Aesthete is one of the top young dressage horses in the country. He was the 2009 Markel/USEF Four Year Old National Young Horse Champion, and this year he was third. He is ridden by Karen Monks-Reilly, who is also married to Pat Reilly, the head farrier at New Bolton. Riley knows him :-).
IMHO one of the most notable things about Aesthete is his natural energy. Monks-Reilly (a former eventer) didn't follow a typical dressage training regimen. According to Dressage News:
“Aesthete was described by the judges as 'dynamic' and 'buoyant' that Karen said probably came from her training program that she adopted from her eventing days–lots of hacking, short training sessions and “none if he doesn’t want to do it,” and mostly being “a young horse, being happy, to be joyful and young.”
I love this quote. You can see how Karen's style encourages big, happy, bouyant movement...
This Dutch warmblood is by Trento B out of Unusual by Gribaldi (the sire of Totilas).
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Thank you so much for posting that! So many people insist judges are rewarding short necks, and I haven't believed it. I think this horse doing so well is proof that's not the case. Most horses out there may be forced into a frame, but the judges clearly loved this relaxed, free, uphill with self carriage, longer shape. I have been wondering if I'm doing things wrong in spending so much time trying to reinforce relaxation and let my horse figure out how to lift/lengthen his neck as he uses his body. This video reminds me what I love to see, and where I want my horse going, rather than short and tense.
ReplyDeleteI had the distinct pleasure and privilege of riding with KMR when she lived in New England - Pat also shod my horses. It's been a great loss to have them move "down south", yet, wonderful to see and hear of success come to such good, hard working folks.
ReplyDeleteWow, that is some forward energy, and yet so correct. Lovely horse with some wonderful gaits. Rider's a bit busy up there, but might be a result of sticking with the big gaits.
ReplyDeleteI really like this horse's frame and carriage.
Oh, he seems to be for sale too. Only $250000. Any takers?
It was great to see how cheerful and natural he was, with tons of self-carriage. I agree that she looks like she was doing a lot up there, but I'm actually glad to see it. It's nice to see someone riding for real and making corrections when they're needed and then letting the horse rebalance in response, which is what she seemed to be doing most of the time. Riding a horse correctly is hard and I'd rather people admit it and have it look awkward sometimes instead of just pushing the horse around in a tight, fake-frame held together by a death grip on the reins. As far as her upper body movement goes I feel like it's mainly from what a big mover he is and she might not even realize how much she's moving when he is, lol.
ReplyDeleteIt was great to see how cheerful and natural he was, with tons of self-carriage. I agree that she looks like she was doing a lot up there, but I'm actually glad to see it. It's nice to see someone riding for real and making corrections when they're needed and then letting the horse rebalance in response, which is what she seemed to be doing most of the time. Riding a horse correctly is hard and I'd rather people admit it and have it look awkward sometimes instead of just pushing the horse around in a tight, fake-frame held together by a death grip on the reins. As far as her upper body movement goes I feel like it's mainly from what a big mover he is and she might not even realize how much she's moving when he is, lol.
ReplyDeleteTheresa I totally agree with you regarding the rider. She made some corrections/adjustments but they were fluid and in harmony with the test, and ditto with her body movement. The horse was so dynamic, how could the rider be otherwise?
ReplyDeleteHer stirrups were short for a dressage rider but it worked for her.
zOMG! He's not behind the verticle! zOM! He's relaxed! zOMG! He's not resistive! He's actually having - dare I say it - FUN! Yeah, there are some well known Grand Prix riders out there who can take a page from this rider's book.
ReplyDeleteWear a helmet, lady!! Ok, got that out of my system...
ReplyDeleteHow LOVELY to see a dressage horse going so happily and not cranked in and held down. It even looks like in the still picture that *gasp* the flash is lose enough that it's not creasing his nose skin, maybe there is hope for dressage yet! Thank you for this wonderful peek into a young horse that is being given the gift of a wonderful upbringing!
Love this! I can't help but hear, "I got rhythm, I got rhythm..." when I listen to his wonderful foot falls.
ReplyDeleteSo glad to see this. I love the rollicking victory lap at first! The riders hands and seat are busy and so strong, but I see that the whole exercise is just a big dialog for the pair. call and response going both ways. I love his soft sideways ears searching for her voice. Yay for trail riding - horses need to be horses in order to be really strong individuals, so why not bust out of the ring more often then not? The proof is in the pudding here.
ReplyDeleteIt's really strange to watch, isn't it? I mean obviously the horse is fabulous and happy and I give the rider all the credit in the world, but it's just so DIFFERENT. And don't get me wrong, different can be great, but I'm shocked (and impressed) that the horse's owners didn't play it safe and go with one of the seemingly abundant "silent" riders. I also would love to know what score the judges gave the rider.
ReplyDeleteVery thought provoking, thank you!