Northallerton Riding Club wins winter dressage championships

The 'Super Troopers' danced their way to becoming the first northern team to win the winter dressage championships at Arena UK, near Newark, in April.

The team began their training in January under the guidance of Jan Brown, who organised weekly sessions and designed the floor plan.

Eleanor Mercer, another club member, synchronised the music to the floor plan.

Team members Chris Myres on Merlin's Magic, Kate Dawson on Voltaire's Muddle, Rachel Brook on Touch of Brandy, and Naomi Peacock on Bolgerstown Bramble, performed to an 'electric' crowd in Arena UK's main indoor arena.

Other team themes included the Wizard of Oz, Minions, and Witches, but it was the Super Troopers that wowed the crowd, transitioning effortlessly between moves in time with the music.

Club members Janet Coupland and Chris Myres spent hours sewing costumes for both the horses and the riders.

Months of rehearsals paid off as the announcement of first place echoed around the arena.

The club, which won Club of the Year in 2024, is already planning for the next year’s competition.

A spokesperson for the club said: "The evening of the performance was electric with the participating teams' music booming out of the speakers in Arena UK's main indoor arena.

"Other team themes included the Wizard of Oz, Minions, and Witches, but it was the Super Troopers that wowed the crowd and got them clapping along as they rode their hearts out; effortlessly transitioning from walk to trot, trot to canter and back down to trot in time to the music changes.

"The months of rehearsals including getting the horses to work together as a group, desensitising them to the costumes and audience and learning the floorplan and music changes was all worthwhile."