Tuesday, March 12, 2002

Tom Noone's Kur With Fresco
Gives Goosebumps - page 2

Noone choreographed the kur himself and credits his mother, Judith Noone, for finding the music and creating the edits in the sound studio. The trot, the beginning piaffe/passage, the walk and the canter are all different renditions from four different pieces from the artist 'Enya'. The trot work is Sail Away from Enya, and the finale is from Lord of the Dance.

Keeping the crowd with him is a factor Noone includes when creating his kur. "Choosing your music in relation to the horse, that's where it all begins," he said, adding that actually the music itself can carry the crowd. Mrs. Noone knows Fresco's gaits well and selects several pieces of music for each gait, which Tom then plays while watching a show tape, matching music to gaits. "She has a very, very good eye for that, so they all fit. I don't have to worry about that part of it," said Noone. "I want to have the goosebumps when I watch it on video. If I can feel from the music some emotion, and then of course if it's enhanced by the horse's going with the music, then I choose that piece for that gait."

Noone said he was happy to hear that Steffen Peters will represent the U.S. at the 2002 World Cup. Noone had not factored qualifying for the World Cup into his show plans this year, but is aiming for the World Equestrian Games in Jerez, Spain, in September. "That's what we were here this weekend for, the Selection Trials for the World Equestrian Games," said Noone. He placed second in the Grand Prix on Saturday with Fresco, earning a 66.80%. He will compete at the upcoming WEF Dressage Classic March 14-17 in pursuit of the scores he needs in the Grand Prix and the Grand Prix Special to qualify for the Selection Trials.

Noone is also looking at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. "Absolutely, at some point for sure, that would be fabulous if we could make it to that point."

by Mary Hilton for DressageDaily.com