News Updates

Emma Awarded BEF Medal of Honour

As we near the end of 2011...which seems to of gone in a flash, Team Sheardown’s ultimate goal of London 2012 seems to draw closer and closer! It is hard to believe that in just a few weeks time we will be in Olympic year!!

2011 has been yet another successful year, with the highlight being contributing to the Team Gold Medal winning performance for Team GBR at the European Championships in Moosele. I am also pleased to inform you that as a result of my successful year, I found out just last week that I am also being awarded the British Equestrian Federation’s ‘Medal of Honour’. Looking back over the long history of this medal, it has been awarded to many successful equestrians over the years, therefore I am very honoured to have it awarded to me!! I am being presented with it next Thursday at Olympia!!

Training over the last few months has been going very well. My team, Karen and Nicky are working really hard (as they always do!!) on keeping Eddie in tip-top condition and improving his training. He is doing so, so well!! We are also having weekly training sessions with Angela Weiss which is really helping! It is the last push now for London and I want to leave no stone unturned in making sure that I have the best possible chance in being selected! This involves getting all the help that I can get both from the point of view of the training of Eddie and also the training to make me a better rider.This includes on-horse work with Karen and Angela pointing out ways to improve my position, but also includes regular visits to Andy Thomas who is the Team GBR Physiotherapist.   I have been seeing Andy once a fortnight to have my hips loosened off. I have this done so my hips are able to move more freely with the movement of the horse. I have also recently, through Angela started seeing Teressa Dixon who is a Biomachanics Coach. The aim of this is to analyse how I use my body and improve any weak areas – at this stage working on improving all the little tiny details is vitally important, as it is all the little things that can make a big difference!!

As part of my training schedule, I am also regularly attending unaffiliated dressage competitions at Arena UK. Arena UK very kindly allow me to compete and do a Para test. This is great – just to be able to do this on a regular basis. It is a great exercise for both myself and Eddie, for example,  getting our mindset used to going from the warm-up arena to the competition arena and keeping the quality of the work the same.
In the new year another exercise will be to take Eddie to some big shows. As the Paralympics will be such a big, big event with thousands of people it is important that we get Eddie acclimatised to lots of people and a big atmosphere!

Since my return from the Europeans I have competed at a Winter Qualifier at Brooksby where I was pleased to win my classes by getting 73.53% in the team test and the 71.1% in the individual. Last month I also competed at the British Dressage’s High Performance Show at Vale View, as they had an open Para freestyle class. I have now gone back to my original Richard Clayderman music, as the judges seem to prefer it, and I suppose it has won us two Gold Medals!! Anyway, I was pleased to come a very close second in the class behind Grade 4 rider Sophie Wells with 78.5%!!
I have got one more competition before Christmas, a Winter Qualifier at Patchetts in Hertfordshire on 17th December.

I am so looking forward to next year! – Bring on 2012!!

I would like to say a big, big thank you to my Wonderful Team, to my Sponsors and Supporters and to my Family and Friends, for everyone’s continued and loyal support!!!  

Emma
xxx

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