We are a unique team of Dressage Riders/Horses with 46 years experience from novice to Grand Prix, who perform a spectacular shows to live music played live in the arena. Gaynor Colbourn is a multi-instrumentalist session musician and composer as well as Grand Prix rider, coach and judge[1] who, together with GB Olympic Rider Jennie Loriston-Clarke MBE, originated Dressage to Music in 1980 as it
is practiced in Freestyle to Music competitions today[2]. Musical Career
Colbourn originally trained as a classical pianist and and obtained a Doctorate in Music[3]. She gained further experience by working as a session musician with recording artists of various musical styles[4]. Her compositions were commissioned for television and film, such as the theme music for the TV Series "Sorry!"[5]. Colbourn co-composed and produced the musical theatres "Fire of London" (2016) and "Tutankhamun" (2010) along with Perryn Butler. The two of them form the Butler Colbourn partnership[6] and were part of the Welsh Progressive Folk Band "Hounds of the Sea" and Celtic Folk Fusion Symphonic Rock Band "Amazonne"[7][8]. Dressage to Music
Colbourn claims that her initial idea for Dressage to Music stemmed from playing the piano to the Goodwood Grand Prix Special in 1980 which was being silently shown on the television whilst having dinner with John and Nereide Goodman who owned Wellington Riding and who initiated the first series of Dressage to Music competitions called "Wellington Riding Dressage to Music" [9]. Over the course of her career, Colbourn widened her instrumental repertoire, which allowed her to develop her unique style of creating from scratch to match the horses' movements[10][11][12]. Freestyle Dressage has become increasingly popular since its origination, but Colbourn remains the only artist to perform music live at riding arenas at clinics and demonstrations across the United Kingdom[13][14].