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Horseytalk.net Special Interview
Natalie Dawson
"Everybody calls me the Dressage Diva. I love it."
Natalie Dawson describes why she took up dressage last year
and why she is determined to succeed in spite of all
the setbacks
I am a dressage rider based in the north east of England. I started to compete in dressage last year. After my horse, Midnight Lady, was diagnosed with a check ligament injury in 2008, I was told I could no longer jump her, so we turned our hand to dressage.
So far this has proved very successful. We started with Unaffiliated dressage winning our first two walk and trot tests. We then moved on to prelim. We came 2nd in our first prelim test with over 63%.
Unfortunately we then got another set back. It was quite a rare case. My horse got a blood clot in her spheanous vein. This set us back a few months.
I then took her back to walk and trot for her 1st test HC and we would have won having not been HC with 72%.
We then went on to compete in one other prelim class before qualifying for the David Broome Winter League finals and the UK riders Regional finals. We won this class with 70% and this was only our third ever prelim test.
After all of the injuries Midnight Lady had I was so pleased that were once again back on form. We went down to the David Broome Event centre competing exceptionally well, considering we had never been to a show as big as this and Midnight lady had never stayed away from home for this period of time. We got some good results. We came home with two 9th’s in two of the classes and overall we finished 15th out of 29 so I was over the moon.
We have since gone on to compete in a few other Unaffiliated
competitions before attempting British Dressage. At our first
BD competition, we won the open class with 65.4%. This meant
we had part qualified for either the Pet Plan area festival
or the Sheepgate BYRDS U25 Dressage Championships. I
decided I wanted to go to the Sheepgate Championships as
the class I would be entering would be the U21 prelim championship
and as I am 21 this year I thought I would never had this
chance again. In order to qualify we had to compete in another
BD class and gain over 60%. We went to Northallerton
Equestrian Centre and did just that. We came 3rd with 62.08%
so we are now off the championships in August.
I want to get across that you don’t have to have a wealthy family to do well. Neither do you have to have a perfect horse.
I have always wanted to be a successful horse rider. When Midnight Lady was allowed to jump, this was my passion: To get up the ladder in the BSJA. I was devastated when she was diagnosed with a check ligament injury. We never actually got to compete with our BSJA membership. The day she went out in the field and tore her check ligament we were meant to be competing at our first county BSJA British Novice. Unfortunately it was cancelled due to the really bad weather we had that year.
When we decided to do dressage, Midnight Lady took to it like a dream. Dressage had never been my strong point. I always hated it. Now every one calls me the dressage diva and I love it.
I was absolutely gutted when Midnight Lady went lame
for no apparent reason. Then we noticed the massive lump
under her back leg. We observed her overnight. The vet came
again the next day. The lump had got bigger and she could
not walk. 
She was immediately taken to the vets for an ultrasound.
At first we thought it was Lymphangitus, a strange place
but that is what it was first diagnosed as, and then when
it got better, but not completely, the vets took a
further look and noticed a blood clot. I was absolute
gutted as I was told she may not recover from this and could
face an operation. Thankfully we took the medication route
first. Then in-hand walking. Week by week, she got better.
Eventually, we got the all clear.
Now I just have to keep an eye on it and manage it and hope for the best.
I am a grass roots rider aiming to take Midnight Lady to at least Elementary. At the moment I don’t know how high she will go. But I do have high hopes for her.
At the moment, I am looking for sponsors to help me compete at the Sheepgate championships. Even two bales of haylage will help.
We are competing prelim once I have competed at the championships. I aim to compete Midnight Lady then at British Dressage Novice classes. I also compete and train clients horses whom I have met through competitions and livery yards I have kept my horse on.
If you would like to sponsor Natalie please contact her here
