British grand prix dressage rider and trainer Anna Ross on harmony, odd scores and why Crozet felt like a step forward
Coming away from the European Dressage Championships, the overwhelming feeling was relief – a breath of fresh air and, dare I say it, a recalibration. For once, it felt as if (nearly) everyone was united in saying, “This is what we’ve been waiting for”.
In Justin Verboomen and his stallion Zonik Plus, we finally had a flagship example the whole sport could point to – a lovely, soft, harmonious way of going where the horse looked genuinely relaxed. For me, that alone felt like a step into a new era.
Of course, there will be the naysayers – the sort who, if you rescued their child from a burning building, would moan you didn’t grab the bonsai on the way out – but broadly the trend towards harmony was unmistakable.
The elephant in the scoreboard
And yet… the numbers. Nosebands were looser, the horses looked happier, but the marks felt low – as if we’d slipped back 15 years. Why were grand prix qualifying scores hovering around 68%, marks that wouldn’t have sniffed a cut-off at a championship not long ago?
Has judging become harsher? Has the standard stepped back? Or are Europe’s best suddenly only “satisfactory”? The grand prix special looked brighter – maybe riders improved – but to my eye, it wasn’t that different from one day to the next.
Judging is a thankless task and consistency under pressure is hard. But it’s difficult to believe everyone collectively got that much worse. David Stickland, of Global Dressage Analytics, produced fascinating comparisons across the week that backed up the sense that expectations and outputs weren’t always aligned.
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But from a British perspective, it was a proper ride. Team silver was outstanding – especially given Andrew Gould lived every rider’s worst nightmare when Indigro went unlevel in the arena. To make your senior championship debut and have it end within the first minute is harsh.
But Andrew is no bridesmaid; he just needs the luck to even out. The way he handled it – supporting the team, putting the horse first – speaks volumes. And the welfare systems worked as they should. The bell went early, the judge at C, Hans-Christian Matthiesen – also a vet – acted decisively and our team vet was waiting at the in-gate.
The outpouring of sympathy told you everything about Andrew, his loyal owners and groom Nat, who dotes on the horse.
And then the three remaining riders simply got on with it. Glamourdale was every inch the stallion for Lottie Fry – perhaps a little lit by the atmosphere, but still magnificent. Carl Hester and Fame were as polished as ever. And Becky Moody did what good competitors do – bounced back from mistakes in the grand prix to nail the special and freestyle, cementing herself as a crowd favourite.
I’d have been perfectly happy to see her on the individual podium – if she keeps riding like that, her time is coming, and soon.
Harmony has a look
What struck me most across the week was how kind the best riding looked. Softer frames, quieter hands, clearer outlines – and the audience responded.
When horses look content and riders discreet, everybody breathes out. It felt like a line in the sand – a breath of fresh air and a quiet reset.
That’s why Justin and Zonik resonated so strongly. They brought the balance we keep talking about – power without tightness, theatre without force. The sport needs standard-bearers for the “new way forward”, and in Crozet we got one.
But here’s the rub – we can’t celebrate a softer, happier picture and then tell riders, “By the way, the bar has dropped 3% this year.” If panels want to prioritise openness and harmony, brilliant – say so, reward it and keep rewarding it. What we can’t do is leave everyone wondering whether we’ve been transported back to 2010. If this is the direction, let’s see it reflected reliably on the board.
If we do that, we’ll not only keep the insiders on board, we might just bring a few more people along for the ride.
● What changes would you like to see in judging to ensure harmony and softness are properly rewarded? Write to us at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance for your letter to appear in a forthcoming issue of the magazine
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Anna is an international grand prix dressage rider and freelance trainer, who has represented Britain at the European championships. A trainer for a number of top event riders, Anna has often assisted us with our H&H Live service during the dressage phase from Badminton and Badminton. A regular Horse & Hound columnist, you can read Anna’s views in the magazine or H&H Plus members can view them online below. Find out how to join H&H Plus
