Chloe Vell’s dressage blog: Growing intensity

There has been quite a lot of activity since my last blog hence the delay!

My goal of achieving 70% at Prix St Georges (PSG) was reached with Kaja judged by

a list one judge. She was producing really great trot work and completed a super, settled test.

I then attended squad training on foot and really enjoyed the day watching some new partnerships develop and seeing old friends. I spent time with selectors and the strength and conditioning coach also put me through my paces. It was great to watch lessons with David Hunt and to write for the judges as they judged the junior and young rider tests.

On the Sunday I hosted a young dressage rider on my yard who had contacted me and

asked to visit as she was setting out on her own equestrian journey. She came and helped tack the horses up and watched them work. It was nice to take some time and reflect on a few of our memories and it was great to be able to pass on a bit of experience and hopefully some inspiration. I will remember her smiling face when she got the opportunity to sit on Kaja, my junior European team horse.

I then spent some time at BEF Excel talent training which was really helpful and I received support and pleasing feedback on Kaja’s physical development and performance.

There is a real intensity to having your horse inspected from top to toe for weight, musculature, nutrition, flexibility, shoeing, saddle and performance and it certainly reminds you of your responsibility to your four-legged friend and fellow performer.

I had two excellent lessons with Gareth Hughes and really progressed Kaja’s canter-pirouette work with an exercise taking her from walk in quarters-in direct to slow canter in quarters-in. This was refining the canter she needs in the pirouette and Kaja really began to understand and grow in confidence. A big thank you must go to the Lottery funding and David Hamer and his team for their support of all the junior and young riders involved.

It has also been a nervous week on the school front, amidst the growing intensity of A2 study I have just sent in my university application.

In-between studying and riding I now have a legitimate excuse for constantly checking my emails! Fortunately, it was only a few days before the email offers started to arrive. All I need now is the grades! So on that note I had better get back to the books.

I hope you all have a lovely Christmas.

Chloe x

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