A local horseback rider is hoping to bring more western dressage to Wellington County.
Though Shannon Tully South, 45, grew up in the English riding world, participating in one day eventing and carriage driving, she began riding western after taking time off to have children.
“The western dressage just kind of appealed to me,” she said.
“I had gotten a western saddle … and I liked it because it was very comfortable and I just really liked the feel of it.
“I just thought, ‘well, I’ll just give this a try,’ and then I kind of went from there.”
The Western Style Dressage Association of Canada (WSDAC) began in 2011.
Elaine Ward, a WSDAC founder, said western dressage takes the rider back to the basics and will help improve their performance in other equine Sports.
“It’s the fundamentals of position, it’s the fundamentals of communication, it’s the fundamentals of how those riders are applying their aids to the horses,” she said.
“They’re learning how to ride, not how to sit and that’s where the magic of the western dressage comes in.”
Western dressage is very similar to English dressage, South said. The horse and rider must complete a set test and are evaluated by a judge.
One of the main differences is equine inclusivity. All horse breeds, including gaited horses, can participate.
“In traditional dressage gaited horses can’t compete because their gait is so different,” South said.
“If the test calls for trot, they don’t do a trot so they would be excluded.
“Through western dressage they actually have tests that are designed for gaited horses for their gaits.”
Another big difference is attire.
“If you don’t want to wear tight white pants then you don’t have to, which is kind of nice because they are mandatory in some dressage,” South said.
Instead the requirements are a western saddle and western attire such as boots, a long-sleeved shirt with a collar, jeans and a helmet.
“It’s just a little more casual, although people can get pretty dressed up,” she said. “You see a lot of bling showing up … the shirts, they’ve got them with the bling down the back.
“You can get as fancy or as simple as you want to be as long as you meet the basic requirements for your attire.”
Many of the western dressage shows are sanctioned through WSDAC, which offers tests for all levels of rider from the introductory walk/trot to level four.
When a show is WSDAC-sanctioned each rider’s results are collected and stored so they can qualify for national awards.
“You compete at your sanctioned local show but then all of a sudden you realize you’re competing nationally as well,” South said.
“You get a lot of benefit for your dollar.”
Last year South and her horse Tido (Tostid O) were named basic level open champion and introductory level reserve champion after their first full season showing. WSDAC compiled her scores from all of her tests and counted her top three.
“Intro is sort of your introductory level to western dressage so I started there and then … I thought ‘oh I’m here I might as well just ride some basic tests because we’re dressed and everything’ and didn’t really think much of it,” South said.
“Then at the end of the year I looked at the standings and I went, ‘wait a minute, how did that happen?’”
Ward is also South’s coach and she said South’s riding foundations contributed to her success.
“I had hopes that she’d do well, but wow, I mean that was kind of mind blowing,” Ward said.
“Communication just started happening and it was this snowball rolling …
“I was so proud of her.”
Next year South plans to compete in level one.
It is $35 for a year’s membership with WSDAC and each day of showing costs about $125, South said.
“It makes it super accessible,” she said.
“So people who want to try it … don’t have to lay out huge dollars just to give the show a try.”
And competitors are welcoming of new members.
“Western-based Sports are often … very inclusive and they’re very supportive so they take new members and … they just pull them in and just help them through,” South said.
“There’s a lot of longtime competitors who have been doing it since its inception who will not hesitate to coach newbies through things and to show them sort of the ropes in their very first show.”
Local riders can check out the sport at the 24 Carrot Western Dressage series in Mount Forest that South began last year.
When she started competing in 2016 she realized there were no WSDAC sanctioned events in Wellington County.
So she began her own show called 24 Carrot Western Dressage at QuarDream Equestrian Centre in Mount Forest in October 2017 and she had both local competitors and high level WSDAC riders showing.
“It was very well attended and I had a lot of spectators come and say ‘we really want to try this,’” South said.
And they’ll get the chance.
This year she has sanctioned shows scheduled for July and September at the same facility.
South said she features a unique walk test that she created for beginners.
“With the help of one of the directors for WSDAC I created a walk test so there’s no trot, it’s just walk because I have a lot of people who [are] a little nervous about competing, they’ve maybe never even competed before and just the thought of even trotting in front of a judge is a big, big deal,” she said.
“So the walk test … was super popular last year.”
She said people who have young horses and want to expose them to a show environment also participated in the walk test.
Coming out is an opportunity for interested riders to see if the sport is truly of interest to them.
“Usually the organizing members of the show, even the competitors, are really happy to talk about it,” South said.
For more information about the Wellington County western dressage shows visit 24carrotdressage.weebly.com.
For more information about the Western Style Dressage Association of Canada visit www.westernstyledressage.ca.
