dressage
a true passion for Dressage training
dressage
a true passion for Dressage training
At the age of 16 Cody’s mum Evanne Chesson, a famous trainer herself, acquired three Spanish Andalusian stallions which were classically trained for dressage. They were purchased to start pre-production for the Phantom movie, however they quickly became the start of Cody’s obsession for dressage.
Every horse Cody has broken in or trained for Hollywood (and there have been thousands) are trained using the Dressage training scale, even if it’s a horse for a western film.
Why? Because mostly the actors who go on them have never ridden before so the horse must have a good RHYTHM, be SUPPLE, have IMPULSION, and most importantly be STRAIGHT so the actor can easily sit to it, and look good on screen.
Think about that famous scene in Black Beauty where actress McKenzie Foy is galloping along the beach with her hands stretched out as though she is flying. Before Mckenzie met Cody she had limited riding experience and was somewhat nervous around horses. To get that beach shot done, all five of the black beauties Cody trained for that movie were trained to the above scale to ensure the horses were honest and didn't unseat her.
McKenzie enjoyed her training with Cody so much she's now an avid show jumper in America. Cody's dedication to training and his students is second to none... alongside his passion for Dressage.
BA. Dip Ed, NCAS (level 3 Dressage Specialist)
“Cody Rawson-Harris has been working with my horses for a number of years now, including my Olympic mount Boogie Woogie and World Cup Horse Calanta. I have watched him work with these horses and was impressed with his ability to gain their respect and confidence, and teach both them and me to better cope with the stress of high level international competition conditions.
Since working with Cody I have noticed a great improvement in these horses when preparing and performing, in their ability to stay focused on their job and not be distracted or upset by their surroundings. Cody also did a great job breaking in a rather nervous and tense young mare, for me, with great results. I believe he is a very highly skilled horseman and uses humane and logical methods in all his work with equines.”
Cody worked with Calanta in January 2018 – In February 2020 Mary and this Grand Prix mare were recently awarded a record-breaking score of over 80% at a 4* international dressage event held in NSW.
