Any Freestyle Dressage Riders?

I was just wondering if anyone on here rides or competes freestyle dressage? I've become increasingly interested in it recently- it looks like so much fun! Music with a beat would be so nice to keep a rhythm, also. I've been meaning to talk to the show coordinators at my barn about possibly including freestyle dressage in our shows. So has anyone on here had any experiences with it?

Whatever you do stay away from music with lyrics and vocals. It rarely goes over well.

it looks class to do! Love edward gall and moorland tortillas routine! dont think you could get a better routine!

Huh... I always thought that lyrics just weren't allowed...

Lyrics are allowed and I have seen some vocals used beautifully. I saw a wonderful freestyle at GP done to the grateful dead. I was shocked, at first, but ended up loving it. The judges seemed to like it as well.

A long time ago I saw a pas de deux done by Jan Ebeling and Dennis Callin with lyrics. It got a standing ovation.

im going to do a freestyle next year with my mare... but just like what everybody else said, stay away from lyrics, haha im a bad girl and i really want lyrics, but like alisson said, they cansoemtimes turn out well.

IMO, unless you are competing at second level or above and getting scores well into the 60s, freestyles are excruciating to watch. One show I was at offered training level freestyles. 5 minutes of watching walk/trot/canter on 20m circles and diagonals is about as fun as ... Like, by the 3 minute mark you're kind of hoping for the horse to start bucking or something...
I am getting one done professionally by Karen Robinson for '10 show season. I'm hoping we can make one for third level and then tweak the choreography for fourth later in the season. I'd like to do some CDIs when I get to PSG so having freestyle music and a bit of choreography that I know I like a year or two ahead of time will be good.

I did a PSG freestyle to "Hot Popcorn" ( I think that is what it was called )with all the popping. It was fun. At the end it gives out a sound much like someone that let go of some ...errr air and I nailed it right at the salute.

I had fun with that one.

The funny thing is I got 6 perfect 10s (different shows) when I was showing and got them all doing freestyles.

It's a lot easier to get higher scores in freestyles because you can set your horse up how he's going to perform things better. And the rider has an audible beat so your rhythm is going to be better as well.
Also the artistic side helps bump up the scores :P
There was a pony years ago that had an amazing extended canter and that's how she finished down center line to her final salute. She always nearly ended up in the judges lap :P In perfect control haha.

I don't do it, but I've already got my tickets to the freestyle finals at the WEG in Kentucky next year. I'm really looking forward to it. As much as I like riding dressage, watching riders do the same test over and over again is as much fun to me as....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

I did a clinic over the summer with an upper level rider. He said the most important thing to remember about freestyle is to not listen to the music. Pay attention only to the beat. If you listen to the music, you will most likely lose the tempo and your rhythm will fall apart.