Dressage Diva's

[Sparklet]

I really enjoy doing dressage to music and found a free download which allows you to edit music and I have pretty much got by using that..a bit wonky in places but okayish.

Anyway I got a Dressage Diva's CD for Christmas and have pretty much ignored it because I havent done any Freestyle recently.

Impending competition has forced me to sit down and learn how to work it and I spent most of yesterday tinkering and trying to find out how the bits worked...very frustrating and annoying morning. When I had finally put a test together I found that I coudnt extract the music to burn onto a CD. In the end I rang the helpdesk to find that the older versions (from Christmas!!) of Dressage Diva's had a fault and they would send me a replacement copy.

Anyway assuming they rectify the problem can I officially state that the package is brilliant. I have re-done my test/music today with my newly learned skills and have found ways of planning my compulsory medium movements to the exciting louder bits of music. I have also been able to overlay the ends and starts of the music so that it runs really smoothly.

I dont have a 60m arena and last time I rode round and round with an MP3 player in my ears trying to get the steps to fit the music - no oroblem with this system though I have planned it all out and can even print a copy of my test.

Its great!!!

 

[Alibear]

only one possible reply there really then, where do you get it from?

 

[not_with_it]

I would love to do some dressage to music but it always seems like such hard work! Its just me thats lazy!

So where are you going to try it out? Hope everything goes well and good luck.

P.S. Am I right in thinking you have been to Willerby? Whats it like? I'm thinking about going to do the elementary's there.

 

[custard]

I have also had great difficulty with loading the music, Abba have disappeared into the outer cosmos somewhere, but they are not in my goddam computer!! AArrrgh! I also bought mine end of last year

let me know if you get it sorted perlease!

 

[Sparklet]

I got mine from a local tack shop and quite a few mail order tack shops sell it. It also appears you can order it from their web site.... here

 

[Sparklet]

It does take a bit of effort to put it together which is why I am so pleased with this package because it takes some of the work out. Its a bit creative - no-one will do the same test so each looks interesting and it does attract spectators. It is great fun to do as well.

Willerby Hill is about 3 miles down the road from me and I tend to compete more there and Frys than anywhere else. Its a great venue - lots of parking, two huge indoor schools (20 x 60 and 40 x 70) and a 20 x 40 covered outdoor so however bad the weather its very difficult to get wet. The surfaces are all rubber/sand mix and watered so pretty good.

They tend to use both indoor for the tests and the outdoor for warm up which surprisingly doesnt get that crowded if its affiliated (bit worse unaffiliated). Organisationally it is smoothly run and scores and sheets are out pretty quickly - the Leaks are really friendly.

Both schools have viewing areas along the short side and one has a cafe so you can have a bite to eat if you have a wait between tests or a bit to wait for the class to finish.

 

[Sparklet]

I had a problem loading music too but it seems to default to mp3 files and CD's and computers store in wav format. It took quite a bit of fiddling about (I do wish their instructions were a bit better). Try this.....

I found I had to load a copy of the tracks I wanted from the CD into my computer in wav format before I could use it. When you click the button to load music you need to change the top left box from mp3 to wav and it worked. Their tech support is also quite good.

 

[not_with_it]

Thanks for that. Think I might give it a try if I can get the time off work. I like Fry's too. Are you going next week? I'm there on the sunday to do the 2 elementarys.

 

[Sparklet]

Yep, got two nov tests to do at Frys - not thinking that far ahead though because I have a two day session at Willerby - an unaffil champ they are running.

I am hoping to go to Willerby on the 23rd to do the Nov music hence the dressage diva thing - still having problems transferring the music onto a CD but think it is more my computer sound card specification which is the problem. Need to get my skates on though - no 20 x 60 arena at home so have to visit a friend to check layout.