Page 18 - Demo

As I have told you about my experience learning Dressage as a young rider and starting my first two showhorses using the principles of dressage, I would liketo continue by remembering more special horses that I was honored to have in my career. While attending my last year of high school in Ocala, I metCarol Harris through her daughter who was a schoolmate. Carolgave me an opportunity to train horses for her. One of thosehorses was Rugged Lark. Having his start in reining, his abilityto learn quickly and talent for many all around events, was theperfect recipe to use my Dressage foundation to add to his training. That is exactly what we did! Rugged Lark went on to compete in several events and win the greatest award at theAmerican Quarter Horse Association%u2019s World ChampionshipShow - Super Horse - twice!In 1985, Rugged Lark won his first Super Horse award. 1987was another great year showing him! The previous year was agoal to earn the All Around Open Horse Title at the Congress,and we did. The second Super Horse title was not as easy as thefirst, as it is always harder to stay on the top once you havereached it. After winning the title, Carol Harris asked me whatwe should do for the presentation of the Super Horse. I said toher, that I could go in and ride bridleless! She said %u201cwhat?%u201d Isaid yes! (I had played a couple of times doing this, which shedid not know!) I rode him in the exciting show arena and trotted,cantered, did flying lead changes, did a reining spin, and thecrowd went crazy! This lead to 10 fabulous years of doing Bridleless Exhibitions at all the major equine events in the US!One of those events was the FEI World Cup Finals in Tampain 1989. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers Football stadium was theplace where the opening ceremony was held for the very firstFEI World Cup to be held in the USA. We performed our musicalfreestyle on the football field! Between the two songs, I woulddismount Rugged Lark, take off his bridle and bring it to hisowner, Carol Harris. I did just that like so many times before.Now imagine a stallion standing in the middle of the 50 yardline. I am walking away from him with my back to him, givingthe bridle to Carol Harris, knowing when I turned around hewould stay - and.he did! I was amazed myself with the stadiumof people applauding and falling more in love with this horse!Princess Ann from England was not there, but she heard aboutour performance and asked if we would do it again so she couldsee. We did that at the end of the event. It was not at the stadium, but at a lovely arena that held the Dressage and Jumpingevents. Even more fun, we were asked to go to cocktail partiesthrough the long weekend, and, yes, Rugged Lark loved everyone. He had a neck garment as a tux and on his fetlocks he hadhis sleeves with sparkling cuff links. He was the hit of the party.He did prefer beer to Champagne, although, he did have hisshare of both!The dressage principles that I used to train Rugged Lark gaveus 16 years through competition and entertainment. From thebeginning of the ground training for that ground tie on the 50yard line to the thousands of guests at the 1996 Olympic Gamesin Atlanta watching us jump bridleless was all thanks to the consistency of dressage principles. And the fact that Rugged Larkwas an exceptional horse! Keep following this series as I reminisce about the wonderfulshow horses sired by Rugged Lark as we continue to discoverhow the Principles of Dressage built the foundation of my ridingand training which shaped my career in competition, educationand entertainment. oCyril and Lynn offer clinics throughout the country and abroad aswell as online coaching. Join them on their teaching tours or throughthe Palm Partners Club. Contact Palm Equestrian Academy at 352-362-7847 or email them at generalinfo@lynnpalm.com.PALM PARTNERSHIP TRAINING%u2122Building A Partnership With Your HorseHow Dressage Principles Contributeto Longevity of Horse and RiderMore Special Horses Trained With Dressage Principlesby Lynn PalmRugged Lark, being presented at the FEI World Cup in Tampa.18 Arizona Horse Connection June, 2026Nationwide Door-To-DoorHauling ServicesTalk/Text: 520-604-9813info@carouseltrails.com %u2022 www.carouseltrails.comFollow us on Social Mediaand sign up for our SubStack Newsletter!