DRESSAGE

A high class dressage competition will always bring a hush to a crowded grandstand.  To the uninitiated, Dressage is a equine ballet performed with apparent ease; to the initiated, a composite of challenging movements and the result of years of intense training.

Dressage dates back to classical Greek horsemanship and the military who trained their horses to perform movements intended to evade or attack the enemy whilst in battle.  Dressage became a Olympic sport in 1912 in Stockholm, with only commisioned military officers eligable to compete.  It took until 1952 for the rules to change to include both civilian men and women in competition.

The FEI (Fédération Equestre Internationale) World Cup for Dressage Riders is a series of competitions at the Grand Prix level comprising of a number of qualifying events and a final.  Each FEI World Cup Dressage qualifier consists of a Grand Prix test, which in turn is a qualification for the Freestyle to music competition, where league points are accumulated towards places in the final.

The dressage test is a series of movements which are scored between zero (not performed) and ten (excellent).  Judges look for rhythm, impulsion, calmness, obedience and submission in the horse.  Movements must be fluid and effortless, and the horse must be able to move forward and sideways without any distortion of it's natural rhythm and balance.  The rider must not impeed these movements and be relaxed and supple, he or she must become harmonious with the horse's motion. 

Each horse and rider perform an identical Grand Prix test, but the Freestyle to Music (or the Kür) is where the rider can choreograph their own pattern from a list of compulsory movements to  music of their choice.

Schedule of dressage competitions at EQUITANA Melbourne: