Groom, wrap, tack and mount. Then it’s time to work the horses.
“In order to do it well and train horses, you have to build such a relationship with them,” Kate Wager said.
Wager has been riding since she was a child. She is now the board chair of Dressage Manitoba.
Seven years ago, she took up dressage and hasn’t looked back. She now rides and trains multiple horses four to five times a week.
“Dressage is a style of training and riding,” Wager said. “It evolved from Cavalry movements back in the day training horses to go to war basically.”
Get daily National news
Dressage is sometimes described as horse ballet.
Riders train their horses on intricate skills and perform in competitions. It’s a sport that takes patience and a great community.
“I got to meet some really good friends and all the competitions are so fun and just coming here with the horses is what I like to do,” teenage rider Taylor Butcher said while standing next to Boo, the horse she rides. “I like being around animals, especially this guy.”
Butcher trains with Wager and another young rider named Eleanor Eva.
“I really like the gracefulness of it and just how everything flows together and how everything looks when it’s nicely done,” Eva said while sitting on her horse Mara.
Despite the passion and the girls’ deep love for horses, dressage isn’t super popular in the province.
“Manitoba isn’t a horse hot spot and it’s certainly not a dressage hot spot,” Wager said.
However, the province has helped produce international dressage talent such as Winnipegger Ariana Chia, who was an alternate at the 2024 Paris Olympics, and Brooke Mancusi, who is quickly rising in the international rankings.
As for the future of dressage in Manitoba, Wager says she’s seeing a resurgence and wants to see the sport grow.
“If you’re going to do dressage in Manitoba, you’ve got to really love it, and you’ve got to be a little gritty,” Wager said.