespoke saddle that ‘jumps out at you’ for all the rightreasons!Available in seat sizes 16 -19”. Tree Widths: Medium &Wide +. Colours: Black, Master & Irish. Leathers: Grain,Calf, Or Buffalo . Also available in single flap. RRP:Prices start at £3,400www.childericsaddles.co.uk

This long sleeve striped shirt is

styled in 100% poplin striped

cotton and features a classic cut

and some gorgeous design de-

tails. Proudly displaying the

Freddie Parker signature em-

broidered motif on the chest, the

Freddie Parker Epsom Shirt lin-

ing of the retro short button

down collar, placket and inside

of the cuffs also feature the

Freddie Parker graphic print. A

gorgeous shirt for this season

which looks great whatever your

occasion and with the new wom-

en’s collection also available: his

and her equals super stylish!

Sizes S -XXL Available in Dark

Blue, Light Blue and Lilac

Freddie Parker Epsom Shirt

RRP: £79.00

www.freddieparker.com

www.inthestirrups.com

SHIRTS WITH STYLE

SADDLE UP!

Whether travelling to an equestrian event, trans-porting essentials on a weekend away in the country-side, or heading off near or far on a holiday, the newLuggage collection from Ariat makes light of stayingorganised!

With a solution to every packing problem, Ariat’sLuggage collection has been designed to be smartlooking, yet practical, and is made from a durablenylon outer that features leather trims and a beauti-ful branded lining for classic, yet modern styling.

The equine enthusiast will adore the Hard Hat Bagand Tall Boot Bag – both of which provide the per-fect housing for horse riding equipment. The HardHat Bag features an extra pocket with a simple mag-netic closure for easy access to essentials such ashairnets, hair bands and other equestrian musthaves. Meanwhile, the Tall Boot Bag incorporatesbrass ventilation detailing to allow riding boots tobreathe, as well as an inner divider to separate foot-wear and help keep it in tip top condition. The HardHat Bag and Tall Boot Bag are both available in navy

only and have an RRP of £39.99 (Hat Bag) and £59.99(Boot Bag).

For people on the go, Ariat’s Luggage collection hasa number of styles to meet varying requirements.The Tote and Weekender both present the perfectaccessory to pack for work days, mini-breaks andholidays – with plenty of pockets to house suchitems as laptops, mobile phones, clothing, toiletries,paperwork and other essentials. Both items of lug-gage feature an over the shoulder holder strap, zip-per puller, magnetic closures on the extra largepockets and leather for a classic and traditional ap-pearance.

For the active enthusiast, the Backpack provides allof the same features as the Tote and Weekender,plus a quilted rear panel for comfort on the back andpadded, adjustable shoulder straps to help providethe perfect packing solution for work or play!

The Backpack, Tote and Weekender are available innavy or olive. RRP £44.99 for the Backpack, £64.99for the Tote and £79.99 for the Weekender.

Ariat have got

it in the bag!

FASHION

The Equetech Cozy Zip Top is a technical pro-stretchknitted zip top with a brushed plush soft lining. Practi-cal for all equestrian / country activities, this garmenthelps to wick moisture away from the body, keepingyou warm and dry all day long. Other features includecover stitching to all seams, 1/4 zip at the neck,Equetech 3D logo to front chest, a rolled top collardesign and scooped back hem. Machine washable.Sizes: XS –XL RRP: £41.95Colours: Black, Navy, Mélange Grey

www.equetech.com01296 688 966

Tuffa’s Showtime Boots have

won fans from all different eques-

trian sports with the most recent

group to embrace the boots’ ele-

gant design and traditional style

being those who hunt. “The

boots’ classic design really ap-

peals to lots of people, but we’ve

combined this with more modern

materials and features like rear

zips that mean that the boots are

easy to wear, but still look the

part.”says Michelle Girling from

Tuffa Footwear. Showtime Boots

are made from soft Italian leath-

er, have a contoured fit and have

garter straps, full length rear YKK

zips for easy fitting and rubber

riding soles. They’re available in

sizes 4-9, in standard and wide

calf widths, in black and brown,

and have a RRP of £199.99 for

standard sizes.

www.tuffaboots.com

www.inthestirrups.com

IT’S SHOWTIME

SNUG AS A BUG

TRIED AND TESTED

This month we were amongst the first to get our hands onthe KM Elite Cush Grip Schooling Whip. These smartschooling whips have a cushion grip that have beendesigned and manufactured to be durable and resilientwithout forfeiting the comfort of the rider. They are spe-cifically designed to be weighted to balance in your handwhen riding and the slick, speckled design will comple-ment your riding attire for any occasion. It is made frommade from TPR, which is different to gel whips on themarket which can split and spill everywhere.

Colours: Purple, Black, Hot Pink, Silver/Grey and RoyalBlue. Size: 110cm

RRP direct from KM Elite of £9.99 and available to buyhere:

http://www.kmeliteproducts.co.uk/whips/new-cush-grip-

www.inthestirrups.com

What really stuck out to us with this whip is how comfy it was to hold. The weightedend made you aware of its presence but it wasn’t cumbersome or annoying. The gelgrip does look like it has the potential to get a tad fluffy but nothing drastic andcertainly doesn't outweigh the overall feel and quality of the whip. We tested the Navyand Silver colour variation and were impressed by the vibrant yet stylish look -suitable all round. Available at a great price, we would recommend having one ofthese in your tack locker! Or one in every colour if you are an equine fashionsta!

KM Elite Cush Grip Schooling Whip

DAISY JACKSON DRESSAGE2015 is now coming to a close and after reflecting onthe past year I am very proud and happy to say that ithas been the best yet. This has been down to manyreasons from supportive sponsors, amazing owners totwo awesome new trainers in Nicky Barrett and GarethHughes. I have made the greatest progression in 2015than ever before. Finishing the year happily training atAdvanced Medium with Blackberry who at the end ofher 6th year is showing a huge amount of potential andtalent giving both her breeder and I butterflies in ourtummies when picturing her future! My highlights withher this year have been being given co-ownership ofher by her breeder Tracey Bywater; qualifying for theRegional Championships at Novice and ElementaryOpen and the Novice and Elementary U25 NationalChampionships, coming 3rd in the Elementary semi-finals.Tango is finishing 2015 comfortably training at PSG.He is beginning to really relax in training and allow meto eradicate the tension and increase the suppleness. Assoon as we are at that point I am able to develop thepaces further for more expression. This year’s high-lights with Tango are competing in the RegionalChampionships in Medium Open and Advanced Medi-um Restricted along with getting through to the U25National Championship Finals. In training I am excitedby progressing the tempi changes, canter pirouettes,the passage and piaffe ready for competing at PSG nextyear. I do have to thank Nicky Barrett for being largelyresponsible for this huge step forward with Tango andI very much look forward to continuing this improve-ment with Nicky.Next year I am also very excited to back our DonFrederico x Rotspon Gelding, Larkshill Divinity, whoI co-own along with his breeder Heather Stack ofLarkshill Stud. I am also looking forward to competingour 5 year old gelding Larkshill Tanzer and of coursecontinuing with Tango and Blackberry.I wish you all a very Happy New Year and especiallya thank you to my wonderful and supportive sponsorsand owners

Daisy

www.inthestirrups.com In the Stirrups Magazine

For the fifth consecutive year Charlotte Dujardinhas won the Reem Acra FEI World Cup™ Dres-sage Grand Prix, much to the delight of thepacked crowds at Olympia, The London Interna-tional Horse Show.

While the last four Grands Prix have been wonwith her Olympic gold medal partner Valegro,this year her winning ride was Uthopia (77.46%).The 14-year-old breeding stallion owned by CarlHester was last ridden in competition by Dujardinto win the Grand Prix at Royal Windsor 19months ago. He was also the horse that gaveHester his first team gold (European in 2011).

Uthopia came back to competition like he hadnever been away with a mistake free test full ofexpression and as first to go, the pair was the oneto catch. Hester and Jane De La Mare’s teamhorse Nip Tuck (76.66%) couldn’t quite matchthe score. Despite highlights of clean piaffe andpirouettes the extensions failed to match those ofthe stallion and the pair was just less than 1%behind for second. While Dutch rider Hans PeterMinderhoud, a regular at Olympia, produced astrong test with Glock’s Flirt (76.12%) the 10-

year-old Florestan gelding ran out of steam on thefinal line, losing balance and rhythm and valua-ble marks, to be a close third.

Unlike the past four years this year’s win was anunexpected one for Dujardin especially as theindoor arena and the electric atmosphere at Ol-ympia can prove difficult to master.

“It was quite a risk to come here and you couldn’tdo that with many horses but he has the besttemperament in the world and I am over themoon to win.”

“It was also nice to bring another horse, take thepressure off Valegro and give another horse achance,” said Dujardin who would now like totake Uthopia to Amsterdam.

Hester intends to come out fighting in tomor-row’s Reem Acra FEI World Cup™ Freestylewith a new test for Nip Tuck set to new musicbased created by Tom Hunt.

“I have gone for the most difficult test possible,”said Hester.

CREDIT: KIT HOUGHTON/ H POWER

5 IN A ROW FOR CHARLOTTE

OLYMPIA 2015

After the Grand Prix at Olympia, Carl Hester threwdown the gauntlet. Tonight he put words into action andwith Nip Tuck (83.750%) emerged as the winner of theReem Acra FEI World Cup™ Freestyle.

Promising the most difficult freestyle he could muster,the British Olympic and European gold medallist deliv-ered with a brand new test of high technical difficultyand was delighted to nail the win. It was also a convinc-ing personal best (PB) freestyle score for the combina-tion.

“This is really huge for me,” said a delighted Hester.“Last night I thought I had a chance and decided to grabit. I was a little nervous as to whether it would come offand to produce a test like that you really have to have ahorse on your side. It just goes to show that after 25years in the job and riding Grand Prix you never reallyknow what you have and Nip Tuck is really turning intosomething I never thought he was.”

The composition was created by Tom Hunt, the manbehind many top riders Freestyle music such as Char-lotte Dujardin amongst others.

The showcase performance by the British Master rele-gated the then leaders Charlotte Dujardin and Uthopia(82.55), to second place. The pair had produced anenergetic and expressive test and also produced theirhighest and best score to date.

“I am really happy with the test,” said Charlotte who islining up the Dutch-bred stallion as a second string forRio.

“Last night he felt really fresh and tonight a little tiredand there were a few errors. He is a very different ride toValegro and is a little ring shy and I still have to hold hishand a bit but he tried so hard.”

Hans Peter Minderhoud, a regular Dutch visitor to Ol-ympia and Glocks Flirt (80.975) took third and in a nightof PBS followed suit producing a score marginally high-er than their bets and winning score in Stockholm lastmonth.

“I was pleased with that – it was a little difficult comingin after Charlotte but he really tried for me and it is agreat feeling when they are on your side,” said Minder-houd who always puts Olympia in his diary, “I love theshow and London,” said Hans. “It is a great show, a greataudience and a good way to end the year before Christ-mas.”

1, Nip Tuck (Carl Hester) GBR 83.750;

2, Uthopia (Charlotte Dujardin) GBR 82.550;

3, Glock’s Flirt (Hans Peter Minderhoud) NED 80.975;

4, Rubin Al Asad (Lara Griffith) GBR 78.025;

5, Paridon Magi (Tinne Vilhelmson Silfven) SWE 77.700;

6, Jojo Az (Agnete Kirk Thinggaard) DEN 76.950;

7, Rubins Nite (Hayley Watson-Greaves) GBR 75.075;

8, Annarico (Fanny Verliefden) BEL 74.125;

9, Vancouver K (Judy Reynolds) IRL 73.525;

10, Batuta (Goncalo Carvalho) POR 73.225;

11, Santurio de Massa (Daniel Pinto) POR 73.200;

12, Bonzanjo (Diederik van Silfhout) NED 73.100;

3, Don Gregorius (Inna Logutenkova) UKR 72.775;

14, Tiamo (Jorinde Verwimp) BEL 72.725;

15, Wie-Atlantico de Ymas (Anders Dahl) DEN 72.375.

HESTER MAKES GOOD OF HIS PROMISE

CREDIT: KIT HOUGHTON/ H POWER

OLYMPIA 2015

Two riders fought all the way toshare a thrilling Alltech Puis-sance at Olympia, The LondonInternational Horse Show, afterboth their horses jumped su-perbly over five rounds.

Jos Verlooy from Belgium andGermany’s Hilmar Meyer werethe only two to make it through tothe fifth round and shared thespoils - which were presented byHRH The Duchess of Cornwall,paying her annual visit to Olympia- after soaring over the famouswall at 2.15m (7ft 1in).

Meyer first came to Olympia acouple of years ago as a groom;now, on his first visit as a compet-

itor, he is celebrating winning oneof the most prestigious classes.His horse, the 13-year-old Contin-uo by Contendro, is a puissancespecialist and has taken manyclasses in Europe.

“I’m very proud of my horse,”said Meyer. “It’s an unbelievablefeeling jumping that high, but on-ly with the right horse. It’s beengreat to ride here at Olympia, it’ssuch a great atmosphere.”

Unusually, Verlooy, 20, was usingthe class as a warm-up for theLongines FEI World Cup qualifieron Sunshine, a nine-year-oldchestnut gelding. “I think thatjumping a puissance can work

well as a warm-up before a reallybig class,” he explained. “It wasreally exciting. I couldn’t believehow easily my horse jumped.”

Swiss rider Pius Schwizer ridingLeonard de la Ferme CH, VictoriaGulliksen (Grand Balou), daugh-ter of Norwegian Olympian andperennial Olympia visitor GeirGulliksen, Ireland’s Trevor Breenon the dual Hickstead Derby win-ner Loughnatousa WB and lastyear’s runner-up, Karline DeBranander from Belgium on hergallant mare Fantomas de Muze,all crashed out in the fourth roundwhen the wall was 2.10m (6ft11in).

PUISSANCE BATTLE BETWEEN TWOCREDIT: KIT HOUGHTON/H POWER

OLYMPIA 2015

OLYMPIA 2015

Dashing Italian rider Emanuele Gaudiano snatched victory in the Longines FEI World Cup™leg presented by H&M at Olympia, The London International Horse Show, with an auda-cious display of speed jumping on his heroic chestnut gelding, Admara.At one stage in the marathon 17-horse jump-off it looked as if theBritish were keeping their WorldCup™ leg to themselves with BenMaher on the feisty chestnut mareDiva ll, world number one ScottBrash (Hello M’lady) and Guy Wil-liams (Titus) heading the leader-board.

But the Italian police officer blewthem out of the water with his ambi-tious round, shaving 0.95secs offBen’s time. The remaining riders –Germany’s Marco Kutscher andHans-Dieter Dreher, Britain’s LauraRenwick, Switzerland’s Steve Guer-dat and Ireland’s Bertram Allen –couldn’t get close and it all camedown to the last rider, Britain’sMichael Whitaker on Viking.

The packed house roared Michaeldown to the final fence, but he hadstruggled to get a good stride toeither the third or fourth fences and,despite his desperate efforts, he fin-ished just 0.13secs slower than Ben

to slot into third place. ‘I don’t thinkthe course was too easy,’ saidMichael, commenting on the largenumber through to the jump-off, ‘infact, it was quite difficult. It’s justthat everyone had really preparedtheir horses well and had been sav-ing them for this class plus thestandard is now very high.’

Portuguese course-designer, Bernar-do Costa Cabral, admitted that thecourse was ‘difficult to build forthese superstars’. He commented:‘Achieving a balance is a thin line. Itwasn’t the highest track but it obvi-ously rode tougher than it walked.However, it resulted in a brilliantjump-off.’

‘Emanuele certainly spoiled our par-ty,’ joked Ben, ‘but I don’t think Icould have done any more. Myhorse did everything for me – it feltlike coming down to the last at Chel-tenham! I’ve been a bit short ofhorse power this year, but she has

always come forward for me when itmatters and I won’t forget that.’

‘And I love my horse,’ declaredEmanuele of the 10-year-old byPadinus that he has owned since atwo-year-old. ‘He is clever and care-ful. I tried my best and it was good!I particularly chose to come here totry to qualify for the World Cupbecause I love this show, so to winhere is great.’ Emanuele is nowlooking good for the Longines FEIWorld Cup™ Final at Gothenburg,Sweden, in March; his win has pro-pelled him from 42nd to 13th in therankings which are headed by Ger-many’s Christian Ahlmann.

The FEI’s World Cup Director JohnRoche congratulated Olympic Di-rector Simon Brooks-Ward and histeam on an outstanding show. ‘It’s agreat surface, horses love to jump inthis environment and riders have thebest crowd in the world behind him,’added Ben Maher. ‘This is why it’smy favourite show.’

www.inthestirrups.com

ITALIANSPEEDS TOVICTORY INLONGINES

WORLDCUP LEG AT

OLYMPIACredit: Kit Houghton/H Power

OLYMPIA 2015

Dutch carriage-driver Ijsbrand Chardonstood up in his carriage and waved to amadly cheering audience at Olympia, TheLondon International Horse Show, afterwinning the FEI World Cup™ Driving Legpresented by Dodson & Horrell.

Ijsbrand had achieved the seemingly impossible inoverhauling the hitherto unbeatable world numberone Boyd Exell, who was competing on a wild cardat Olympia, and is now guaranteed a place in the finalin Bordeaux, France, in February.

Koos de Ronde, also from the Netherlands, finishedthird, despite a tip-up after crossing the finish line inthe final round. His horses, however, were none theworse for the spill and were able to perform in thetraditionally rousing prize-giving ceremony.

Showing the camaraderiefor which the sport is re-nowned, all the other driv-ers rushed to help. Boydcommented: ‘No one likesaccidents to happen but it isgood for spectators to seehow difficult our sport is.’He added sportingly: ‘It isgood for the sport for some-one else to win – this cer-tainly won’t ruin myChristmas!’Ijsbrand’s victory was allthe more remarkable be-cause he had to switch hisusual lead horse, Aladin,due to the horse having acough. Instead, he drove

the more experienced but harder to manage Lipizzan-er Inci.‘The feeling was just great,’ said a visibly elatedIjsbrand, a man who has dominated the sport ofcarriage-driving for three decades. ‘I know that Incihas to grow in competition, he just needs a bit of time.My horses felt super and I haven’t knocked any ballsdown for three days, which is brilliant.’The British representative Daniel Naprous, whose‘day job’ is as a stuntman on the film Wonder Wom-an, put up a good performance with his team ofLipizzaner horses. He was disappointed to finish last,but acknowledged that the overseas drivers are veryhard to beat.The sell-out house was also treated to a spectacularcompetition from the Kennel Club Large Senior DogAgility Finals where Greg Derrett and DevongemRehab Sproglett went clear in an impressive time of32.78secs to clinch the title.

www.inthestirrups.com

Chardon leads the racefor FEI driving leg

Credit: Kit Houghton/H Power

I have changed. I hadn’t noticed thechange because it’s really sneaky. Bit likebeing a child and growing. You get tallerbut you didn’t notice until you stand upagainst a wall and mark it.

The same holds true for my changes. Weare all constantly changing, but it’s hard tonotice. It’s not even a question of if you’rechanging; it’s more about which directionare you going in. How in control of yourchanges are you? Here are 10 ideasaround the way you think about your ridingwhich may help you get the right mind setfor your challenges.

THE DRESSAGE TIPSTERPatricia Pitt

1. Baby Steps

A baby learns to crawl before it can walk, and itlearns to walk before it can run. Most peoplewho decide they want something better to hap-pen in their training expect and want big chang-es and they want them now.

I’m not saying this isn’t possible, because it is,but in most cases it’s not going to happenovernight. So the very best approach is toaccept that there will always be problems, thathappiness is not in the absence of problems butin how you go about dealing with them and thatit’s not our job to eliminate them. Our job is to doour best towards resolving them; take babysteps, and see where it takes us.

Sometimes you feel so overwhelmed with theamount of work you have to do that you actuallydon’t feel motivated enough to do anything. Thesecret is to keep taking one step at a time, youwill reach a tipping point where there is a majorshift - that’s when the big changes happen. Thisis how I approached writing my book The CrystalSystem, it took 2 years but I got there, with babysteps.

2. Acceptance

Accept where you are. My lack of progresstowards becoming a skilled rider helped merealise many things one of which was that if Iwanted to be successful I had to accept where Iwas. The only way forward was this startingpoint, my delusional state of thinking I was better

Baby Steps!

than I was, actually restricted my progress. Anassessment of my flaws helped me put intoplace a plan to resolve many, many issues. If Ihad not accepted my failings, I would not havedone anything about them!

3. Patience

I’ve been blogging since 2013 atwww.likecrystal.com.

I had big ambitions in terms of competing whenI set out but my horse had back surgery andeverything changed. It was a big lesson inpatience. I learnt so much about how she is puttogether and what was needed for her rehabilita-tion that it led me to understand what is neededin terms of building strength and fitness fordressage.

Doesn’t matter what’s going on.There will always be problems.But it doesn’t mean you give upon your dream. Try to be patientwith your progress. Slowly, slowlycatchee monkey!

4. Fear

When you face your fears possi-bilities open up. There are timeswhen we are all afraid of the un-known, fears don’t disappear theysimply diminish; become less im-portant. I didn’t like people watch-

ing me ride, I was very self conscious, so, andwhen Mark booked me a lesson with an eliterider I was horrified. But I resolved to give it ago, I faced this fear and it was sooooo good, Iabsolutely loved it.

My confidence has grown exponentially as aresult. The best advice I can give is not to com-pare your-self to anyone else. Follow your innerGPS; the path you set for yourself, then you onlyhave yourself to fear and you are not a scaryperson. Or are you?

5. Align Those Excuses

Your excuses are fantasies. You may think youhave legitimate excuses about why you can’tfollow your passion, but are they really true? If

THE DRESSAGE TIPSTER: CHANGES

you really wanted to, you could take one tinystep forward. Then see what happens, re-as-sess, and take another step. I am terrible fortaking a break when training, because my fit-ness levels are inadequate! I’m just makingexcuses not to push myself and get to where Ineed to be.

6. Take Responsibility

Since talking with more and more riders I’vestarted to notice a pattern. A lack of responsibil-ity; I see people wanting to make changes butthey aren’t willing to do what is necessary. Theyare waiting for that all knowing, white knight togive them that one tip that will transform theirriding and influence them sufficiently to helpthem realise their dreams. I hate to burst your

bubble, but it’s not going to happen unless youare the one making it happen and that will onlystart with a decision by you.

7. Get Out Of Your Comfort Zone

If you want to make real positive change getcomfortable with being out of your comfort zone.When you’re learning something new, you’llbump into the walls of your comfort zone. Youdon’t have to suddenly immerse yourself in dis-comfort. All you have to do is dip your toes fromtime to time. Stretch your mind, stretch yourbody, stretch your limits.

8. Focus

In order to really make progress in your ridingyou have to change your focus. If you don’t takecontrol of your mindset it will run amok. You willnaturally focus on the negative, you will imaginethe worst possible scenarios and they will be-come a self fulfilling prophecy.

In my training, when I really focus on the actualtask at hand, I almost immediately relax. Lastnight I was so exhausted I could barely ride, butI pushed because I knew I could do better andreally focussed on the task (uphill canter). Untilthe point I made the decision to really focus, mythoughts of fatigue were taking me on a rollercoaster ride of emotions and hindering myprogress. The only difference is the thought.

THE DRESSAGE TIPSTER: CHANGES

Get Out of your Comfort Zone

THE DRESSAGE TIPSTER: PATRICIA PITT

“Ok, focus!” - then it was all over, because Iachieved what I set out to achieve and I could finish.

9. Reclaim Your Personal Power

You know what to do. You just haven’t been listen-ing to your inner voice. It’s easy to give the decisionto someone else, but it’s your path. The sooner yourealise that, the more fun you will have.

But, what exactly do you want to do? If you don’tknow, then start somewhere. Action will bring clarity.

10. Accept Failure

Make failure your friend. You will make mistakesand you won’t even know if they are mistakes whenyou make them, because mistakes and failureshave a tendency to transform into blessings.

You only fail if you give up, so if you never give up,you can never fail, only learn, and grow.

The change I have noticed within me is the way Iview the world. I’m pretty laid back these days, notreally worried what other people think, have dis-covered that people quite like what I have to say.So, given that you are definitely changing, whereis that change taking you? What direction are yougoing in? If you need help finding out you mightbe interested in The Crystal System Book.

Patricia – The Dressage Tipster

BUY THE CRYSTAL SYSTEM BOOK:

http://likecrystal.com/buythe-book/

www.inthestirrups.com

When the Top 10 riders in the world gather under one roof to battle it out to be crowned champion, excitement,tension and world-class competition are guaranteed. The crowds watching the Rolex IJRC Top 10 Final atCHI Geneva were privileged to have experienced a thrilling encounter in this year's competition, with KentFarrington riding the wonderful Voyeur, racing to the top of the podium and taking his first ever win in thecompetition. The roll-call of riders in the Rolex Grand Prix was a truly star-studded cast, with riders travellingfrom 18 different countries. These included some of the world’stop current riders: the reigning double World and European Cham-pion, Jeroen Dubbeldam from the Netherlands; Daniel Blumanfrom Columbia; and Lauren Hough from USA.Speed and accuracy are essential to winning the Rolex IJRC Top10 Final. Staged over two rounds with no jump-off, and with eightriders taking a clear into the final round, expectation was high thatthe final round would produce a classic in this, the fifteenth editionand the eleventh time that it has been staged at CHI Geneva.Second round clears were proving hard to find until Kent Far-rington and Voyeur came into the arena. Living up to their de-served reputation as one of the fastest partnerships on the circuit,they sped around the course whilst the crowd held their collectivebreath, and laid down a lightning fast 37.54 second round; it lookeddifficult to beat. Both Simon Delestre and Daniel Deusser followedFarrington onto the course and although both succeeded in goingclear, they simply could not match Farrington's time. It was left tothe final two riders, Bertram Allen, the youngest rider to evercompete in the Final at just 20 years old, and the 2014 winner,Scott Brash, to challenge Farrington. Valiant in their efforts, not

Kent Farrington kisses the trophy

STEVE GUERDAT AND NINO DES BUISSONNETS - WINNER OF THE ROLEX GRAND PRIX ©ROLEX/KIT HOUGHTON

T I M E I S O F T H E E S S E N C E W I T HR O L E X

even the combined athleticism of equine superstarsMolly Malone and Hello Sanctos could match Vo-yeur, and Farrington was crowned the winner in onlyhis second time of competing.

Speaking after his victory, Kent Farrington said, "Myhorse was amazing today; I had to go early in thesecond round and I knew that some of the fastestriders were coming after me. This is a great way tostart off with Voyeur at the show ahead of the RolexGrand Prix on Sunday. My horse has been on form soI hope he continues for the weekend."All eyes turn to Sunday and the Rolex Grand Prix,where one rider will start their journey towards emu-lating Scott Brash in winning their first stage of theRolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping.16 riders made it through the challenging first roundcourse into the jump-off. Guerdat was ninth to go,chasing an incredibly fast time of 41.45 seconds setby Eric Lamaze from Canada. Steve Guerdat knew hehad to be fast, and as he entered the arena the Swissfans went wild. The crowd then hushed and held itsbreath as Guerdat expertly guided Nino around thecourse with a new time of 40.94 secs taking him intofirst place ahead of Lamaze. With seven more ridersstill to follow to try and beat his time, Guerdat couldonly watch on. France’s Simon Delestre held nothingback and came within a breathtaking 0.03 seconds ofGuerdat’s time.It was then left to Kent Farrington from the USA, tobeat Guerdat. Typically, Farrington gave it every-thing and went clear, but his time of 41.47 was notquite fast enough on this occasion. Having alreadywritten his name into the history books, Scott Brash

from Great Britain, riding Hello Sanctos, came toCHI Geneva as the first, and so far only, rider tosucceed in completing the extraordinary feat of win-ning the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping: hewon the three Majors of the year – the Rolex GrandsPrix of CHI Geneva 2014, Switzerland; CHIOAachen 2015, Germany; and the Spruce Meadows‘Masters’ 2015, Canada.Unfortunately, it was not to be his day this timearound, as Brash just clipped fence 11 in the firstround, taking him out of the competition. So a newcycle of the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping hasnow began at CHI Geneva 2015, with Steve Guerdat– who must now win all three Majors in succession toclaim the biggest challenge in the history of theequestrian sport.

Steve Guerdat said: “The beginning of the jump-offwas a little bit difficult for me and Nino, but he is aspecial horse – he is a genius. The rest of the jump-offwent like we planned and I am really happy with theresult. This show is really, really important for me. Ialways plan it as it is one of the main weekends in theyear for me - for me it is not just another show so I tryto plan in long in advance and come with fresh horseslike it was a Championship for me – the crowdalways helps me and luck must do the rest”.

3RD PLACE IN THE ROLEX GRAND PRIX ERIC LAMAZE RIDING FINE LADY 5©ROLEX/KIT HOUGHTON

STEVE GUERDAT RECEIVES HIS WATCH FROM ROLEX COMMUNICA-TIONS AND IMAGE DIRECTOR ARNAUD BOETSCH ©ROLEX/KITHOUGHTON

JUMPING

ALAMANDA THERAPY ANIMALS

AROUND WITH APPLAUSE

Applause is an American Miniature Horse and part of Alamanda Therapy Animals. At just28” tall, Applause is their main star as well as being, quite possibly, the only therapy‘Unicorn’ in the world. His work involves going into Care Homes, Hospices and SpecialNeeds schools. Alamandas Therapy horses are trained to go indoors, into lifts and are alsotrained to walk alongside a wheelchair. He has met many celebrities including Sir PatrickStuart, Phillip Scholfield, Amanda Holden and more. To find out more about Alamandacheck out their Facebook page and their website www.alamanda.co.uk

Hi Everyone and a Happy New Year!

I’ve actually been resting this last month as we stillhave not been able to replace the stolen trailer but thathas not stopped the rest of my therapy chums visitingsick and dying children, in fact, just today they leftme to visit Richard House Hospice, Pickles (the verynaughty Mini Daxie dog, who likes to run away fromme when I try to chase her out of my field….well it’smy field after all isn’t it ??!) , Peter the one earedMini Rex rabbit (he was born with 2 ears but hisMum over-groomed him leaving him and his sisterFlopsy with one ear each !), Maximus the big softyKeetso cat, Pingu the cuddly Japanese Bantam chick-en (she’s really nice, as she is blind in one eye anddoesn’t mind me rubbing my nose on her cage) andfinally Hippo the Skinny pig, who is rather like aClanger. I was a bit sad to see them all go without mebut I know that it’s the New Year and I am hoping thetrailer will get replaced so I can go and meet my manyfriends in the hospices, care homes and special needsschools.One of my favourite things about my job as a therapyhorse is that I get to be really nosey, sometimes inpeople’s houses like I did in September, where Iactually got to sniff the lounge of a family with a verysick little boy, they were very nice to me. I alsoLOVE other people’s gardens, they can be really funto explore and the grass in them is always rich andtasty! One of my favourite gardens to visit is atEllenor Lions Hospice, they have this really coolwater sculpture surrounded by apple trees and grass,and those fallen apples are just amazing! All thenursing staff there look forward to seeing me do myward rounds and lots of them take Unicorn selfies

with me. The other thing I like is that they alsoremember to give me a lovely bowl of tea which Islurp on purpose to make them laugh and occasional-ly Mummy slips me a biscuit too – shhhh don’t tellanyone it’s our secret! This is also the place that I getto hang out with my number one fan who walks mearound the garden in his wheelchair, which is supercool as no-one has to push it, it just goes on its own,although Mummy says it’s actually electric and that Iam not to chew on the control knob for it, as much funas that is. Talking of gardens, I saw this week thatsomeone had forgotten to secure the fence to Mum-my’s garden again, I know how much she loves megoing in there in the winter churning up the grass andtrying to break into the rabbit feed again, whichincidentally tastes quite nice, I know how much sheloves me but she seemed to not enjoy at all chasingme round the garden, whilst I played tag withher…sometimes she has no sense of humour at all!Well, I best go now; I can see a fox has entered myfield and I must go and show him it’s not his territory– cheeky thing! I will make sure that my best friendPrince helps me with this great task and that we haveas much fun as possible doing it.Be good all of you…someone needs to be.Love and Unicorn nudges,

Applause.

Applause on a hospice visit

Applause with Pickles and Amanda of Alamnda

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