Newsletter
Sophie & Rodney trot to success
(July 16, 2012)
As a member of Kesteven RDA, I have competed previously at the national championships in Hartpury, using horses from the Paddocks Riding Centre. However this year I got the chance to take my own horse, Rodney Trotter. I have only ever competed locally on Rodney, so this was a completely new experience for both of us, but this only added to the whole excitement of the experience! However, the new surroundings and long journey didn’t seem to phase him, because he performed beyond my expectations. The ‘Freestyle to Music’ test went amazingly well, and we worked perfectly in time to the music. To top it off, together we won the junior section of the Freestyle grade 
2 test, only being beaten by an open ride within the whole class. Following our success in the freestyle test, we also went on to win the junior section of the Grade 2 championship test. Rodney performed beyond my expectations, and I think he did Kesteven RDA proud, as well as me! I am hoping to work on this success, in the hope that we can return to Hartpury for the national championships next year.Karen Thompson, coach with Kesteven RDA, said, "I'm delighted for Sophie and Rodney. She has worked really hard all year to improve her riding skills and I am looking forward to her first lesson as part of the BEF RDA training hub."