Meet our Dressage Rider of the Month, Rebecca! 🏆 From her early days in show jumping to finding her passion in dressage, Rebecca shares her inspiring journey. With her three horses by her side, she focuses on building strong foundations and cherishing the bond between horse and rider. Join us as we get more insite about her dedication and passion for dressage!

1.Can you share a bit about your journey into dressage? What initially drew you to this discipline?

I started riding horses when I was three years old. My family has always been into horse riding, at this point my mom was show jumping and therefore I initially first learnt to “show jump”... When I reached the age of 8 my mom bought me my first pony, he was a boeperd off of a farm who did not want to jump at all! At the same time of the purchase my mom had a bad fall off of her last show jumping horse which led her to stop riding for two years. It was in this moment where my mom and I made the decision to find a suitable dressage coach and stable yard and pursue with Dressage instead of Show Jumping, we then discovered Glenwood Stables and Andrea Harrison and we immediately moved ourselves and my pony there! I instantly fell in love with the discipline and I have not left it since!

 

2.Tell us about your current equine partners. What are their names, ages, and personalities like?

I am very fortunate enough to run a small stud with my mom, I therefore have a few of equine partners! I will tell you about my current riding horses, I am currently riding three incredible horses. I will start with the youngest Agbenoirs Rivendell Binary - she is a 5 year old mare by Rivendell Beregond. I have only owned her for a year, but it has been a very insightful and incredible journey so far. She is incredibly hard working, very kind and is a complete power-bomb (in a good way), she just want to please her rider and offer more constantly. She is a very exciting prospect for the future. My second riding horse is Agbenoirs Tausendschön - he is a 12 year old Oldenburg Stallion by Totilas. Tausy (as we call him) was imported into South Africa from Germany, in the second half of 2023. We have owned him for around 5 years now and we would go from South Africa to Germany very regularly to train with Tausy, but it is very nice to have this beautiful boy home in South Africa with us. Tausy is very sweet and cuddly, but also loves to be the “man” of the stable yard. He is training the small-tour and also has an incredible work ethic and temperament, I am looking so forward to taking him out into the show scene in SA. Last, but not least I have got Agbenoirs Berghof Fahrenheit - he is a 12 year old Gelding by Compton House Five Star. We have owned Fahrenheit since he was 2 and a half, and I have been training him since he was around 5 and a half. Farry and I have just upgraded to Medium-Tour. Farry has got the most exuberant personality, he always wants to be around people and he loves to be the centre of attention. Farry is my heart horse, I have a very special connection with him.

 

3.What inspires you to compete in dressage? Are there any particular riders or horses who have influenced your journey?

My horses inspire me everyday, the continuous growth in the bond, training and overall journey that I have with each horse is inspiring to me. I love to go out to the competitions to dance with my horses and have fun, this puts a smile on my face. There a many riders that have influenced my journey, but I would say the few that have influenced me the most would definitely be my longtime coach and mentor Andrea Harrison Buchmann , all my fellow riders & owners who are basically my family at Glenwood stables, My mother , Tanya Seymour. The one horse who influenced my journey the most would possibly be my late mare Float On , she taught me all that I know and she showed me all the higher level dressage movements. She showed me what it is to have fun in the sport and to really love what you do.

 

4.Could you walk us through a typical training session with your horses? What aspects of training do you focus on the most?

A typical training session with my horses always start with a good 10 - 15 minute walk, trot, canter long and low warm up - focussing on the foundation elements of the training scale. I really like to focus on getting my horses on my aids, supple, in rhythm and warm in these first few minutes. These first 10-15 minutes give me a good indication on how my horse is feeling physically, mentally and emotionally and this can predict what type of training and what level of intensity my work will be in that session. If my horses are feeling good then I will start to collect them up and slowly start to introduce some lateral and higher level work in all three paces - for no more than 20 minutes, with good breaks and lots of rewards in between. I like to end off with a stretch and a long and low walk to cool off. I like to focus on the basics as much as possible, even when I am in the higher level work - it is all in the basics.

 

5.What do you love most about the bond between you and your horses?

The bond between myself and my horses is beyond words... I would have to say that I love the fact that I can get on my horse, or spend a minute with my horse and I can pick up their emotions so quickly. I feel as though I can speak to them without saying a word.

 

6.Reflecting on your career so far, what would you say is your proudest achievement in dressage?

This does change pretty often as some days I achieve something with one horse that I have been working on for a while and it honestly feels like my proudest achievement, but currently it would be completing my first Medium-Tour test with Fahrenheit - I have training him from Prelim when he was 5 years old so this is really big for me!

 

7.What challenges have you faced along the way, and how have you overcome them?

I have faced many different challenges in my journey, ranging from external jealously, bullying to internal self-doubt and anxiety. These are challenges that unfortunately most athletes in competitive sport have to face, in order to overcome them one has to block out the negative and focus on the positive. There is a positive in everything and it is so important to set sight on it! I have also faced a big accident where I had a very bad fall and injury, this set me back not only in my career but also in my confidence. This took a long time to get through, but I had to learn to be patient with myself and take it one step at a time.

 

8.Are there any specific goals or milestones you’re currently working towards in your dressage career?

I would like to get to Grand Prix with Fahrenheit by end of 2025 and I would like to get my other two horses out in the competition arena this year. An everyday goal of mine is to have happy, healthy horses and to make progress and learn from my mistakes.

 

9.Outside of the arena, what do you enjoy doing with your horses?

I enjoy spending time with my horses, grooming them, taking them for walks, giving them massages, taking them to graze and pampering them!

 

10.What advice would you give to aspiring dressage riders who are just starting their journey?

Focus on the basics and take it one step at a time. Find yourself a trainer who you can trust will have your best interests at heart, a successful equestrian career isn’t just about the horse and rider. It is about the horse, the rider, the coach and the team behind these three.

 

11.Finally, what is your favourite Equine Culture product?

If I really had to choose just one, I would say the Kintex Hybrid breeches! These are just the most comfortable Hybrid breeches I have ever worn, with the full seat it is perfect for dressage. I can wear these all day around the yard and they never get uncomfortable! They are truly a must in every equestrians closet.

 

A big thank you to Rebecca for taking the time to be part of this segment, to follow her journey follow her on- 

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