Olympian Dressage rider conducts symposium at Raven Hill Farms

FLORIDA — For anyone not familiar with the word dressage, a French term meaning training, it is a highly skilled form of horseback riding performed in exhibition and competition.
On Friday and Saturday, Oct. 12 and 13, Raven Hill Farms, located at 154 Glenmere Ave. in the Village of Florida, welcomed Laura Graves, the number one ranked dressage rider in the world, to conduct a symposium for professional riders.
The Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) recently announced that Graves and her horse, Verdades, who had seized the top spot from Germany, were the New World number one ranked dressage combination.
It was the first time that a United States dressage combination had been ranked world number one.
In 2016 Graves also competed at the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, where she won a bronze medal in the team competition and earned fourth position individually.
As stated on its website, Raven Hill Farms is a private riding club specializing in dressage, created to enhance the equestrian experience for the rider who is seeking to be a member of an active and social group focused on deepening and strengthening their partnership with their horses.
"Raven Hill Farms," said owner Deirdre Hamling, "was honored to welcome Laura Graves for a two-day clinic and symposium. Laura's insightful instruction was unique to each rider and her combination of technique and personal antidotes left the audience hanging on every word.
"Having Laura at our farm was the thrill of a lifetime," Hamling added, "I not only learned so much about dressage and perseverance, but I made a new friend in the process, and for that I will be forever grateful."
For additional information, visit Ravenhillfarms.com and Face Book.