YOUNG RIDER LINDSEY WARE

YOUNG RIDER

Dressage Star on the Rise

When Lindsey Ware bought the well-known dressage star Aristede, little did she know how quickly the pair of them would bond, writes DANNII CUNNANE.

This month, we catch up with Lindsey Ware, a Young Rider from Victoria. Lindsey is 16, she’s been riding for 13 years and competes in dressage. Despite it being early days, we think that it would be safe to say that Aristede, a crowd favourite with his previous owner, Shannan Goodwin, is the love of Lindsey’s life.

“Aristede is a 14-year-old Australian Warmblood standing at 16.1 hands high,” she says. “He’s a beautiful bay gelding by Aachimedes, with a lovely temperament and incredible movement. Even though I’ve only owned him since November 2018, we started competing in January 2019. Even in a few shorts months we have come a long way together and achieved much more than I could ever imagine.”

In their first competition together, the CDN-Young Rider class at the Victorian Youth Dressage Championships 2019, the pair placed first in each test resulting in an overall first place.

Says Skye: “The following week, we competed in the Boneo Classic at the same level, placing first in each test and subsequently first overall.” They then repeated their performance at their first CDI at Willinga Park at Dressage by the Sea in the Young Rider competition.

A leap upwards was inevitable. “Most recently, we faced competing against adult riders at this year’s Dressage and Jumping with the Stars in the Prix St George’s cup,” says Skye. “In the Prix St George we placed third, behind two of Australia’s top riders and in the Intermediate I freestyle, we placed second.”

Lindsey has worked hard to get to the top and knows that her hard work goes a long way. “You can’t expect everything to come together immediately,” she says. “As you’ll find across all disciplines, the high points certainly don’t come without the low points – and there are plenty of those!”

Skye trains three times a week due to school commitments, but over the holidays she rides between four or five times a week. “I get weekly lessons from my coach, Georgia Haythorpe. Georgia is the most amazing person and has coached me since I’ve been at Preliminary and taken me through the levels. I certainly could not have done everything I have without her. Dressage training for both horse and rider is a long process. Each new step you take poses new challenges you have to face and eventually overcome.” The next few months will open a new chapter for Lindsey as she sets new goals for herself. “I’ll be competing at this year’s Sydney CDI in the CDI-Young Rider class,” says Lindsey. “This will be our last Young Rider class before making the step towards Grand Prix level.”

Lindsey’s goal over the next 12 months is to take the big step up to Grand Prix and compete at that level while getting consistent results and placing at the major competitions. “My ambition is to one day compete at the World Equestrian Games and also ride at the Olympic Games. Eventually, I would also love to own a small property,

Lindsey Ware riding Aristede.

with a small team of horses that I can train through the many levels of dressage, up to Grand Prix dressage,” says Lindsey.

Getting to the level Lindsey competes at is a team effort – something that she readily acknowledges.

“I would love to also give a shout out to my mum, for going through this very big journey with me. I wouldn’t be where I am if not for her.”

HorseVibes wishes Lindsey a wonderful competition season and we look forward to seeing their fantastic achievements for 2019.