Successful Dressage Day for Oaklands Equine students

Equine students and

staff at Oaklands College have come out on top bagging first prize representing

the college on a recent outing to a dressage competition.

Naomi Parker and Isabella Wise both studying Level 3 Horse Management at St Albans

Campus joined Equine Manger Sarah Hall to receive industry recognition for

their competition grooming skills by coming first in a qualifying dressage competition

at Addington Manor in Buckinghamshire.

The duo attended the

dressage competition as a mandatory part of one of the courses modules in Competition

Grooming. As part of these assessments the students were responsible with grooming,

plaiting and bathing the horses, in addition to caring for and monitoring their

condition in transportation and throughout the competition to ensure they are

ready on time and presented to the highest of standards. 

Aftercare then continues with cooling the horses off and keep tabs on their

condition and progress carry out a health check on their return to the yard and

clean the tack and equipment.

Sarah came first on

‘King’ a Horse that she owns and second on ‘Millie’ a horse owned by the

college. It was the first time a college horse has been shown on the competition

circuit at affiliated level.

In addition to first

and second prizes, they were also awarded distinctions in their unit. Following

their success this week plans are already in place for the students to head to

the British Dressage TGC Championships this October.

Student Naomi said: “I enjoyed being able to experience the competition

industry as part of my college course, it’s a fun way to be assessed and makes

what we do in lessons very relevant. 

It’s always inspiring when our horses and tutors do so well and to get

distinctions in all three assessments just makes it even better for me.”

Equine Manger Sarah

Hall says the outing proved a great success all round. She said: “I was

thrilled with first and second place, and the added bonus of distinctions is

the icing on the cake.

“This is the first time

we’ve piloted a college horse in competition and we’ll happily do it again.

Having students and horses performed so fantastically in front of industry

experts will only do great things for our reputation as a college.”