About:
Good Horse is proud to team up with 2013 GB squad member Daisy Jackson in her quest to be part of the future GB Olympic dressage team.
Daisy will be writing monthly news items on Good Horse keeping her followers and sponsors updated. Over to Daisy.....
Horses have been my passion from as long as I can remember. My Mum started me off in dressage as she is a qualified trainer and put me on a pony before I even knew what a pony was. However, I don’t think she quite expected me to become even more besotted with horses than she was!
My first pony Dash was a little Welsh section A. I rode my first ever dressage (walk and trot) test at the age of 8 and after scoring 73% and winning the class I decided that this was going to be easy!...Wrong!
Dash, although a wonderful first pony, was wise enough to learn how not to work on the bit and I soon developed very strong arms and a very determined streak!
My first horse Spyder was a 15.2hh Hanoverian x Welsh section D who was apparently an accident after his sire jumped into a field full of mares! I loved Spyder, he was the perfect first horse in every way and after joining BYRDS (British Young Riders Dressage Scheme) we had lots of fun together. It was on him that I started training with Nicola Buchanan. Up until then Mum had done a good job but we felt that I was ready to take things to the next level.
We soon realised that although Spyder had been perfect for making the transition to horses from ponies he was ready for an easier life.
We then found Sam, owned by Rebecca and Sarah Eccles, who was a brilliant schoolmaster and I progressed a little further competing Sam at Medium level.
Nicola’s Grand Prix horse Saint Swithens was coming to the end of his international career and in the winter of 2010 I started to have some lessons on him. I will never forget my very first lesson when Nicola gave me a taste of the Grand Prix movements. I cried on the way home in the car because I was so happy! He was truly amazing! Not always the easiest horse and he certainly had a buck in him but he was a true schoolmaster in every sense. I rode him for 2 weeks whilst Nicola was on holiday and when she came back I was given the ride on him permanently. It was a dream come true for me, I felt like the luckiest girl in the world.
We had over 2 fabulous years together. I competed at my first regional, I was selected to represent the South West and was placed in every class at the under 25’s national championships at Sheepgate, selected and competed at the BYRDS Home International and after a successful season was invited to junior squad selection at the end of 2012.
To be invited onto the squad meant everything to me. It was amazing! We spent the winter one weekend each month squad training and I was so excited about the prospect of international competitions. Sadly, this wasn’t to be as Swithens was put to sleep in March 2013. I was devastated.
After losing Swithens, I realised that I needed to put everything into Tango’s training. I always have in my mind that first win on Dash, getting a super score and feeling that everything was easy. So my goal with Tango is to be able to get that high score and come out feeling it was easy. Then I will know that my training is correct!
My short term goals are to get Tango ready for Young Rider squad selection and international competition and train him myself to Grand Prix. To get him on the team and of course win a medal would be my ultimate short term ambition.
Long term and ultimately I am aiming to represent GBR at the Olympics and win a gold medal!
For more information on Daisy or to find out about sponsorship options please click here
Photograph Copyright Sarah Harvey