Climbing with Everest: From Intro to FEI

Here, a rider from Region 1 tells us how she dove feet first into dressage with her spotted dance partner, and the towering feats they’ve accomplished since!

By Maria Sanders 

My dressage journey started in the summer of 2019. I was a Hunter/Jumper rider, but I wanted to expand my knowledge and education. I thought it looked so beautiful when dressage horses “set their heads,” and I wanted the horses I rode to look beautiful, too. Little did I know, it’s not a “headset,” and it is much more difficult than it looks! 

I cleaned stalls at Coventry Equestrian Center, and Kristin Hermann, the barn owner, was gracious enough to allow me to work for dressage lessons. As a 21-year-old barn rat, I learned that many people in the horse world valued sweat equity, and I was often able to work for riding opportunities that I would not have otherwise been able to afford. The nuances of dressage were challenging for me, and it opened up a whole new world as I learned how to be a more effective rider, as well as the biomechanics involved. 

I rode a small selection of horses during the initial stages of my dressage journey. Most of the horses were older, lower-level schoolmasters. These horses kindly and patiently allowed me to make mistakes as I learned how to more accurately influence the horse with my aids and get them on the bit. Those old souls were invaluable stepping stones in my journey, and ultimately established my foundation in dressage. 

I have been privileged to ride many horses over the years, but there are a handful of horses that have impacted my riding journey very deeply. One of those special horses is Everest. 

I met Everest in the fall of 2019, a seven-year-old Appaloosa (double registered with the Colorado Ranger Horse Association) that Kristin had bought for herself to train and show. I still remember my first ride on him; Kristin told me to grab him for a lesson so I could put some miles on him, since he was green. I remember his sweet face and cautious nature as he softly snorted at me when I went to put the halter on him; I remember how he watched me every time I went to get a new brush or a piece of his equipment when I groomed and tacked him that day; and I remember how magical that first ride was! Everest was wonderful: sensitive without being hot, soft in the bridle, responsive to pressure, and naturally a forward thinker. I instantly fell in love with him. 

As sweet and obedient as Everest was, he did have a spooky side. In particular, he was ground shy. It was not uncommon for him to suddenly jump up in the air or shoot sideways if the ground changed color or texture. Because of this, Kristin decided Everest wasn’t the right horse for her. Even though she had set aside her own aspirations of showing him, she was kind enough to allow me to continue training on Evererst. 

In the summer of 2020, Everest and I went to our first recognized show. It was a one-day show, and our first experience off the farm together. We were both still pretty green to dressage at this point in our journey, but Kristin felt we were ready to give a “real” show a try. 

Our first trip down centerline ever at a recognized show earned us a 59.8% at Training Level. At this point in my training, I had no idea what a good score was or wasn’t, but I was happy that we had completed the test, since there were many bobbles. We had jumped into the arena where the dressage court was set up before the test started, spooked at mirrors on the wall, wiggled down centerline, and I cheated to pick up the canter during the test by counter-bending Everest. 

Kristin, who read for me, gave me feedback on what went wrong, and coached me before we went in for our second test. She helped me minimize the big problems from our first ride, and our second test was good enough for a 63.9%. Everest and I grew together as a team, and by the end of that show season, our confidence in each other had blossomed – we were scoring into the upper 60% range. 

Every summer has been filled with horse shows since that first show season, and training with Everest has taken me for a ride that I never would have even dared to dream of. Every year, we move up a level, and every year, Everest continues to impress with his athleticism and heart. He has won Adequan®/USDF All-Breeds Awards at Training, First, Second, Third, and Fourth level to date. I have also earned my USDF Bronze and Silver Medals with him. 

Kristin has continued to support my dressage journey, not just by allowing me to go to horse shows, but by giving me countless opportunities to improve my riding and education. Thanks to her, I have participated in and audited many clinics, expanded my experience by building a small training business out of her barn, and my bookshelves are now full of literature about classical riding that she has given me. I may contribute the hours and the sweat into training with Everest, but she is the driving force behind our little team. She has been there to watch almost every lesson and every trip down centerline that Everest and I have taken together. 

Climbing the levels of dressage has been both challenging and rewarding. Everest has always drawn curious looks from others at horse shows; he is not your typical dressage horse. Especially this year, as we tackle Prix St. Georges, I can’t help but feel that we must look a little out of place – a girl and an Appaloosa, in a shadbelly. I am not the prettiest or most talented rider in the world, but moving up the levels has forced me to ride accurately and assertively in order to keep reaching above that magic 60% mark. 

Everest was not born with expressive gaits, suspension, or natural, uphill balance. We don’t have the “wow” factor, especially for the mediums and extensions (“more ground cover” is a frequent remark on our tests). His God-given aptitude for dressage was never what made Everest special, but rather his sweet disposition and willingness to please. I have never sat on a horse that tries as hard as he does. 

I have been told by many individuals it is amazing that I have progressed through the levels of dressage on a stock breed. That may be, but the truth is, I don’t think I could have done it on a horse other than Everest. He is more than just the horse I compete with – he is my teammate, my dance partner, my friend, and a giant piece of my heart. It is my trust in him that allows me to go down centerline and give it my all. He is the little Appaloosa that not only can, but does! 

Everest continues to surprise me as we continue our training. He is truly one in a million, and he has made me the rider I am today. In my eyes, no matter what the future holds for us, Everest will always be priceless. He is living proof that you don’t need the fanciest horse in the barn to compete in dressage. If you have an honest horse and a desire to learn, then anything is possible!