Alex's Blog
Dressage rider Alexandra Duncan of West Vancouver, B.C. embarks on the trip of a lifetime. Her first stop was in Sweden to train with Jan Brink. She has since moved on to Holland where she hopes to learn the secret to the Dutch success while training with Anky van Grunsven.
Duncan was a member of the 2006 gold medal winning Young Riders dressage team. She also earned an individual silver medal in 2007 along with golf in freestyle. Duncan is one of Canada's up and coming talents. Follow her sixth month adventure as she moves her life, horse and dogs around the world to follow a dream.
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Vacation week
August 30, 2010 | No CommentsThis following week has been really relaxed. Anky has gone on vacation so all of us have slowed down training a bit and taking the horses out in the woods for a mental break. It was great fun riding in the woods and we also rode through the farmers corn fields. As we were walking through we were grabbing stocks of corn for the horses Read more »
Successful weekend
August 17, 2010 | 2 CommentsFriday’s run through of the int 1 went really well. I was really nervous before hand and I didn’t run through the test in advance though I had done small bits of it. In the days leading up to the show, I was working on more basic things and getting Vitall really through and supple. I find doing these small schooling show so beneficial. It was Read more »
Tricks of the Trade
August 11, 2010 | No CommentsOn Friday, I am heading to another schooling show to go through Vitall’s first Int 1 and I’m really looking forward to it.. finally full pirouettes! I find them so much easier to ride. Vitall has been going really well over the last week. I am starting to push him for that tra little bit past his comfort zone, and the nice thing is, is he gives Read more »
Simple things are always difficult
August 3, 2010 | 3 CommentsYou wouldn’t think a left half pass would be difficult or that making both your hands follow one another would be hard. Well, the other day my brain decided that these were very, very difficult tasks. I could not make my right hand follow the left. The trouble with my left half pass is that Vitall falls through his shoulder and then makes it Read more »
Whirlwind travels
July 26, 2010 | No CommentsI made a trip home last week to surprise my dad for his birthday! We haven’t been together as a family for his birthday in the last three years so it was fantastic to be able to surprise him. I also visited with some friends and ran around town doing errands so the week flew by. Oslo stayed across the pond this trip with the Read more »
Ermelo
July 16, 2010 | No CommentsDetails, details… i find they are the key difference with the European judges, they pick on all the little things compared to riding in North America. They pick on wether the transition was at the right letter, balanced, rhythm etc. I think that is why Europe dominates in the sport. The riders here don’t just think about getting around the ring and memorizing the test. They ride each movement at Read more »
Heat wave
July 5, 2010 | No CommentsAll I can say is I feel like I am living in a desert. For the last week and a half we have had record breaking heat between 25-36 degrees. We are all melting. Add to that the horse flies that are out in full force and attacking us. We have been soaking the horses in fly spray. Poor little Oslo is having to hide inside with the Read more »
Take a Breath
June 24, 2010 | No CommentsThis Aaturday went really well in Uden. This test was a real learning experience. I think Vitall and I now finally have our routine down pat and this was the first time he didn’t quit on me. The overall feeling felt great. I was able to keep him forward the whole time and make my transitions which have been the hard part. There were a few Read more »
HUP HUP Holland
June 15, 2010 | No Commentsoday everything was a sea of orange. It was the first game for Holland in the world championships for soccer, aka football, the proper european name. Vitall and I decided to be festive and wear orange as well today. I went to the local pub with a few of the girls to watch the game. All I can say is thank God I was wearing Read more »
HOT HOT HOT
June 7, 2010 | No CommentsIt has been really warm here the past few days and through the weekend. It feels like I’m living somewhere tropical with temperatures between 24-27. Vitall was great all week, it felt like something just “clicked”. I really felt like I had the true feeling of what I have been trying to achieve for the last few months. The timing of my aids finally came Read more »
Happy Horse
May 31, 2010 | 1 CommentVitall is a happy boy this week. They have finally finished the new fields so he can go out. They’ve made a few smaller ones, where the horses can’t get into a full gallop but enough space to canter and buck. The first day Vitall went mental. Leaping , bucking on the spot looking at me like “ha ha I’m FREE!” Then he realized that he had all the grass Read more »
Whirlwind
May 25, 2010 | 1 CommentIt was a whirlwind trip! I never knew a week could go by so fast. By the time I was back at the airport on Saturday, I looked over at my mom and said it felt like I had just arrived. I had a wonderful time but was very, very busy with all sorts of appointments over the week including hair, doctors, chiropractor etc. I also organized Read more »
