About Me

I'm Allison Hopkins and I have a passion for Dressage. I'm 16 and I train at Rocking M Stables with Yvonne Kusserow, a German master, in Dallas Texas. I currently show 2nd level with my 16 year old Hanoverian. 

In 2012 I traveled to Germany and there I attended the Pferdsportverband Weser Ems Medal Course in Vechta. This is a two week intense course including dressage and jumping lessons every day followed by some lectures in theory. 

I received my Small Bronze medal my first year then attended the same course in 2013 and received my Large Bronze. This course fully submerged me into the German training system and proved successful results which I really benefited from. 

In 2013 after my second trip to Germany I was invited to compete in the 2013 Dressage Seat Medal Finals in Estes Park, Colorado, placing 6th on a leased horse. This was my first national competition and I thought it went really well considering the circumstances!

A couple months after that I competed in the 2013 Regional Championships and placed 1st in GAIG and Southwest Training Level as well as GAIG and Southwest 1st level. 

Then in the winter of 2013 I was invited to audit the Robert Dover Horsemastership Clinic in Wellington, Florida. This exposed me to some of the top Olympic Trainers such as Robert Dover, Debbie McDonald, Shelly Francis, Jan Ebeling and others!

The most recent event I participated in was the Courtney King Dye Horsemastership Clinic in Chesapeake City, Maryland at the Hassler Dressage facility! It is the most beautiful and spectacular stable I have ever seen. Every corner of the place was meticulously detailed. Some of the wood used for the door frames was from an old mill and the light fixtures in front of the entrance were previously streetlights in Paris, France. 

I rode a borrowed horse generously lent to me by Micky Copeland and trained by Christina Morris. I'm so grateful to have experienced this amazing opportunity and it would not have been possible without them!  I also would like to thank Lendon Gray, the founder of the Emerging Dressage Athlete Program, who makes these opportunities happen for the youth of Dressage. Also, thank you Leslie and John Malone for letting the this clinic be held at your facility! It truly made the experience memorable. 

I created this blog to share my journey of dressage with those who are interested in learning new things about riding and the dressage world! Hopefully you can pick up something that is useful for your riding at home!

Enjoy!