The World Championships on the hallowed grounds of Aachen were a tremendous success for everyone involved.
With 65 nations represented, a live broadcast audience of 12.8 million, half a million spectators attending and an incredible reach of 106.2 million across FEI social and digital channels, the allure of horse sport was proven. It was a glorious feeling for all the disciplines that our sport is alive and well, and as popular as ever with spectators.
The importance of LA Olympic and Paralympic qualification cannot be underestimated.
The excitement of the cross-country, Harry Charles’ individual showjumping bronze, the amazing freestyles, our para riders’ individual medals and their Paralympic qualification, not to mention the eventers’ team gold, individual silver and bronze – it’s hard to think of a more amazing few weeks for British equestrianism.
To win double gold four years ago, then after a dip in performance over the last two seasons come back with improved piaffe and pirouettes – and style of riding – goes to show what a great partnership can do to get better. That’s impressive.
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I knew from the moment I got on Fame that I was in for a hairy ride. Every time he spooked, I could hear the crowd’s oohs and aahs more than my David Bowie music. How I ended up in the right place was a miracle!
Now we’ve qualified for LA some of the older horses will have to be really well managed. Of course, there could be a changing of the guard. But it just shows why the selectors’ job is so important.
Anti-doping education for grooms
The human dynamo that is Lucy Katan was awarded her MBE by The King in July this year to add to her many awards over 20 years of working so hard for grooms as founder of the British Grooms Association and executive director of the International Grooms Association (IGA).
Lucy Katan, founder of the British Grooms Association
(Image credit: Peter Nixon)
This year Lucy lead the launch of the first dedicated anti-doping education course created specifically for grooms: International Groom Clean. Developed with the support and content approval of the FEI and available in English, French, Spanish and German, the course provides accessible, practical online education to help grooms understand and navigate FEI Clean Sport requirements.
Explaining why the course was developed and why it is so important, Lucy recalled: “Back in 2001, I was a young groom at the European Championships in Germany. In the stables, I saw one of the more experienced grooms applying a liniment to his horse, and I heard a rider ask, ‘Is that safe for doping?’
“I didn’t realise until then how easily I could have made a mistake with serious consequences for my rider, the horse’s owner and the British team I was part of, and that has stayed with me.”
While cheating is quite rare, mistakes are prominent due to a lack of knowledge. As she used to work as a testing officer for UK Anti-Doping and became an educator for the agency, Lucy is ideally placed to have instigated the initiative.
I have advised all my staff to take the course. We place such a huge amount of trust in our amazing grooms and this short course on the IGA website will help all grooms avoid unwitting mistakes. Students, parents, owners and anyone else involved in FEI competition may take the course by joining the IGA. Non-grooms are welcome too and will become associate members.
● What can be done to stop drawn order from influencing dressage marks? Let us know your thoughts at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance to have your thoughts published in a future issue of Horse & Hound magazine
One of Britain’s most successful dressage riders and trainers, Carl Hester MBE is an Olympic gold medallist and multi-medallist at European and world championships. He is also the holder of more than 65 national dressage titles and is responsible for the development of the outstanding partnership of Charlotte Dujardin and Valegro. A regular Horse & Hound columnist, you can read Carl’s views in the magazine or website subscribers can view them online below.
