The equestrian centre at Wester Deanhead has metamorphosed under the leadership of international rider Anne MacLennan and last weekend she launched the centre’s inaugural dressage contest.
Offering substantial prize money including £50 to each class winner rosettes and sashes, the launch competition was designed to attract a quality standard of entry.
The stand-out performance of the weekend was produced by 13-year-old Dollar Academy pupil, Carenza Dickens, who took two class wins riding her dun coloured Connemara pony, Doonagore Boy.
Carenza, who lives at Sauchie, in Clackmannan, found her competitive grounding with ponies from a career in the show ring, but she recently “fell in love” with the dressage discipline.
She now competes as a member of the British Young Riders Dressage Squad and has converted her pony Dunny to a similar love of dressage, after hewas previously successful in eventing.
A chance opportunity to take Dunny to a BYRDS camp following an unsuccessful stint with a schoolmaster horse sealed Carenza and his fate together: “We can’t thank Shona and Connie Snowie enough for giving us the chance to have such a wonderful pony,” explained Carenza’s mother Cindy.
“He is the perfect all round pony.”
The 10-year-old gelding, sired by Ashfield Storm Cloud and bred out of Anns Glory, has now been with the Dickens family for the last three months, in which time he and Carenza have qualified for the Pet Plans, the Rhinns Point M&M finals, the National Schools Equestrian Association championships, Trailblazers and the NPS Dressage finals.
With a busy Spring now lying ahead of them, she plans to spend the winter schooling and will continue to train regularly with Diana Zajda.
At MacLennan Dressage, the partnership took two of only three scores on the day to breach the 70% barrier – topping the Prelim 19 class on the highest score of the day on a whopping 74.5%.
They also progressed to add the Novice 30 win to their tally, notching up 70.7%.
Carenza said she was “absolutely delighted” to win both classes after working hard to improve her novice score.
“We were also so pleased with the beautiful rosettes and sashes,” added Cindy, “The show was welcoming and friendly and we look forward to doing more dressage with them.”
In the opening class of the day, Intro test A, rider Kitty Johnson, from Kirkcaldy, achieved a ‘home win’ with Brioso, a seven-year-old Andalusian gelding.
Kitty gained the ride on the former stallion which was gelded at the age of five so that Anne could import him from California into Scotland six months ago, when she began working and training at the yard.
“Since I started working at MacLennan Dressage Anne has completely changed my riding for the better. She is definitely in the middle of converting me to dressage.”
Despite this being her first competition on Brioso, Kitty put nerves to one side.
“I was really happy with how the test went,” she explained, adding the judge commented on how “quietly ridden” her test was and “how much potential” Brioso has for the future.
Meanwhile, part-time equestrian artist Karen Young rode her maxi show cob, Ally’s Blue Skye to win their first attempt at a medium test.
Known at home as Brook, the bay 16-year-old gelding has been with Karen since he was a four-year-old.
Over the years together they have achieved considerable in the show ring – qualifying for the Royal International Horse Show in 2011. They alsocompete successfully over fences, and in particularwithin working hunter classes.
“We are currently training towards medium level dressage and I have been taking lessons regularly with Pauline Mckee since last year,” explained Karen, who also hopes to qualify Brook for the veteran regional finals next show season, with the dream of reaching Olympia.
“He’s not your typical dressage horse!” she explained.
Results
Intro A: 1 Kitty Johnson, Brioso, 56.9; 2= Vicky Arnot, VMA Aurora and Fiona Forbes, Weartic, 55.6.
Prelim 19: 1 Carenza Dickens, Doonagore Boy, 74.5; 2 Sarah McCafferty, Acapulco SP, 72.2; 3 Lesley McNaughton-Wells, Rhinns Point Sendac, 69.
Novice 30: 1 Carenza Dickens, Doonagore Boy, 70.7; 2 Lizzie Foote, Cheeko, 68.5; 3 Sarah McCafferty, Acapulco SP, 66.9.
Elementary 53: 1 Lorna Littlejohn, Rubensdale, 67.5; 2 Dawn Harrison, TS Enchanted Alice, 64.7; 3 Sally Murray, Golden Jubilee, 62.9.
Medium 71: 1 Karen Young, Ally’s Blue Skye, 61.2; 2 Lee Scammacca, Fernando’s FC, 59.6.