Dressage at Haras du Pin!!!

You may think dressage is all the same whereever you go well you would be very wrong!!! The principle is the same but for a start they talk in French when they introduce you on the speaker and then translate it into English. It was weird when they said...... This is Harriet Upton riding for Great Britian On Estella in French and English, something I didn't think I would hear for a long long time!!!
They also played music whilst the tests were going on and of course the dressage sheets are in French.Mum and Grandad were able to tranlsate for me.

Anyway after a very succesful warming in with Caroline Morre all top hatted and tailed up, it was my turn to go, I wasn't nervous I was in the zone, I new my test inside out and back to front - I WAS READY!

I did the dressage test of my life, never have I ridden like it. I was light, I wasn't gripping and as Ken would say my legs where just like spaghetti hanging round Estella which made the whole frame so light and she swung from behind which she hasn't done for a while.

When I came down that centre line at the end of that test it was the most amazing feeling, it was a feeling of relief but the adrenalinewas running through me just wanting to do it again and again and not stop!


I was very pleased with the mark it was a 53. 4. They where marking in the 60's and 70's so I was pretty average. To people who where watching it, they thought it was lot better then that, but I think the French judges look for something different. They like long rangy over bent horses which they seem to make quite well, and because it was a 1* they mark a lot harsher. From what I can gather if you get in the 40's then that is the equivalent of the late 20s ish in normal novice and 50s is the equivalent to early 30s. I do not know whether that makes any sense what so ever, but anyway I was over the moon with it having been the first time I have been in that arena that size and with that atmosphere, in a different country with music but Estella performed her little socks off for me listening to me and not getting distracted!!!


I cant even explain how amazing it was it gave me the most amazing buzz it made me feel proffessional. When I arrived I felt out of my depth and wondered why i was there but as soon as I entered the dressage arena I felt different I WAS BORN TO DO THIS!!!!!!