MALTON Equine Laundry and Selby and District Riding Club combined to run a dressage show with a difference on Sunday, August 17.

The first ever Dressage Extravaganza was a new initiative, combining friendly competition with top quality training.

Malton Equine Laundry sponsored the day, which saw newcomers and seasoned competitors receive help and training from Cathy Burrell, while warming up for their test.

The idea was to encourage people to give dressage a go for the first time, to help nervous riders and green horses, and for more experienced competitors to boost their scores.

As well as the normal placings, the judge Andrea Peel, together with Cathy Burrell nominated some riders in the bigger classes to receive “highly commended” rosettes, the idea being to reward combinations who had shown a big improvement during the day, or who had ridden well and deserved recognition but had not been placed highly.

Malton Equine Laundry donated a free rug wash to the first prize winners from each class. There was also a champion and reserve champion rosette and sash awarded to the two combinations with the highest scores on the day.

Malton-based Fiona Wainwright with her grey Highland pony, Ross of Inverdarroch, achieved 71 per cent to win the Prelim 7 class and became the overall champion.

Fiona was delighted with the results, especially as she’d only decided to enter at the last minute when there were no suitable showing classes that weekend for another horse she was hoping to compete!

Faith Padmore, with the coloured Irish sports horse Killowen Jazz, was hot on her heels with a score of 70.91 per cent to win the Prelim 19 and take the reserve champion.

The day was met with great enthusiasm from both the competitors and the judge. There were smiling faces all round, not least from Ester Pringle, who had never done any dressage before. She went on to win the Intro B with 70.65 per cent, just missing out on the reserve champion award.

Laura Moran had a great day, winning Novice 27 and Novice 38 with Artic Temple, while Kim Richards won the Elementary 42 on Sonny.