Achieving My Bronze Freestyle Bar

Achieving My Bronze Freestyle Bar

By Maribeth Dunlap

September 22, 2016

I reached another personal riding goal this season - I achieved my Bronze Freestyle Bar. Although I've ridden several freestyles in the past 15 years, I really started working towards my freestyle bars in 2010. Prior to that, I developed my own freestyles and competed them at schooling shows. I also developed Pas de Deuxs, Quadrilles and worked with a Drill Team for several years, gleening more skill and confidence in developing and riding to music. It was and continues to be one of my most favorite things to do and I have since then developed Musical Freestyle Workshops in which I introduce the concept of riding to music to others. In my workshops we start with a few ideas and produce a complete freestyle for all the participants. I encourage the riders to perform their new freestyles at the local schooling shows. I love planting the seeds of dressage, watering them and watching them grow and blossum. Watching the riders who I've helped over the years gives me a lot of satisfaction and joy.

The Bronze Freestyle Bar I feel is the hardest and takes the longest to achieve because it covers three different levels of competition - First, Second and Third Levels. It takes time to develop horses up three levels and qualify them at each level in order to begin riding the freestyles at recognized competitions. I earned these scores with two different horses - Milano and Escarpa. I earned the majority of my scores with my horse, Milano. My first freestyle for Milano I call the "Dinosaur" freestyle because the music was from the Disney Movie, "Dinosaur". I got a lot of mileage out of this freestyle. With some edits to the choreography, I earned my First, Second and one of my Third Level scores with this freestyle. I love this freestyle. The music is fun, happy and energetic, and suited Milano's gaits and character. When I started competing Milano at Fourth Level and schooling Prix St. George, I decided that it was Escarpa's turn to get in on the freestyle act so I developed a Third Level Freestyle for him. Different music was chosen for him and I earned my final score needed for my USDF Bronze Freestyle Bar.

I earned my Bronze Medal (in 2009) and my Bronze Freestyle Bar (in 2016) on horses that I owned and trained myself, which makes this achievement even sweeter and more meaningful to me. I have had help, guidance and support along the way, and I have worked hard, earned and own these successes. So what's next? I sold Milano - he went off to a wonderful home with a new owner. So now it is up to Escarpa to partner with me to the next levels. With Milano, I earned two scores towards my Silver Medal and one score towards my Silver Freestyle Bar which leaves two scores yet to be earned for my Silver Medal and three for the Freestyle Bar. The Freestyle is already developed and ready to be ridden. All I need now is to qualify Escarpa by achieving the necessary score at Fourth Level Test 3. And that is no easy feat as that is one challenging test! But we'll keep working and we'll eventually get that score then we'll be riding down the centerline dancing to music!

Photo: Maribeth riding Milano