Testimonials
I have loved working with Mel from Fortissimo Freestyles for over 20 years, and in that time she has created countless freestyles for me, each one cut perfectly.
Mel has a special gift, she can take what I imagine and describe, and transform it into music that feels exactly how I envisioned, often even better. Her ability to shape the highs and lows of a freestyle so it tells a story is exceptional.
Every freestyle she produces is not only technically spot-on, but also incredibly engaging and entertaining, for the crowd, the judges, and most importantly, for the horse and rider.
Robbie Mckinnon
I can’t recommend Melissa from Fortissimo Freestyles enough! She is truly a magician when it comes to creating Dressage Freestyle music.
Whether you want her to take the lead on the music and choreography or you have your own ideas to share, she’s the perfect partner. Mel’s knowledge of the rules and compulsory movements for each level is impressive, and her attention to detail is unparalleled.
Every time I’ve worked with her, she’s delivered on time and offered invaluable suggestions to enhance the music and choreography. I have complete trust in her work, and she’s always ready to make adjustments if something doesn’t quite fit.
Collaborating with Mel is not only productive but also a lot of fun! I eagerly look forward to competing with my Fortissimo Freestyle creations. Thank you, Mel!
Alycia Targa
Mel from Fortissimo Freestyles, has been Andrew Driffield’s creative freestyle designer for the past 13 years.
Mel has a natural skill and talent for matching a horse’s paces to the music to create an exciting freestyle.
Mel’s knowledge of the requirements for creating a freestyle that is both correct and pleasing to the judges and entertaining for the audience, has always been made for Andrew. Mel is also able to reflect on the personality of the rider, i.e. a John Farnham compilation for Andrew brought the house down, and I am sure the judge’s toes were tapping, and yes it was a winner.
Andrew would like to highly recommend Fortissimo Freestyles, and to remind Mel that he will need her skills leading up to and hopefully including the Paralympics in Brisbane 2032.
Andrew Driffield.
Team Gold medalist & Individual Gold medalist at the Virtus Global Game, Vichy France 2023. Silver Team medalist at the Open Regional Para Dressage Championships, England 2024
Melissa has been my go-to freestyle producer for many years, and working with her has been an absolute pleasure.
Through Fortissimo Freestyles, she has produced multiple freestyles for me across a range of horses and levels — each one completely unique and tailored to the partnership.
Mel has an incredible ability to capture a horse’s personality and match it with music that enhances every movement.
From young horses to Grand Prix, she understands exactly how to create something that feels special while still meeting the technical demands of the level.
I’ve been fortunate to achieve wonderful success with her freestyles, including at CDI Grand Prix level, and I truly value her creativity, professionalism and ongoing support.
Robyne Smith
Mel and I have worked together for many years creating dressage freestyles, from winning Grand Prix freestyles to fun “Barbie Pas de Deux” routines for young riders .
She is always an absolute pleasure to work with, creative, collaborative, and very professional. Mel consistently delivers well ahead of deadlines, and the freestyles themselves always ride beautifully.
One of her real strengths is her depth of musical knowledge. She has fantastic taste in music and an incredible ability to match it to the horse. If I ever get stuck for ideas, she always has thoughtful suggestions that elevate the entire program. She also places subtle musical cues throughout the floorplan, which makes a huge difference when riding, when I hear the cue, I know exactly when to prepare.
Mel is also brilliant when it comes to choreography. Sometimes I prefer to design the choreography myself, but other times I value having her fresh perspective. She often pushes the program just beyond what I initially think a horse can do, and more often than not, it turns out the horse is capable of a much stronger, more exciting freestyle than I realised.
She is also incredibly accommodating and happy to adjust music if needed, whether for different arena sizes, surfaces, or small changes to the program.
I would highly recommend Mel to anyone looking for a creative, reliable, and highly skilled freestyle designer.
Rochelle King-Andrews
I couldn’t be happier with the freestyle that Melissa created for me! As this was my first ever freestyle, i was very new to the process, however the experience was amazing and i learnt so much from working with Melissa.
She was super patient and took the time to understand me and my pony, and explained everything along the way so I could understand and learn.
I not only ended up with the most amazing freestyle, but now have some knowledge about the process as well! I would highly recommend to anyone interested in creating a freestyle, Melissa was just incredible
Eliza Spiers
Begin the Journey
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