An animation of a science beaker with a bubbling green liquid appears on screen with a title that reads "Sports Lab."

Now Nykeem appears on screen walking outside in the snow. Nykeem is in his thirties, has shaved black hair, is clean-shaven, and wears a dark blue fleece jacket.

Nykeem says HEY GUYS,
WELCOME TO SPORTS LAB
WHERE SPORTS,
SCIENCE AND FUN
ARE ALWAYS IN SEASON.

(Theme music plays)

The opening sequence begins.

Two light blue doors with a title that reads "Sports Lab" open where thousands of sports equipment encircles a classroom skeleton. The animated balls fly throughout the white room stopping at scenes of people playing different sports.

First Nykeem kicking a soccer ball, then a boy on a skateboard, then a tennis ball, then a hockey goalie, and lastly of a group of kids and Nykeem who break on a tennis court and say SPORTS LAB!

All the sports equipment turns into different colours and funnel into a science beaker with green liquid with a label that reads "Sports Lab."

(music plays)

Nykeem walks into a horse barn and says MY NAME'S NYKEEM
AND TODAY,
ONE OF THE MOST
DIFFICULT SPORTS
WE'VE EVER TRIED.
LUCKILY WE'VE GOT
A GROUP OF TEAMMATES
THAT WEIGH IN
AT OVER 500 KILOGRAMS EACH.

Nykeem walks up to a brown horse.

Nykeem says THIS IS MY BUDDY JACK,
AND THIS IS EQUESTRIAN.
(FANFARE)
(APPLAUSE)

In the white room, the science beaker with green liquid bursts with colours and balls and a title emerges that reads "Dressage."

Nykeem stands in the middle of a horse pin and a caption reads "Rogers Farm, Blue Mountains, Ontario."

Nykeem says EQUESTRIAN IS
HORSEBACK RIDING.
BUT THERE ARE
DIFFERENT CATEGORIES
LIKE JUMPING, EVENTING
AND CROSS COUNTRY.
TODAY, WE'RE FOCUSING
ON DRESSAGE.
SOMETIMES KNOWN
AS HORSE BALLET.
IT IS THE HIGHEST FORM
OF HORSE TRAINING.
RIGHT DOC?

Now Dr. Heather appears on screen with a caption that reads "Dr. Heather, Sports Scientist." She has straight, dark brown hair in a ponytail and wears a red shirt. She stands at a white desk with books and science supplies around her.

Dr. Heather says GIDDY UP, NYKEEM.
DRESSAGE INVOLVES
PRECISE MUSCLE MOVEMENTS
FROM THE HORSE
AND RIDER.
WE'RE TALKING BEING IN TUNE
TO EACH OTHER'S BIOLOGY.
AND FOR THE USE
OF FORCE AND MOMENTUM
THAT A HORSE NEEDS
TO GALLOP AND JUMP
TO THE PRECISE
MUSCLE CONTROL
NEEDED TO IMPRESS
A JUDGE DURING DRESSAGE.
EQUESTRIAN EVENTS
CAN HELP YOU REIN IN
A BETTER UNDERSTANDING
OF THE SCIENTIFIC WORLD.
BUT WATCH OUT
FOR HORSEPLAY.

Back in the arena, Nykeem rides a horse and says SO, GIDDY UP.
SPORTS LAB IS BACK
IN THE SADDLE AGAIN.

Now Tai-Lee appears on screen with a caption that reads "Tai-Lee." She has straight, long black hair pulled back in a ponytail, and wears a black thermal under a black down vest.

Tai-Lee says I'M TAI-LEE
AND I'M 14 YEARS OLD
AND I'VE BEEN RIDING
HORSES SINCE I WAS SIX.
I STARTED RIDING HORSES
BECAUSE WHEN I WAS LITTLE
MY MOM ALWAYS READY
ME BOOKS ABOUT THEM.
AND THEY WERE REALLY
INTERESTING AND BEAUTIFUL.

Nykeem walks into the horse barn where Tai-Lee is prepping her horse.

Nykeem says HEY TAI-LEE.
HEY NYKEEM.
WELCOME TO
SPORTS LAB.

Tai-Lee says THANK YOU.

Nykeem says WHO'S THIS GUY?

Tai-Lee says THIS IS GERALD,
THE EIGHT YEAR OLD
AKHAL TEKE STALLION.

Nykeem says HI GERALD,
WELCOME TO SPORTS LAB.
I WOULD LOVE FOR YOU
TO EXPLAIN DRESSAGE TO ME.

Tai-Lee says DRESSAGE IS LIKE
A DANCE WITH YOUR HORSE.
YOU LEARN A BUNCH
OF DIFFERENT MOVEMENTS
AND EVENTUALLY YOU PERFORM
IT IN FRONT OF A JUDGE.

Nykeem says OKAY, I'VE GOT
A CRAZY QUESTION.
IF JERRY COULD TALK,
WHAT WOULD HE SOUND LIKE?
AND WHAT WOULD HE SAY?

Tai-Lee says I KNOW HE'S MANLY
AND HE LOVES BEING HERE.
SO IT MUST BE SOMETHING
ALONG THE LINES OF...
(DEEP VOICE)
"I'M REALLY HAPPY TO BE HERE
ON SPORTS LAB TODAY."

Nykeem says YOU KNOW WHAT ELSE
I HEARD HIM SAY?
(DEEP VOICE)
"NYKEEM IS SO COOL!"
YOU KNOW WHAT, IT FEELS GREAT
AND IT SMELLS GREAT IN HERE.
HOW ABOUT WE LEARN MORE ABOUT
COMPETITIVE HORSEBACK RIDING?

Tai-Lee says THAT'D BE AWESOME.

Nykeem says WELL, THEN LET'S TAKE
A RIDE INTO THE STORY...
OF EQUESTRIAN.

Tai-Lee says GIDDY UP!
(FANFARE)

Back in the lab, a book opens and a title flies out that reads "History of Dressage."

Nykeem says HORSES HAVE BEEN
A LARGE PART OF HUMAN HISTORY
FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS.
THE EARLIEST KNOWN EXAMPLE
OF A DOMESTICATED HORSE
IS FROM ALL THE WAY
BACK IN 4500 B.C.E.
SOME DRESSAGE MOVEMENTS
CAN BE TRACED TO XENOPHON.
A GREEK GENERAL
BORN IN 427 B.C.E.
THIS SPORT IS OLD.
CLASSICAL DRESSAGE
EVOLVED FROM CAVALRY.
CAVALRY ARE SOLDIERS
THAT FOUGHT ON HORSES
ON THE BATTLEFIELD.
THE CAVALRY TRAINED HORSES
TO MOVE AND WALK A CERTAIN WAY
TO AVOID DANGEROUS SITUATIONS.
THOSE SMOOTH MOVEMENTS WERE
THE BIRTH OF MODERN DRESSAGE.

Back in the barn, Nykeem says PRETTY COOL,
RIGHT?

Tai-Lee says YEAH.

Nykeem says WANNA RIDE
SOME HORSES?

Tai-Lee says YEAH.

Tai-Lee and Nykeem appear on screen in the horse arena riding around.

Tai-Lee says LET'S RIDE.

Nykeem rides the horse and says MAKE A LEFT.
HERE WE GO,
HERE WE GO.

Tai-Lee rides in circles around Nykeem.

Nykeem pokes his horse and says WHERE'S START?
I'M GETTING LAPPED,
LITERALLY.

Nykeem?s horse barely trots and Nykeem says LOOKING GOOD TAI-LEE,
I'LL BE RIGHT THERE.
I THINK.

Afterward, Tai-Lee walks over to Nykeem and Nykeem says TAI-LEE,
THAT WAS FUN.
IS THERE ANYTHING ABOUT DRESSAGE
YOU'D LIKE TO EXPLORE?

Tai-Lee says YEAH, IN DRESSAGE
THE HORSE AND RIDER
HAVE TO USE
THEIR BODY A LOT
SO I'D LOVE TO EXPLORE
THE SCIENCE BEHIND IT.

Nykeem says LET'S PUT A CALL INTO
MY HOME ON THE RANGE,
THE SPORTS LAB.
ARE YOU THERE?

Nykeem looks at his watch and Dr. Heather appears on screen.

Dr. Heather says HEY NYKEEM,
HEY TAI-LEE.
DRESSAGE IS ALL ABOUT
MECHANICAL MOVEMENTS
OF HORSE AND RIDER.
I'M SENDING AN EXPERT
AND HER TEAMMATE YOUR WAY
TO REALLY STRUT THEIR STUFF.
ALRIGHT, THANKS.
LET'S GO.
(FANFARE)

Back in the lab, the science beaker with green liquid appears on screen with a label that reads "Pop Quiz." The bottle swirls and flies over to the blackboard with a question.

Nykeem says POP QUIZ TIME.
WHY DOES A HORSE
CURL IT'S LIP?
A- TO LAUGH.
B- TO SMELL.
OR C - TO SAY HELLO.

A skeleton with a red cap says THE ANSWER
IS B.

Nykeem says TO SMELL.
IT'S CALLED
THE FLEHMEN RESPONSE
AND IT HELPS WAFT SMELLS
TOWARD A HORSE'S NOSE.
SMELL YOU LATER!

(music plays)
(APPLAUSE)

Back in the lab, out of the science beaker launches white foam that turns into a slate that reads "Meet the Pro."

Olivia appears on screen with a caption that reads "Olivia." She has long, straight blond hair pulled into a ponytail, and wears a beige leather jacket, and a plaid beige scarf.

Olivia says HI, MY NAME'S OLIVIA
AND I'VE BEEN RIDING HORSES
FOR OVER 20 YEARS NOW
AND DOING DRESSAGE
FOR 12 YEARS.
I LOVE DRESSAGE BECAUSE
IT IS SO DETAIL ORIENTED
AND I JUST FIND IT
SO BEAUTIFUL.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN
THE HORSE AND THE RIDER
IS LIKE NOTHING
YOU EXPERIENCE
IN ANY OTHER PART OF LIFE.

Nykeem and Tai-Lee walk over to Olivia in the arena and Nykeem says HEY OLIVIA.

Olivia says HI, NYKEEM.

Nykeem says TAI-LEE,
THIS IS OLIVIA.

Tai-Lee says HI, OLIVIA.

Olivia says HI, TAI-LEE

Nykeem says WHO'S THIS?

Olivia?s horse is a dark brown and Olivia says THIS IS ZEE ZEE,
SHE'S A TEN YEAR OLD,
DUTCH BORN
BLACK GELDING.

Nykeem says HI ZEE ZEE. SO, OLIVIA,
WHAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT
WHEN MEETING A HORSE
FOR THE FIRST TIME?
HOW DO YOU
BECOME FRIENDS?

Olivia says I THINK ONE OF
THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS
IS TO GAIN THEIR TRUST.
SO, YOU WANT TO APPROACH
HIM FROM THE SIDE
NOT ALWAYS
IN FRONT OF THEM
BECAUSE THAT'S A LITTLE
BIT CONFRONTATIONAL.

Nykeem says DOES IT ALSO HELP TO USE
YOUR BEST HORSE VOICE?

Olivia says I THINK SO.

Both Ta-Lee and Olivia say (IN LOW VOICES) "HI ZEE ZEE!"
(HIGH VOICE)
"HI ZEE ZEE!"

Nykeem says SO, TAI-LEE, WHAT DO
WE NEED FROM OLIVIA?
CAN YOU SHOW US SOME
ADVANCED MOVEMENTS?

Olivia says SURE.
SEE YOU SOON.

Olivia walks away with the horse.

Later, Nykeem and Tai-Lee watch Olivia as she mounts the horse and they begin to perform.

Nykeem says SO, TAI-LEE,
WHAT ARE WE SEEING?

Tai-Lee says THIS IS CALLED
A HALF PASS.
IN THIS MOVEMENT,
THE HORSE'S HEAD IS BENT
THE SAME DIRECTION
IT'S GOING.

Zee-Zee starts to gallop up and down and Nykeem says OH, I LIKE THIS ONE.

Tai-Lee says THIS IS PASSAGE.

Nykeem says WHOA, THAT'S SO AWESOME.
TRY WITH ME.
TAI-LEE,
WHAT IS THIS MOVE?

The horse trots in one spot.

Tai-Lee says THIS IS CALLED PIAFF.
THE HORSE IS TROTTING
ON THE SPOT HERE.

Nykeem looks at his watch and says HOME BASE,
WHAT HAVE YOU GOT?

Dr. Heather says HEY TEAM.
A WONDERFUL WAY TO
UNDERSTAND HOW A RIDER
AND HORSE WORK TOGETHER
IS THROUGH MECHANICS.
MECHANICS IS THE STUDY OF
THE BEHAVIOR OF PHYSICAL BODIES
WHEN SUBJECTED
TO OUTSIDE FORCES.
LIKE WHEN A BALL
STARTS ROLLING DOWN A HILL
AND MOVES
FASTER AND FASTER
BECAUSE OF THE HILL'S
STEEP ANGLE.
A FUN TYPE OF MECHANICS
IS CALLED BIOMECHANICS.
THAT'S THE STUDY OF
THE BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS
OF HUMANS, PLANTS
AND ANIMALS OF ALL TYPES.
BIOMECHANICS ASKS
QUESTIONS LIKE
"WHY DO WE MOVE THAT WAY?"
OR "HOW CAN WE MOVE BETTER?"
IN DRESSAGE, UNDERSTANDING
THE BIOMECHANICS
OF BOTH HORSE AND RIDER
ARE IMPORTANT TOOLS
TO HAVE IN YOUR STABLE.
FOR EXAMPLE,
KEEPING YOUR CORE OR MIDDLE
TIGHT IS IMPORTANT,
BECAUSE IT PREVENTS
THE RIDER FROM
SENDING THE WRONG
MESSAGE TO THE HORSE.
DRESSAGE RIDERS ALSO RELY
ON VERY STRAIGHT POSTURE.
KEEPING YOUR BALANCE
MEANS THE HORSE KEEPS ENERGY
COMING FROM ITS HIND LEGS
WHICH INCREASES POWER
AND ALLOWS FOR
MORE COMPLEX MOVES.
UNDERSTANDING HOW A RIDER'S
MOVEMENT AFFECTS A HORSE
AND THE OTHER WAY AROUND
IS VERY IMPORTANT.
THAT'S BIOMECHANICS.
THINK OF A HORSE AND RIDER
AS TWO COGS TURNING TOGETHER.
THEY NEED TO FIT PERFECTLY
OR THE MACHINE WON'T WORK.
TALK ABOUT MECHANICAL.

Back in the arena, Nykeem says ALRIGHT, TAI-LEE.
SO, BIOMECHANICS OF
A RIDER AND HORSE ARE KEY
TOWARDS REACHING
YOUR DRESSAGE GOALS.
YOU AND GERALD
READY FOR A RIDE?

Tai-Lee says YEAH, I'LL
GO GET HIM.

Now Tai-Lee rides her horse and Olivia stands with Nykeem.

Nykeem says OKAY, OLIVIA, CAN YOU TALK ME
THROUGH WHAT TAI-LEE IS DOING?
TAI-LEE IS SHOWING US A HALF
PASS TO THE LEFT RIGHT NOW.

Olivia says SO, HER HORSE IS
BENT TO THE LEFT
AND HE'S MOVING LEFT
AT THE SAME TIME.

(FANFARE)
(APPLAUSE)

Back in the lab, the green liquid in the science beaker spills and then dries up to reveal a title that reads "Fun Fact."

Nykeem stands in the arena and says WE'VE ALL HEARD THAT
HORSESHOES ARE LUCKY.
BUT WHY DO THEY HELP HORSES?
HORSE HOOVES ARE
MADE OUT OF KERATIN,
THE SAME COMPOUND
FOUND IN HAIR.
IF YOUR FEET WERE
MADE OUT OF HAIR,
YOU WOULDN'T BE ABLE
TO MOVE AROUND SO WELL.
HORSES WEAR THESE SHOES
TO IMPROVE TRACTION.
TRACTION IS A FORCE
USED TO HELP AN OBJECT MOVE
ON A SLIPPERY SURFACE.
BECAUSE HORSES
WEAR THESE SHOES
THEY CAN GALLOP
AS FAST AS THEY LIKE.
SOUNDS PRETTY GOOD.
YOU GOT THESE IN
A TEN AND A HALF?

Later, Nykeem and Tai-Lee ride around on horses. Nykeem rides a little brown pony while Tai-Lee rides Gerald.

Nykeem says TAI-LEE,
WHAT A MEMORABLE DAY.
RIDING HORSES AND LEARNING
ABOUT BIOMECHANICS.

Tai-Lee says COME ON NYKEEM, DO YOU
HAVE ONE MORE IN YOU?

Nykeem says YES.
LET'S GO.

Tai-Lee says I'M RIDING CIRCLES
AROUND YOU, COME ON.

Nykeem says I'M CATCHING UP!
(APPLAUSE)

Back in the lab, colours and balls fly out of the science beaker and a slate reads "Pro Tip."

Now Olivia appears on screen in the arena and says WHEN IT COMES TO DRESSAGE
ONE OF THE HARDEST THINGS
IS TO KEEP YOUR POSTURE
AS CORRECT AS POSSIBLE
SO THAT YOU
AND YOUR HORSE
CAN PERFORM THE BEST
WORK THAT YOU CAN.
SO, I REALLY
RECOMMEND MAKING SURE
THAT YOU GET GOOD
HELP FROM THE GROUND.
HAVING AN INSTRUCTOR OR COACH
OR EVEN A GOOD FRIEND WITH
SOME EXPERIENCE WITH HORSES
THAT CAN HELP YOU.
AND GIVE YOU SOME
GOOD ADVICE AND GOOD TIPS
ABOUT KEEPING YOURSELF
IN THE RIGHT POSITION
SO THAT YOU AND YOUR HORSE
CAN DO THE BEST POSSIBLE WORK.
MY NAME'S OLIVIA
AND THAT'S MY PRO-TIP.

Now Gerald appears on screen standing next to Nykeem.
(NYKEEM IMITATING HORSE)

Nykeem says THANKS FOR COMING EVERYBODY
I HAD A LOT OF FUN WITH YOU.
BE SURE TO LEAVE YOUR
CARROTS AT THE DOOR.
OH, HEY GUYS.
WELL, GERALD SAID IT.
WE HAD A BALL MEETING
SOME NEW FRIENDS,
BOTH HUMAN AND HORSE.
PRACTISING DRESSAGE
AND DISCOVERING BIOMECHANICS.
NOW, I'VE GOTTA
GALLOP OUT OF HERE
BUT ONLY
UNTIL NEXT TIME.
IN THE SPORTS LAB
WE ALWAYS KNOW
THERE'S MORE TO SHOW.
SPORTS LAB!

The credits roll scenes of kids playing sports appear on screen.

Written and directed by, Johnny Mitchell.
Host, Nykeem Provo.
Editor, David Mitchell.

Produced in association with TVO Kids for riverbank pictures, copyright 1919216 Ontario Inc.