Members of 12 Central Ontario Region Pony Clubs - Baltimore Hills, Brooklin, Durham, Green Lane, Kawartha, Maple, Oshawa, Timberline, Toronto & North York, Tynedale, Uxbridge-Scugog and Victoria - have entered the first of the Region's Qualifiers for the Central Canadian Zone Dressage Championships. The Qualifier takes place Sunday, June 16, at Hoskin Stables near Blackstock, hosted by the Oshawa Pony Club. Selection for the Central Ontario Dressage team, which will compete against teams from the Western Ontario and St. Lawrence-Ottawa Valley Regions, will be based on scores achieved at this meet and other qualifiers hosted by the Victoria Pony Club on July 14, and by the Durham Pony Club on July 28. This year, the Central Canadian Zone Championships are being hosted by the Western Ontario Region August 17-18.

Dressage is a system for training horse and rider that has its roots in ancient Greece. All work is done on the flat. Early levels emphasize walk, trot, and canter on a straight line and in circles as the horse learns to carry his weight and that of his rider with safety and elegance. Horses also learn to halt on command with the four feet placed squarely, and to stay immobile for four seconds. Higher levels require the horse to lengthen and shorten strides, to turn on very tight circles, to back up, and to go along the centre of the arena in an S-shaped line called a Serpentine. The kur, dressage to music, is one of the most graceful and crowd-pleasing of all equestrian competitions. This show will include solo kur competition at five levels, plus a pas de deux class. In addition to Pony Club qualifying classes, this show is also offering nine classes open to Pony Club non-members.

In Dressage competitions, each horse/rider combination performs a set test before a judge. The test will require the rider to do one thing, for example trot from one of the letters around the sides of the ring to another, then change to a canter exactly at that letter. Circles must be round, not square, and of a required size, usually 20 or 15 or 10 metres, and the rider must ride these "by eye." In addition to marking how accurately the horse and rider performed the test, the judge will give marks on the paces of the horse, the obedience of the horse, and the position and seat of the rider. Success in Dressage requires a lot of practice, discipline and sound training, as well as talent.

Dressage is an Olympic sport, in which Canada's best showing was a Team bronze medal in 1988. Three of the four members of that team were Pony Club graduates, and this show may very well feature members of the 2008 or 2012 Canadian Equestrian Team.

Competition is scheduled to start at 9:00 am. Hoskin Stables are on Durham Road #57 between Taunton Road and Highway 7A. Spectators are welcome without charge.

For more information, call Liz or Bob Inglis, Central Ontario Region Pony Club Communications Co-Chairs, at 416-493-1223 (office) or 416-491-4230 (home), or Show Secretary and Central Ontario Region Dressage Co-Chair Audrey Robbescheuten.