Tori and Sueste ................2nd highest British Team Member in European Championships 2008,

Tori and Sueste jet off to Italy to represent GB in Working Equitation!

Next week I leave England and head for Sardinia to represent GB as part of the Working Equitation Team. The is a ridden sport that has derived from working the cattle on horseback on the Continent. It consists of 4 disciplines all of which have to be ridden single handed, which obviously makes it very difficult. The first discipline is dressage and involves high school movements such as flying changes, Canter Pirouettes, etc. The second is an obstacle course involving difficult and precision riding. The slalom poles to be ridden at canter with a flying changes at every slalom, then to be ridden with the horse going backwards is just one of the requirements together with jumping riding over small bridges, opening gates, all whilst carrying a 10ft pole. The pole is to be carried to work the cattle from your horse and increases the difficulty in the competition. The first obstacle course is marked similar to a dressage competition so accuracy and grace are important. The other 2 disciplines are riding the obstacle course at speed and finally Cattle herding which involves cutting a cow out of a herd and penning it within 3 minutes. 

The European championships in Sardinia have teams from GB, France, Belgium, Sweden, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Germany and Holland. The Portuguese are the current European & World Champions with GB achieving 4th place last year. The Senior team members are Holly Barber, Alex Downing, Marcia Wakeman, Tori Peter and Sarah Way. I am the only rider from the North West of England ever to be selected. The Junior team riders are Holly Barber, Natasha Reid and Charlotte Lee.

Watch Sueste practicing his Dressage to Music click here

The British Team