During lunch something that George Williams talked about is the Dressage Pyramid Training scale (Rhythm, Relaxation, Connection, Impulsion, Straightness, and
My name is Tessa Geven, I am 14 and I have been riding my whole life. I compete in both eventing and dressage. I have earned both my USDF Bronze and USDF Silver medals and I won the 2021 FEI Ponies and the 2021 FEI Childrens. This year I am hoping to compete in the FEI Juniors. I am so grateful to have won the 2021 GDCTA Junior/Young Rider Training Grant. I decided to use the funds to ride Bruce in the GDCTA Jeremy Steinberg clinic at Shanondale Farm and also in the USDF Region 3 Junior/Young Rider clinic with George Williams. Bruce is a 14-year-old Oldenburg gelding owned by Donna Gafford. I am hoping to show him in FEI Juniors. At the GDCTA-hosted Jeremy Steinberg clinic, we worked a lot on quickening Bruce’s hind legs, focusing on him being quick and uphill especially in the down transitions. One of the things that we did to help with engaging him was shoulder in as well as travers. Because I struggle keeping Bruce on my aids, we worked a lot on transitions and one of the things that Jeremy mentioned was that I need to be able to “whisper the aids.” Another thing that he told me was to use as little aid as possible. He was very helpful for me. I learned a lot and enjoyed his teaching.
Collection.) He really went in detail about all six parts of the pyramid and what all of the parts that go into it mean as well as how they are all connected to each other. When I left the clinic and got home, I had a lot of new exercises to work on and practice. A big thanks to GDCTA for this wonderful opportunity and support. Not only did I enjoy riding for Jeremy Steinberg and George Williams, I also learned a lot of useful things that improved me and my horse. I am looking forward to competing in 2022.
While at the USDF Region 3 George Williams clinic we continued to work a lot on getting Bruce more supple and more on my leg. In other words, lots of shoulder in, travers, and half passes as well as canter-to-trot transitions to quicken his hind leg. With George Williams, I did a lot of little exercises. One of the exercises I did was half pass, straighten with the other leg, then half pass again, and then repeat. It was to make Bruce accept the inside leg and stay in connection better.
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