From The Nelson mail (dated 21 July 2010)

Sarah Earwaker and her horse La Mahr may have been riding together for only a year, but that hasn't stopped the fledgling partnership excelling in the precision sport of dressage.

Sarah, 15, took first place at the Fibre Fresh Pony and Young Rider Performance Awards at the weekend.

The national competition is for all riders aged under 21, and takes in their results at competitions throughout the year.

Sarah was awarded the honour after a stellar year, which saw her succeed at regional, South Island and national level.

At the South Island championships, a competition that included some of the best adult riders in New Zealand, she finished fourth, among other achievements.

Sarah, who attends Nelson College for Girls, has been competing in dressage since she was nine, but La Mahr is her first hack (horse), bringing a host of challenges for young riders used to ponies.

"At the start I had to get to know him and learn to ride him and everything," she says. "With him, it was great because of his temperament. We only got him as a transition hack, for me to get used to a horse. He's done way better then we thought he would.

"We didn't get him to do all that with him, but he did it."

Her family has a love of horses and Sarah has been riding since she can remember. She got into dressage as a way to give her pony at the time, which she described as "a nutter", something to do.

Dressage is French for "to train your horse" and involves teaching a horse a series of movements in a manner that looks soft and natural.

Olympic-level riders are generally level eight, and Sarah won her Fibre Fresh award for her work at level two.

She says it is a sport where participants never stop learning.

"There are 60-year-olds out there giving it a go, so everyone can do it."

Despite her early success, Sarah's partnership with La Mahr is likely to eventually come to an end. Her family has bought a new horse with slightly more training, which will allow Sarah to improve even further.

She is understandably reluctant to let La Mahr go, given the bond they share, but says she is unlikely to reach her potential on him.

Sarah, with another local rider, Renee Roeske, have been selected for a South Island dressage development squad.

Tamara Silcock placed third in the pony section at the Fibre Fresh awards.

Sarah's next competition will be the summer series, which begins in September. She is eyeing a place in the New Zealand International Equestrian Federation world dressage challenge, being held in Christchurch in November.

Sarah says she is grateful for the support of the Nelson Dressage Group.