Lesson on Grand Prix Dressage Horse Jaybee Anzac

- 2008 Winner Jackie Collins

It was like winning the lotto. I was the winner in the 2008 Dressage Festivals raffle of a lesson with Nicole Magoffin and her beautiful Jaybee Anzac or “Zac” as he is affectionately known.

When I received the phone call to say what I had won I was absolutely ecstatic. I had sat there at the festival with my friends watching the demonstration with Nicole and Zac and I vividly remember saying “imagine riding a horse like that!” All I could think was “what a special person Nicole must be to offer this prize” and “how many people dream of an opportunity like this?” Then I started to panic – what if I made a fool of myself? What if I couldn’t get him to do anything? Well, it may sound a bit cliché but Nicole and Zac made sure that I had the ride of my life.

On meeting Nicole she was so friendly and Zac was so laid back that I felt immediately relaxed and not at all nervous. The setting was perfect in the covered arena surrounded by undulating countryside. We began the lesson with the usual ‘long and low’ but never before have I felt such a relaxed and supple back and ‘swing’ – not to mention looking down on those lovely floppy ears which Nicole assured me meant that Zac was relaxed and happy.

After a few minutes warming up Nicole instructed me to take up more contact and that is when Zac moved into the next gear. I had quietly feared that I would never be able to “sit” trot on such a big moving horse but it was amazing – he was so relaxed yet so elevated that I just went with him. Effortlessly we began with shoulder-in, travere and half pass – all the time being given wonderful encouraging words and praise from Nicole. We had a go at piaffe but I think I confused Zac a bit and we could only manage a few steps at a time. Then, for me the most wonderful feeling of all - “Passage”. After the first few steps I remember saying aloud “Oh, Wow” (with a grin from ear to ear) and I would have been more than happy to dance along like that for the rest of the lesson. But Nicole brought me back to Earth and suggested it was time to pop into canter and that is just what we did.

To ride the collected canter was also an amazing feeling. To feel a horse so ‘up in front’, elevated, relaxed and so light in my hands made me realise that this is truly what dressage is all about. Nicole suggested we try a canter pirouette where we cantered a very collected 8 metre circle around her and then I just sat back and ‘thought’ about pivoting Zac around and it happened. We did a couple more off both leads and with lots more praise from Nicole she suggested we go large again and try some flying changes.

By now I was beginning to realise that if I ‘thought’ the movements – they happened with very little movement from me. I’ve always been a bit ‘slow’ so it took a couple of strides before I realized that Zac had changed as soon as I asked for it but it was not long before we got into a good rhythm of two time changes across the diagonals. I even managed to get organized enough to execute a few one times.

After asking if I could have another go at passage ( I had to feel it one last time) and then finishing with more long and low our lesson sadly came to an end. But I know that I have experienced what so many of us dream of – to feel ‘as one’ with a beautifully educated and responsive horse.

To Nicole Magoffin – Thankyou so much for your encouraging words and allowing me the ride that I have always dreamed of. I will never forget the feeling of exhilaration.

To the wonderful Jaybee Anzac – so sweet, kind, patient and oh so forgiving – I will always remember “the ride of my life”.

To the 2009 winner of the ride – relax, have a ball and live the dream!