Scotland’s leading dressage rider Jo Barry is not resting on her laurels and despite winning three national titles at last month’s British Dressage winter championships she’s hungry for more.

As a child Jo showed ponies, qualifying Ceulan Brahms for the Horse of the Year Show and Olympia and Scott McCregor’s Highland pony stallion Falcon Frost of Sauchrie for Olympia twice. It was during the winter that Jo became interested in dressage, riding at the the Gleneagles winter league in order to keep the ponies in work. At that time there weren’t many young riders taking part in dressage competition so it didn’t always go down too well when Jo won.

“I enjoyed the flatwork, the pony went well and in the showring I won more,” explained Jo.

A move onto the Welsh section B pony, Duntarvie Edward proved futurious. At 14hh he was overheight for pure-bred Welsh pony classes but contested show hunter pony classes, however his paces and Jo’s talented were noticed by Margaret Hansen who was keen to put Jo forward for the Great Britain pony team.

“There was one selection trial at Addington and we went down and won the trial – no one knew us,” remembers Jo. Picked to represent team GB at the European Championships in Belgium the team came fourth and Jo 16th individually. Also that summer at the British National championships at Goodwood Jo and Edward were ninth in the elementary.

But too old to continue pony teams, and without a junior horse, Jo was passing time doing some waitressing work until she was old enough to go to university. Riding a borrowed livery horse Jo took part in a lesson from Carl Hester at Gleneagles, and little did she realise this would change her life.

“His two grooms had just left and Carl asked me if I’d like a job. It was supposed to be for three or four months but it ended up being five years! At that time Carl didn’t have the calibre of horses that he has now and it was quite different to today when he has the pick of horses,” said Jo.

At Carl’s yard in Gloucestershire Jo competed Carl’s young horses, qualifying several for the national championships, as well schooling them and looking after the day-to-day running of the yard. She won the talent spotting final which was a knowledge and practical based exam riding six horses from novice to prix St George with advanced movements and it was while Jo was working at Carl’s that she picked up the ride on a young rider’s horse – being picked for the British team. But, just two before the championships the horse went lame and Jo missed her chance to ride. “It teaches you to be realistic and never rest on your laurels,” said Jo philosophically.

After five years for working for Carl, including grooming at the Sydney Olympics, Jo returned back to the family home in West Lothian to set up her own business offering schooling, riding and teaching and with help from her mum Flora, Jo has worked away steadily building up a regular customer client base.

“I think people thought I wouldn’t make it, especially up here in Scotland. Carl was a huge support to me but understood why I wanted to leave and make a name for myself,” explained Jo, who now teaches all over Scotland from all levels in all disciplines. She is also a SEA EFI level 2 coach and tutor.

At home Jo offers full livery and schooling, and also compete her own horses, Vivaldi V and Ramaeu, who are well established and a young horse, called Hugo, who Jo has high hopes for. Stable star is Vivaldi V, known as Freddie at home, a eight-year-old KWPN gelding who is co-owned with Lady Mary Hope.

“He came in for a month’s schooling and was quite sharp. Luckily I was able to buy him with Lady Hope who said she’s always wanted to buy a horse. As a gangly four-year-old there was something special, he was light on the ground with a real willingness and loved working,” said Jo.

“I like youngsters to do a novice freestyle as their first test and then an actual novice test. He had a natural way of going but the canter got so work that Carl said it would take six months to get right and it did.”
As a five-year-old at the winter national championships he was fourth in the novice open and first in the novice frestyle with 79%. “It was a phenomenal year,” said Jo.

At the summer national championships Vivaldi was second in the young horse championship, first in the elementary open, second in the novice open and first in the potential international dressage horse beating Jo’s mentor Carl Hester.

However, in his sixth year Vivaldi came out his stable lame and was later found to have sprained his inner collateral ligament of the coffin joint. Vet Andrew McDiarmid suggested a mri scan at Newmarket where his injury was identified and it meant that Freddie was not allowed turnout in the field for 18 months. After being on box rest and losing one year of training Jo was thrilled to bring Freddie out for the final summer regionals qualifier at Rowallan where he qualified although the movement marks ranged from three to nine! That year he was second at the nationals, Freddie’s track record at the nationals is impressive – from qualifying for 10 classes, he’s had six wins, three seconds and a fourth, however because of the year away from competition he is not at the correct level for his age for the BEF equine pathway, something that is incredibly frustrating for Jo .

“It’s really hard to get a horse at his age at the right level for funding, Freddie has had very, very good results,” says Jo.

For training Jo continues to receive lessons from Carl and Stephen Clarke and she tries to visit them both every six weeks or so for some fine tuning. “I try and go down to Carl’s for four days training and I’ll take both horses, I work in exchange for lessons and I gain experience of riding many horses and I come home rejuvenated and full of enthusiasm. They both think Vivaldi is very special and it puts a lot of pressure on my shoulders – I don’t want to let him down but I need help and don’t want to make mistakes,” added Jo.

“Stephen sees me through the judges eye as he judges throughout the world and sees the top horses all the time. Both Carl and Stephen have said to train Freddie for grand prix, they say I’m too pernickity with too much attention to detail. I need to take some risks and ride for the bigger picture, which in ways is why I’m not competing all the time.”

At last month’s winter national championships Jo had an amazing competition, winning three championships with Freddie. They started with the elementary open freestyle, the medium freestyle and finally the medium open, and to top it off Rameau was runner up in the novice open freestyle championships.

“This winter has just been so stop and start, for them to achieved so much at the nationals is amazing,” said Jo, who is sponsored by Topspec Feed and Forest Farmacy.

At home Jo and he mum look after the livery horses, although there is a girl in a nearby village who’ll come in and help while Jo is away competing or training. “It’s long days, early starts and late finishes with the horses but it’s a business and we tailor and work around each horse,” said Jo. Work is varied for each horse and it’s not just repetitive work in the school, they are turned out in the field, go hacking and will do suppling and gymnastic exercises in the school.

She realises she’s been incredibly lucky to have had the chance to ride Freddie. “He’s my favourite, quite a quirky horse but confident and knows he’s the king pin. I hope to qualify him for the winter championships at advanced medium and prix St George but I’ve no expectations for this year,” added Jo.

In time Jo is aimng to achieve a lifelong goal of riding internationally at senior level, something that might not be too far away.