Paramatters

UPDATE FROM PARA DIRECTOR TRACY ORMROD

Iwas delighted that the Para Home international could go ahead again this year after a two-year gap due to the pandemic. I have attended many Para Home Internationals in the past as BD Para rep for Wales and it was lovely to see a considerable number of new faces at this event. The increasing numbers wanting to take part in para dressage bodes well for the future of our sport.

I could not have been prouder to present the team title and trophies to Wales, I may be a little biased, but I know how hard the four athletes involved have worked over the last year to achieve good scores and improve themselves.

I was also, as always, so impressed with the supporters and helpers the competitors had with them – it takes a dedicated team to get many para riders to a competition and this one was no exception. So a big thank you from BD to them all!

Congratulations to all who attended the Festival of Para Dressage at Wellington recently – winners are celebrated on p14.

We now look forward to the Para Silver and Bronze Tracy Omrod, Para Director

Championships at Hartpury and to our Para team in action at the World Championships in Herning this August.

This sparkling celebration of para dressage at Bishop Burton from 6-8 May also included the new freestyle to music bronze and silver tests.

Dragon power was certainly in evidence as the Welsh team took the title with ages ranging from 12 to 75, all levels of experience were showcased by the team. Elan Williams (12) has been achieving some brilliant scores in her career to date and now has her sights set on the Para Bronze and Silver Championships. Elan made her Para Home International debut on Trinny her riding partner, a very talented Riding for the Disabled pony. She was over the moon to be in the winning team and managed third place in the Individual Grade I class where just over two percentage point split the top three riders.

Veronica Bower, an experienced campaigner on Game Over won the Individual Grade I title as well as being part of the winning Welsh team. Veronica, aged 75, is trained by her daughter Tracy Ormrod who is the BD Para Dressage Director, having previously been the BD Welsh Para Rep.

Lorna Lee, Grade II Individual winner was delighted with her title after completing her fi rst ever Para Home International competition. ark Gri n, another fi rst timer, did brilliantly to win the Individual Grade III.

In the Grade IV, Laura Scott and Koko Pop came out on top in the Individual and the Freestyle. “It was my fi rst time competing at a Para Home International and riding as part of the South & West team. The comradeship and atmosphere were fantastic, well worth the long journey to get there! Koko Pop excelled himself all weekend,” Laura commented.

In the Grade V class, Joanne Dagley Cleworth on her new ride Uptomistic represented one of the South & East region teams and achieved third place, but trumped that with the number one placing in her Grade V Individual class.

The new Freestyle classes were very popular with riders and audience alike. Bronze and Silver Freestyle tests, introduced last year as a bridge to the technically demanding FEI Freestyle tests, will give many more para riders an opportunity to ‘dance’ with their horses.

British Dressage thanks the team at Bishop Burton for putting on a fantastic three days of competition.

BELOW: THE VICTORIOUS WELSH TEAM AT THE PHI.

We are excited to announce that the new Para Coach Pathway training day has now been launched! The Para Coach training will be one day online or face-to-face training that is aimed at coaches who are interested in becoming a para coach or those who are already involved in coaching para riders but would like to refresh their knowledge. This training has been developed with bespoke content, which considers the feedback from the workforce survey and the needs of equestrian coaches.

We are holding our fi rst training day on the 5 September 2022 via Zoom, to book your place scan the QR code.