16-year-old autistic rider overcomes mental health struggles to impress at Area Festival Championships

Although national titles were on the line at the 2024 Petplan Winter Area Festival Championships – and riders were doing all they could to vie for top honours – the supportive and encouraging environment really re-focussed attention for this writer on why we compete in dressage, and what draws us to the sport.

Namely, that deep connection and trust with the horse that riders can feel between the boards ...