The Big Sandy Mountaineer -

At 65, riding my 20 year old Arabian mare, Candy, I did my first ever competition in the saddle this past summer. I even ended up in fifth place in my category. Cool.

For the past few years I have been learning Working Equitation with my horses. It is a relatively new sport in the United States originating in Portugal, Spain and France.

In the summer of 2022, I participated in a week long event in Missoula learning from some of the best clinicians and riders in the US, Canada, Australia and Germany. One thing that stands out in this horse sport is all the different breeds. Everything from Andalusians to mules; Clydesdales and of course, quarter horses. It was truly delightful to see so many different horses. Rider dress and tack is chosen according to what you prefer; Western, English and Baroque.

Working Equitation competitions involve 3 parts: Dressage, Obstacles (Ease of Handling and speed) and cattle work.

Watching high level competitors is like watching art as riders combine the beauty of dressage with obstacles. For those who may not know, dressage is a word that means "training".