Bigfork girl poised to appear on dressage national stage

A Bigfork teenager is making a name for herself in an English fashion.

Ashley Anderson, 13, recently received a $500 scholarship from the Morgan Dressage Association to pursue her training in dressage riding. She is also one of 18 riders in her level to qualify for the U.S. Dressage Association Seat Medals in Chicago in August.

Dressage is an English style of riding that was originally developed to train military horses, and it is now an Olympic equestrian sport.

The dressage seat medal program is a national competition that strives to develop successful youth in the international dressage arena.

Anderson has been riding since she was four years old on her family’s Morgan horses. Anderson’s mom, Sally, showed in Dressage riding herself, competing in Grand Prix, the highest level. Sally grew up on a ranch in Drummond where her family used Morgan horses. Now she runs a boarding and training facility for Morgan horses.

Anderson is the fourth generation in her family to work with Morgan horses.

The Morgan horse is the first original American breed. 

“They’re a hearty horse, they have good feet, lots of mane and tail,” Sally said. They are promoted to be an all-around breed.

Training horses is a large piece of dressage. Dressage riding isn’t flashy or showy, rather it’s more about control in both the rider and the horse. Riders are judged on their body movements, keeping steady and maintaining the proper posture, while directing the horse through a series of precise, subtle movements.

Anderson said getting the horse to perform movements correctly is the hardest part, but working with the horses is also part of why she enjoys dressage.

“I just think it’s kind of fun and it teaches the horse and you,” Anderson said. “You respect the horses a lot doing it. My favorite part is probably being with the horse and to see him getting to improve and do cool things.”

The scholarship Anderson received will help her continue to improve her dressage and help prepare her for the Dressage Seat Medals in August.

Anderson will be able to use the scholarship to bring in a highly-regarded instructor Mike Osinski.

To get the scholarship she had to write about the Morgan horse breed, dressage, why she does it and what her goals are.

Her long-term goal is to compete at the Junior Young Riders, an international event that is kind of like a junior Olympics.

There are nine levels in dressage, and ideally riders advance a level each year. Anderson currently competes at level one, with a goal to reach Grand Prix.

“There’s always a new challenge because there is so many levels,” Sally said.

When Anderson qualified for the Seat Medals, during a show in the fall, it was exciting.

“I was really nervous and then it just made me really happy,” she said.

Now she is in her off-season, though Anderson still rides a few times during the week. Show season starts in May, and at that time, Anderson will practice daily.

“I’m really excited to get back going to shows again,” she said.