Hannah Esberger-Shepherd

Dressage Nationals Update

Well for once the weather was great at the Nationals - which was a lovely surprise. Dolce Vita and Vanita the two young horses I qualified coped very well with all the fuss that goes on around the stables and working in areas during their stay and both produced good tests which I was very pleased with!

Dolce Vita was first to go and did as good a test as she is capable of at this stage of her training. Although she was a little tense she was very obedient and looked lovely. She finished 11th overall, but I could not have been more pleased with her whole behaviour and it was a good experience for her.

Vanita is a lovely horse with big loose paces. He found the atmosphere a bit more difficult and had the odd spook - but he still showed some amazing work as far as I was concerned, although the judges thought differently and he did not get placed. I am sure his time will come.

Molly, my daughter enjoyed her first nationals. She had a bucket bath in the lorry park and cooed at anyone who looked in the pram. Here we both are enjoying a rest!

Noblesse, my Grand Prix horse is enjoying his break in the field whilst he gets over his injury and with the nationals now over, I am off on holiday too!

Hannah