What does your father do

It is a proven facts that one of British Dressage most successful innovations is the creation of BYRDS .

The British Young Rider Dressage Scheme does not cater only for the young participants equestrian needs but also enhance important other life skills, from sport psychology to team building, it is all part of the BYRDS program.

If during the days of the empire the movers and shakers of the world formed their characters in the playing fields of Eaton , it will not surprise me if one day GB will have Prime Minster that will stand up and say in public “I owe it to British Dressage and what it gives the young ones”

One of the major features of BYRDS is the involvement of the whole family , the moment one member of the family joins the scheme, the others get drawn in ,they become committee members, volunteers , judges or just plain supporters, The schemes changed the old idea that dressage is a sport of individuals.

During a special squad training day, the young candidates were encouraged to open up and talk about other family members and their contribution to the sport.

One by one they relayed how their parents raise funds for training, run shows for charities, sit on committees or simply spend vast amount of money on horses, tack and lorries.

The BYRDS trainer taking the course was totally impressed ,until one young boy started to talk about his father , “My father is a complete S,O,B he hates horses and any thing to do with horses,he will not allow me any horsy friends , he think all dressage people are weirdo's, he says he rather go to a gay strip club and do the unspeakable then be seen around dressage people”

The trainer , alarmed and shaken terminated the session dismissed all the young riders apart from that boy.

She asked him “is that true your father is so unsupportive and harbours so much animosity to the sport”.

“Not really” replied the boy “he is actually very involved in the sport but I am too embarrassed to tell that he heads the FEI RULES COMMITTEE”