What have been your highlights with Conniston so far?
In 2014, Conniston won the North Island Dressage Championships at Level 2 (Novice), then this year Conniston won Northland Regional Dressage Champion at Level 4 (Medium) as well as placing 3rd overall in the World Dressage Challenge. He also placed in the showing classes at HOTY this year. Overall, he has had a very consistent year regularly scoring over 70% in dressage at the local shows.
What are you future plans and goals with Conniston?
This season we will be competing at Level 5 (Advanced ) and next year we will move up to Prix St George. There are 5 regional championships we are aiming to attend starting in October and then we will finish with the Horse of the Year Show in March. The ongoing goal is to achieve 70%+ scores and eventually be competitive at Grand Prix.
What do you see as Conniston's best qualities?
It would have to be his athleticism and quality of paces. His canter and trot are both good but I am particularly enjoying his trot at the moment. He seems to have found another gear recently and is moving with a lot more impulsion and suspension. His extended trots are becoming a lot more extravagant and balanced as he gets stronger. He has scored quite a few 8's for his movement recently. Conniston also has a good natural ability to collect and I am confident he will passage. We will start on some half steps soon and I expect that he will have good canter pirouettes in a year or so. I am optimistic that he will be capable of the Grand Prix work.
You were lucky enough to have some lessons with Olympic Gold Medalist Charlotte Dujardin when she visited New Zealand last year including having one of your lessons featured in a magazine article . What was the biggest tip you learnt from your lessons with Charlotte?
The lessons were all great. There are no magic tips unfortunately. She makes you work really hard and is a perfectionist so you repeat every movement until you get it right. She wanted Conniston to use his full athletic ability more by having him going really forward and uphill in all his work.
