To be good in dressage requires a special bond between rider and horse. Vicksburg’s Jamie Hullum definitely has it with a huge horse named Dane.

Together, the pair won four medals at last month’s State Games of Mississippi Dressage event held at the Lauderdale County Agri-Center.

Dane, an 11-year-old Hanoverian-bred, and 19-year-old able-bodied rider Jamie collected three gold medals and one silver while competing in four training level dressage tests.

This was the third year the pair has competed in the State Games, which features Olympic style events in a two-week festival format. The duo have won at least one gold in each of the last three years.

Unfortunately for Hullum, who is a bio-chemistry major at Mississippi State University, the State Games is now about the only event she and Dane can compete in.

“The State Games is about it. At 19, I’m too old for 4H,” said Hullum, who was a competitive rider in the State 4H circles. “I wish I could show more but it’s a matter of time and resources … Because I was at State, I was unable to ride until May. This makes four State Games I’ve done and this year we were at the training level which had four different tests.”

Hullum got the horse bug about a decade ago.

“It’s been about 10 years. I was nine when I started. I took dance lessons but when our teacher left, I told my mom I wanted to ride. I was one of those horse-crazy kids. I wanted a pony.”

Instead of a pony, Hullum took to the bigger horses Leighann Nosser provided at Rainbow Farms. Nosser, Dane’s owner and the executive director of the ranch where Hullum and Dane train, brought the huge horse to Vicksburg about three years ago after finding him in Jackson.

Dane measures nearly 17-hands, 2-inches at his withers – or about 6 feet tall at the neck. He weighs nearly 1,600 pounds, or 2/3 of a ton.

“I’ve always ridden Leighann’s horses. I’ve never owned one. I guess I’m a ride for hire,” Hullum said. “He’s huge, but he’s the sweetest thing.”

Together, the pair compete in dressage, which is all about controlled motion.

“Animated, but in control,” Hullum said. “In dressage, it’s basically walk, trot and canter. Head carriage is more important in dressage. In hunt seat equitation, it’s more slow motion and the neck curve of the horse is different.”