from Manawatu Standard (27jan11)

They work as one.

The long-legged rider sitting deep in the saddle and the horse dancing across the arena changing leg and direction without hesitation all at the imperceptible touch of its rider.

That's how it should be on a good day and Marjorie Bentley-Brett knows what those good days are when it all falls into place and everything goes well.

She also knows what the bad days feel like too as she tries to cajole her horse Aragon Sashi Fe, or Sashi to her friends, to do her bidding.

"She's not an easy horse," says Marjorie. "She's still young and can be a bit immature."

It's the day before the New Zealand Young Rider Championship Dressage at Manfeild Park and dozens of young riders are finding the right stable to hose their horse or pony in and Marjorie is having problems with locating hers.

Finally the right sleeping quarters is found and Sashi can be housed safely for the night.

Fifteen-year-old Marjorie has been riding since she was three-years-old after showing a keen interest in horses from when she could barley walk.

"She used to toddle towards them, arms out, saying `horse, horse'.

"I thought then, Oh no," says her mother Liz Bentley-Brett.

While Mrs Bentley-Brett used to ride for pleasure, she was a little bemused by her daughter's keen interest.

After the family moved from Britain to the Pohangina Valley more than six years ago, Marjorie's interest in the competition arena increased.

She has been competing now for four years and is gaining a very strong reputation in the ring.

She has already been named Champion of the Winter Series in Tielcey Park and Reserve Champion at the Wellington Championships.

She is also sitting very nicely at third place on the closely watched North Island Zilco musical leader boards.

"She's climbing up the boards very well," says Mrs Bentley-Brett.

The musical leader boards denote where the riders are placed according to their performance in musical dressage tests, where a dressage test is completed to a musical soundtrack.

It's easy to see the relationship is strong between horse and rider as Sashi nuzzles her owner gently.

"She's an odd horse really, she's been known to eat a ham sandwich and she's very partial to sugar lumps, and she can drink out of a Pump bottle too," says Marjorie

Horse and rider have become close. Marjorie rides Sashi six times a week to train and get ready for competition. Both need to be able to read each other when they are in the ring.

While Marjorie is at Manfeild getting ready to compete she is also looking forward to a training session with Olympic rider Kallista Field.

Only owning Sashi for a year means Marjorie cut her competitive teeth on other horses including a very successful relationship with Watch It Chester.

"It's easier to get into and stay riding here than in the UK. It's all part of the environment here," says Mrs Bentley-Brett.

Now riding at Level 2, the Palmerston North Girls' High School student has come a long way from her first mount, a fat Welsh mountain pony called Briggs.

Mrs Bentley-Brett, who drives the teenager across the country to compete, says Marjorie has the driving commitment to go far in competition and has been asked to work with other horses to bring them on.

In the meantime she has a horse to water and groom and a debriefing to attend so she knows when she will be expected in the ring.