A record for Records

Siobhan Records clinched first place for the third year in a row in the 2017 Cell C Open Dressage Derby.

Records’ mother, Lynda, described the class as ‘a one-of-a-kind test of a rider’s horsemanship’.

Adriaan van Wyk placed second in the class and Patrick Brown placed third.

The three top competitors were said to have shown ‘great camaraderie’.

Lynda explained, “The class started with 18 competitors and two qualifying rounds over the first two days of Cell C Open Dressage Derby. Scores over the two days were added together and the three riders with the highest overall scores over the qualifying rounds qualified to ride in the 2017 Cell C Open Dressage Derby.”

She described how on the evening before the main dressage derby class, the three competitors were handed an unseen dressage test that they would ride the following day. There was no time for the competitors to practise the test beforehand, and each of the three competitors rode the test in front of the three judges.

Lynda said, “The judges do not sit near one another, nor are they allowed to discuss marks.” The three judges’ scores are added up and the final percentages are given.

“Now, the difficult part comes that tests the riders’ true ability, sensitivity and ‘feel’ for a horse,” said Lynda.

“Rider one rides the horse of rider two; rider two rides the horse of rider three; and rider three rides the horse of rider one.”

Lynda compared riding a new horse for the first time to the relatable analogy of how, when driving a friend’s or new car for the first time, one can easily pop the clutch, switch on the windscreen wipers instead of using the indicator and have to figure out how to open the bonnet. She explained that just as one needed to adjust to using a new car, so too, riders needed to adjust to a horse.

The top three riders at the derby, however, were only allowed a maximum of three minutes to adjust to their new ride before entering the arena to ride the dressage test in front of the three judges.

The riders were also not allowed to make any adjustment to the saddles, other than altering the length of the stirrup leathers.

Lynda said some of the aspects the riders had to consider was whether the horse became tense if one rode with spurs, how soft in the mouth he/she was and whether a weight difference in a rider would impact how the horse performed.

“There are so many variables that make this the quintessential dressage competition of the year and not for the faint-hearted.”

The finish was ‘nail-biting’, said Lynda. She added that Records, Brown and Van Wyk ‘were impressive, with all three of them getting decent marks on one another’s horses’.

Finally, the commentator announced Records as the winning rider, ‘much to the delight of the crowds’.

“The winning horse, the horse that gave all three competitors the best score, was announced as Siobhan Records’ ride, Royal Darco.

“This was a double-whammy and we haven’t seen a horse-and-rider combination takes this title for over a decade.”

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