Side Saddle in Portugal: A Wonderful Day with the Associação das Amazonas de Portugal

I was absolutely delighted to be back in Portugal for another clinic day with the wonderful Associação das Amazonas de Portugal. It was a pleasure to catch up with familiar faces, meet some newer sidesaddle riders and enjoy a day filled with beautiful horses, enthusiastic riders and, of course, plenty of sidesaddle conversation.

My day began with a lovely welcome from Tatiana, who collected me and drove me to the wonderful town of Golegã, a place synonymous with Portuguese equestrian culture.

With preparations already underway for the famous Golegã Fair, Tatiana took me to see the arena and stables being set up for the forthcoming festivities. It was fascinating to see everything taking shape ahead of this world-famous equestrian extravaganza.

Tatiana also kindly showed me her collection of saddles including a Portuguese and Spanish sidesaddle. Her particularly beautiful bespoke Portuguese sidesaddle was made by Rob Jenkins of Malvern Saddlery. It was wonderful to see such craftsmanship and her variety of saddles reflecting the rich traditions of sidesaddle riding.

And no visit would be complete without meeting the resident celebrity! Frank, Tatiana’s pet pig, greeted us like an enthusiastic pet dog. He certainly made sure he received his share of attention.

Before the riding began, I enjoyed a lovely lunch with all the riders and their helpers. As you might imagine, conversation soon turned to sidesaddle riding, horses, competitions and displays.

These opportunities to share experiences and exchange ideas are such an important part of our sidesaddle community. There is always something to learn from one another, and the enthusiasm around the table was a wonderful introduction to the afternoon ahead.

The afternoon was devoted to individual lessons in the indoor school, giving each rider the opportunity to work on their own goals and refine their riding.

It was lovely to see riders I had worked with previously, who are now looking so accomplished and confident in their sidesaddle work. It was equally rewarding to work with some newer sidesaddle riders who were already demonstrating a very high standard of riding.

The focus was on perfecting their position and application of the aids, whilst practising the dressage movements required for their competitions and displays, helping the riders develop their accuracy, balance and presentation.

The beautiful Lusitano horses were an absolute pleasure to watch. With their elegance, presence and willingness to work, they looked stunning in the school and were clearly enjoying their sessions. Watching these magnificent horses and their riders working together was a real highlight of the day.

There was also an extra challenge for two of the riders, who had their very first experience of jumping sidesaddle. Both took to it brilliantly, and seeing their smiles afterwards said it all! It is always wonderful to watch riders discover something new and realise just what they can achieve.

As the day drew to a close, there was time for plenty of photographs, more conversation and the beginnings of plans for next year's visit.

For the Amazonas, the clinic was a valuable opportunity to practise and polish their performances ahead of the Golegã Fair next month. I know how much preparation goes into these displays, and it was lovely to be able to help the riders build on their skills and confidence.

I shall look forward to seeing their photographs and videos as they take to the arena at this spectacular event. I have no doubt they will do themselves, their horses and the Associação das Amazonas de Portugal proud!

Obrigada! Until Next Time…

A huge thank you to  Isabel for organising the day, Tatiana for collecting me, showing me around Golegã and sharing her wonderful collection of sidesaddles, and to everyone involved in organising the clinic and making me feel so welcome and special thanks to Daniela for then driving me back in the evening. 

A final thank you to all the riders and helpers for your enthusiasm, hard work, hospitality and excellent company. It was a thoroughly enjoyable day, and I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to share my passion for sidesaddle riding with such a lovely group of people.

I am already looking forward to returning next year!

There is just one small task before then: I really must learn some Portuguese! At the very least, I need to master how to say “right shoulder back” before my next visit. After all, international sidesaddle instruction requires a certain amount of linguistic ambition!

Muito obrigada, Associação das Amazonas de Portugal. Até à próxima!