Photo provided to the Times Observer Elyse Dickerson recently competed in dressage at Arabian Sport Horse Nationals in Wilmington, Oh., taking 10th out of 40 competitors.

For many, dressage is that Olympic event seen every four years and never in between.

But for Elyse Dickerson of Pittsfield, it’s a passion that took her and her 19-year-old gelding Beyon Chance to Ababian Sport Horse Nationals in Wilmington, Ohio last month.

Equestrian events have been part of the Olympics since 1912.

“The Olympic sport of dressage is derived from the French term meaning ‘training’ and its purpose is to strengthen and supple the horse while maintaining a calm and attentive demeanor,” according to the United States Dressage Federation.

Dickerson first dipped a toe into dressage in 2008 when she had a racing thoroughbred who needed to be retrained.

“Dressage is always something I wanted to try and is a common discipline off-the-track thoroughbreds are retrained into,” she said. “I have stuck with it because I feel that it’s a very fair judging method and each horse is ridden in the ring alone one at a time.”

“I consider myself a ‘backyardian’ and have been for a long time,” she explained. “I don’t board my horse at an equestrian center. I don’t have an indoor arena to ride in during the winter.”

She has to travel to Shadow Facs farm in Waterford for lessons with her trainer, Deb McCaughtry.

In the run-up to nationals, she was traveling three to five times a month for those lessons and she typically rides five days a week.

“The training sessions consist of riding in the same way I would when showing with the focus on how the horse carries himself so that he properly uses the muscles and carries himself in a balanced frame,” she explained. “At home, I ride much the same as in the lessons so that each week at the lessons I’m progressing.”

“Currently, competitive dressage involves progressively difficult levels incorporating multiple tests within each level,” according to the Federation. Each test is a series of movements that must be performed by the horse and rider. Each movement is scored by a judge on a scale of 0-10. Special tests are also written for musical freestyle, sport horse breeding and performances incorporating multiple horses and riders.” Those tests at the regional and national level must be ridden from memory.

“Dressage focuses on the horse carrying himself so that he’s using all the muscles across the top of his back and neck. In dressage, the horse should draw power and push from their hind legs,” Dickerson explained.

She said dressage also allows her to keep her horse’s ear hair longer and permits ear bonnets as a means of protection against bugs.

“My current horse is very sensitive to bugs so that has been a huge contributing factor,” she said. “High level dressage is often compared to the horse doing a ballet which takes many years of instruction to master.”

The show last month was the national show for the Arabian Horse Association. Dickerson qualified at a show last year.

She placed 10th out of 40 at the training level.

“Training level is a low-level dressage, the only level below training is intro,” she said. “Grand Prix — in the Olympics — is eight levels above training level. With my horse’s age and my riding situation through all-seasons weather, we will be staying at training level until he needs to be retired. “I hope to continue showing him another five years if his health and joint comfort do not decline.”