The FEI dressage committee is “in favour” of keeping the double bridle compulsory at the top levels of international grand prix – as the debate continues.

The FEI independent ethics and wellbeing commission’s recommendation to make double bridles optional in grand prix dressage – and spurs optional in any FEI discipline – came to light when the International Dressage Riders Club (IDRC) and International Dressage Trainers Club (IDTC) published a letter strongly opposing the proposal (news, 6 Oct).

The letter, which has since been removed from the groups’ websites, raised points including their opinion that opposition to the double bridle stems from a “lack of understanding“ of how and why it is used, that double bridles and spurs used properly allow riders to give defined aids, and that making them optional would have “no positive impact on horse welfare”. In response, the FEI said the proposal was part of an ongoing consultation process – and an interim report will be presented at next month’s general assembly.

The matter has continued to be a talking point and in an update on 14 October, the FEI gave H&H further information on how the recommendation arose. The FEI spokesman said the ethics and wellbeing commission met in August and agreed to submit six recommendations on “technical/sport aspects, and research and education” to the FEI. The technical/sport recommendations were shared with the technical committees, and on 20 September the dressage committee discussed the proposals, during which it was highlighted that under the current rules, double bridles are optional up to CDI2* level – but mandatory at CDI3* and upwards.

“This change, introduced in 2019, reflects a progression in the level of skills of the athlete and training of the horse from low and medium level to the highest level of performance,” said the spokesman.

“The dressage committee is in favour of maintaining the double bridle compulsory at grand prix level.”

The spokesman added that a final report was presented to the FEI board, and on 14 October the recommendations were submitted to the national federations and stakeholders, ahead of discussion at the general assembly.

As the debate continues, H&H sought opinions on the proposal from stakeholders.

Last week IDTC president David Hunt wrote to H&H (letters, 13 October) after the organisation “heard some of the reaction” to the IDRC and IDTC letter. He said the organisations’ opposition to the proposal was based on the “optional” aspect, and said it was put forward as “advancing horse welfare” – but if something is deemed harmful he believes it should be banned. He added that “welfare and sport issues must not be confused”.

He then told H&H making the double bridle optional is a “slippery slope”.

“Riding in a double bridle and spurs is traditional, but it is also a very skilful thing. What concerns me is if they try to dumb everything down; you allow more people perhaps to compete, but you’re dumbing down the the level of competition,” he said.

“‘Welfare’ is being used as an escape because it catches people’s attention. If [the ethics and wellbeing commission] think a double bridle is a welfare issue, then we shouldn’t be using it.”

Mr Hunt, who said he was not aware the letter had been taken down, added that the sport is “rigorous in its protection of horses”.

“We have stewards in place and we are very restrictive in the bits we are allowed to use, unlike other sports where they have a massive variety. Our horses are looked after to such a high degree, and I struggle to find why they keep picking on dressage,” he said.

“If we start allowing things to creep in then we’re dulling the whole brilliance of the sport. That’s what makes it so beautiful, because horses are in self-carriage and they’re not supporting and leaning on the bit, which they can do in a snaffle.

“We are constantly making sure that we have welfare as our main objective. We are open to and seek people’s opinions – but I don’t want our sport dragged down by a small majority of people who think that the horse should only be out in the field grazing.”

Irish dressage rider Dane Rawlins, who is on the IDTC board, agreed with Mr Hunt that it is a “sport issue, not a welfare issue”.

“The epitome of riding international grand prix is to produce a horse to the highest standards with the classical tack. My grand prix horse goes better in a snaffle than a double, it’s harder to ride in a double sometimes, but it’s not a welfare issue,” he said.

“Part of the achievement of international dressage is to do things correctly and well with your horse. The perception that putting a double bridle on is some barbaric way of overcontrolling a horse is misguided.”

The Dutch national federation is in agreement with making double bridles optional – and put this suggestion to the FEI during the periodic rules revision this year. At the time the FEI dressage committee responded that double bridles should remain at CDI3* and above, “as this is the highest levels of competition”.

“The welfare of the horse is our number one priority. Therefore we put forward several proposals in this year’s rules revision that underline this,” Irish Boelhouwer, the federation’s high performance manager told H&H.

“There is no valid reason to keep the double bridle mandatory. If a rider thinks his or her horse would perform better in a snaffle, why not let them? Everybody can keep riding with the double bridle if they think it works best. The jury still looks at all the same markers regardless of their bridle. We’ve given the riders in the Netherlands this option in the last 15 years and there has been absolutely no problems, the same goes for use of spurs. It’s disappointing that these suggestions are dismissed without any substantial arguments”.

Olympic dressage rider Laura Tomlinson told H&H she felt it is not a “black and white” issue.

“You can respond on so many levels; there’s the welfare side, the sport side, and the traditional side,” she said. “There are horses who are more comfortable in a snaffle bridle, not because of what the rider is doing, but because of the way their mouths are shaped. I definitely have horses who I prefer to ride in a snaffle.

“I don’t know whether I think it should or shouldn’t be optional, but I think there should be a healthy debate and we should come up with the reasons for and against.”

World and European medallist Michael Eilberg told H&H the argument comes down to horse and rider preference.

“People who have horses that are happy in a double will be happy to keep the rule, and people who have horses they wish they could ride in a snaffle would like the rule to change,” he said.

“I’ve had it myself where a horse doesn’t like the double and doesn’t give such an easy ride, and the riding might not be as good, so the options do lend themselves I think possibly to better riding if the double was optional – but I agree with David Hunt that this is a sport issue, not a welfare issue.”

British team dressage rider Richard Davison told H&H it is a “shame” that the work of the ethics and wellbeing commission had this “unfortunate start”.

“This clearly shows that the FEI needs to take its stakeholders with them on any policy move, and we need to collaborate. For me, the issue has been a lack of collaboration and communication with stakeholders before the recommendations were presented to the FEI,” he said.

“We need to work together with the commission because the point of the commission is not only to decide on issues of wellbeing, but is to protect the use of horses in sport – which are very commendable aims.”

Mr Davison added that the double bridle being optional at grand prix level is “nothing new” – it is optional at national level in a number of countries including the UK.

“We all know some horses will find one bit in their mouth more comfortable than two – that’s why you’ll see many top riders training up-and-coming horses in snaffles or doubles and they interchange them, so I don’t really feel it’s necessary to start going down rabbit holes of what doubles and snaffles do and don’t do,” he said.

“The principle of the double bridle being optional is already embedded in FEI rules, all that they’re talking about is extending that to CDI3* and upwards.”

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The Irish team has been revealed for the dressage World Championships in Herning, Denmark, this August.

Four riders have been selected, including three championship first-timers, in the first championship dressage team Ireland has fielded since 2019.

The combinations selected for the Irish team at the dressage World Championships are:

Alex Baker with 14-year-old gelding DutchmanOwner: Daniel Champion and Alex, Carol and Tim BakerBreeder: J. MuilwijkBreeding: by Jazz, out of Imagine, by Fantast

Sorrell Klatzko with nine-year-old stallion TurboOwner: Sorrell Klatzko and Janine ShoffnerBreeder: Gudrun Isenbeck-GeueBreeding: by Totilas, out of Falbala, by Florestan I

Abi Lyle with 11-year-old gelding GiraldoOwner: Abi LyleBreeder: G. EgginkBreeding: by Rousseau, out of Valenza, by Flemmingh

Anna Merveldt with 13-year-old stallion EsporimOwner: Mario Greco, Eleonore Higgins, Michael Higgins and Giovanna MazzaBreeder: Coudelaria Do Monte VelhoBreeding: by Pagao, out of Lequita, by Quiaz

Abi also has the 11-year-old Farrell, owned by Fenella Quinn, as a reserve. Dane Rawlins with Espoire have been named as a non-travelling reserve.

“The aim in Herning is a top-12 finish with each combination performing their best with a view to improving as we move towards the Europeans in 2023, and the ultimate objective of qualification for Paris 2024,” said Horse Sport Ireland’s dressage high-performance director, Johann Hinnemann.

Absent from Herning will be Ireland’s sole dressage representative from the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, Heike Holstein, after it was revealed that her top horse, the home-bred mare Sambuca, has been sold to America.

“A new chapter begins today for beautiful Sambuca,” said Heike. “I am so proud of her and all we have achieved together. To train and ride a horse that is home-bred all the way to the Olympics was a dream come true for me. I wish her lovely new owners the very best of luck and I hope to see them on the international stage soon. Thank you to everyone who has supported us on our incredible journey.”

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Hope is fading in the fight for the Irish dressage team’s place at the Tokyo Olympics as a further appeal is dismissed.

Tokyo marked the first time Ireland had qualified a dressage team for an Olympics, but news broke on 21 June – the deadline day for Olympic entries – that Horse Sport Ireland (HSI) had decided not to take up the place.

The decision, which was attributed to HSI’s dressage high performance director Johann Hinnemann and accepted by the HSI board, was met with backlash. While several of Ireland’s “leading lights” are not available for the Games, there are enough combinations who have achieved the Olympic minimum eligibility requirements (MERs) to compete.

The case hinged on Mr Hinnemann’s decision, which the original HSI release said was because two combinations had not met extra criteria set by Mr Hinnemann in addition to the Olympic MERs.

Riders Dane Rawlins and James Connor launched an appeal over the decision, which found partly in their favour but ultimately upheld the HSI standpoint not to send a team. The pair then challenged the decision by independent arbitrator Dermot Kelly SC last week. But it was announced on Friday evening (2 July) that this second appeal was also unsuccessful.

“We lost. Thanks for the support. Time to move on,” Dane said on social media that night.

Dressage Ireland chairman Marguerite Kavanagh added that “there are no winners”.

“The sport has lost and fair play for riders to make a timely appeal disregarded,” she said.

“However in the appellants bringing the case it will help ensure that more thought is given in the future and processes correctly followed to ensure fairness in all aspects of governance relating to our sport into the future.”

An HSI statement said the organisation “welcomes the decision of David Sharpe SC, the independent arbitrator nominated by Sport Dispute Solutions Ireland, to uphold the decision of Horse Sport Ireland with regard to the dressage team event at the Tokyo Olympics.”

“The independent arbitrator dismissed the appeal of both Mr Rawlings and Mr Connor. This is the second independent arbitrator to dismiss their appeal in the last 72 hours,” it added.

“The arbitrator found that the selection process was conducted fairly… In the arbitrator’s view there was an athlete nomination policy in place and the requirements in the nomination policy were simply not met. Any suggestion that the process was unfair was not made out.”

The statement added that the Olympic selection process has been in place since 2019 and was “widely communicated to all relevant athletes”.

“In the interests of the dressage community and the sport horse industry, Horse Sport Ireland waived its right to seek costs in the matter,” it concluded.

Article continues below…

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Any final hope rests on Dressage Ireland’s plea to Ireland’s minister for sport or the Olympic Council to intervene in time for today’s (5 July) deadline for definite entries for the Games.

As it currently stands, Ireland’s team spot has passed to Belgium, who last fielded an Olympic dressage team in 1928. Ireland retains an individual place, with Heike Holstein and Sambuca named on the FEI’s nominated entries list as of 29 June.

The Tokyo Olympic Games open on 23 July, with the first day of Olympic dressage competition being the grand prix on 24 July.

• What do you think about this situation? Share your thoughts with us at hhletters@futurenet.com including your name, local town and county and your comments could be published in the letters page of Horse & Hound magazine, plus you’ll have the chance to win a bottle of Champagne Taittinger if you’re chosen as our letter of the week

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Irish riders are appealing the “bitterly disappointing” news that an Olympic dressage team will not be sent to the Tokyo Games.

Ireland made history in 2019 when its riders secured the nation’s first ever team spot in the Olympic dressage competition, as a result of their performance at the European Championships in Rotterdam.

But cold water has been thrown on the excitement of Ireland’s fielding a team in all three equestrian disciplines at the Tokyo Games following an announcement from Horse Sport Ireland (HSI) last night (21 June).

The statement said HSI’s dressage high performance director Johann Hinnermann “has taken the decision not to nominate a dressage team” to the Olympic Federation of Ireland for Tokyo.

The news has been met with frustration, and an appeal has since been lodged.

The HSI statement added: “This decision was taken as several key members of the Irish team that had qualified for the Games are unfortunately no longer available for selection due to a combination of horse retirement, veterinary and medical reasons.”

Judy Reynolds, Ireland’s leading dressage rider, was ruled out of the Games when she announced the retirement of her Rio Olympic partner Vancouver K. Kate Dwyer has withdrawn from selection, as she is pregnant, and Anna Merveldt is also out of contention.

But there are enough combinations who have achieved the Olympic minimum eligibility requirements (MERs) for the nation to field a team.

Irish Olympic contender Dane Rawlins, who is appealing the decision, told H&H this is “bitterly disappointing” when you “think your chance has come”.

“We are fit, our horses are fit and prepared – we are eligible and qualified and want to go,” he said.

“The sport in Ireland has grown so much that even though we have lost out leading lights we have a second team.

“We are all very supportive of dressage in Ireland and Dressage Ireland is very supportive of us.”

He added that they are a strong second side, and the Olympic contenders have been travelling across nations to shows to prove themselves and have achieved the MERs – only to now be told they cannot go.

“It’s a real shame to have lost the leading lights, because they all deserved their place,” he said, adding that this is a part of sport. “But that means that nobody else gets to go?

“The Olympics particularly are about participation – the whole idea of the new rules having three on a team is to increase participation.”

He said allowing the Irish team the chance to go to Tokyo is as much about the future of the sport in the country as it is about the riders who have worked to get there.

Article continues below…

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The HSI statement continued: “In consideration of the remaining qualified combinations, the dressage high performance director (HPD), Johann Hinnemann reviewed his Olympic nominations policy for dressage as against the combinations available.

“Director Hinnemann advised the board that two combinations have not met the specific criteria as set by the HPD, and as such, the HPD is not in a position to nominate these combinations. The resulting consequence being a team of three athlete/horse combinations cannot be fulfilled.

“The board of Horse Sport Ireland has decided, following careful deliberation, to accept the technical guidance of the HPD and formally withdraw the dressage team quota allocation with the national Olympic federation, and our international federation, the FEI.

“This difficult decision was founded on rational performance considerations and an informed technical position of our retained dressage expert Johann Hinnemann.

“Horse Sport Ireland understands that the IRL qualified combinations will be eligible pursuant to the reallocation of individual quota places, and that one individual Olympic quota place may be offered to IRL. Horse Sport Ireland understands that a final decision on the of reallocation of individual places will be known later this week. If this is the case, Horse Sport Ireland intends to avail of this position.”

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South-east riders have been left mourning the loss of their premier dressage venue, as Dressage at Hickstead announced this week it was ceasing activity in its current form.

Dressage at Hickstead was founded by international rider and trainer Dane Rawlins in 1993, and has since operated independently from the All England Jumping Course at the Hickstead showground.

As well as hosting regional championships and Premier Leagues, it has also become one of Britain’s major international dressage venues, hosting the European Dressage Championships in 2003, where Britain won team bronze, as well as an annual CDI which, since 2013, has incorporated the final leg of the FEI Nations Cup series.

“Lack of finances has been the driver that has led to the cessation of Dressage at Hickstead in its current form,” Dane told H&H. “Covid-19 highlighted the problems, and meant that the remainder of this year’s activities had to be cancelled, but it wasn’t the cause.

“But I’m feeling positive; the past 27 years have been fantastic, and the situation right now is still fluid – we may be able to organise something with the All England Jumping Course. I’m not retiring!”

Dane was keen to thank those who have supported the venue over many years.

“The Bechtolsheimer family have been incredible supporters of ours, and I also need to thank all the individual helpers and volunteers who have given up so much of their time,” he said.

Article continued below…

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Dressage at Hickstead recently provided a chance for some of Britain’s top combinations to get in back in the ring for the first time since the start of lockdown, having joined forces with Rotterdam CHIO to run the Rotterdam Hickstead Grand Prix Challenge. Forty British and Dutch grand prix riders took part across the two venues in late June, with their tests live streamed in July alongside judging commentary and spectator judging.

Grand prix rider Alice Oppenheimer, a frequent competitor at Hickstead, added: “It’s such a shame to lose Dressage at Hickstead. We were so fortunate to have such a wonderful venue that held so many fabulous shows, not just the Nations Cup but also the regionals and the Premier League. There aren’t many venues where grassroots riders are able to compete in the same arena as top international riders.

“I’ll never forget attending the Europeans in 2003 – it was magical to be there and see top international competition in the UK. This is such a loss to not only the region, but the whole of the UK. I’d like to thank Dane and his team for all they’ve done.”

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A new system of dressage scoring due to be tested this summer could make judging fairer, more accurate and more educational, according to its creators.

Wayne Channon, secretary general of the International Dressage Riders Club, has been working with dressage at Hickstead founder Dane Rawlins on the method, which they believe would bring the discipline in line with other judged sports such as gymnastics.

It involves riders starting theoretically with a 10 for each movement, from which fractions of marks are deducted depending on the seriousness of the error or weakness.

Wayne explained that a codified system would be agreed to determine how much would be deducted in any instance.

“If a horse has one irregular step, for example, that might be a 0.1 deduction,” he said.

“If it’s more than two or three steps, that might be a 0.5, five to 10 steps might be one mark deducted, all the time could be two marks lost.

“There are eight components [such as impulsion, contact and precision] that judges are supposed to look at and work out which problems there are with each, then make the appropriate deduction.

“With our system, judges can look at the components and make very specific deductions, which are documented.”

As currently, judges would watch tests but would call out each deduction as appropriate, which would then be entered by an assistant using a smartphone or tablet app, pictured.

Wayne believes the method will provide more detailed feedback for riders and trainers, on exactly where marks have been lost, but also result in more accurate scores and remove any bias.

“If someone’s very famous, and you know they’re going to get 75%, you start with that viewpoint, so you’re a bit on the upside already,” he said.

“You can’t train people not to have these biases; conformational bias is probably one of the worst.

“Properly used, these components should allow a more normal moving horse to beat an extravagant mover if the latter didn’t have good rhythm, contact etc. Currently, that really does not happen much.”

The system is due to be tested, alongside the current method, at Hickstead next month (28-31 July), in the invitational grand prix class being held during the British Dressage (BD) regional championships.

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A BD spokesman said: “There has been much talk of this system for some time now but it is very difficult for us to comment as we’ve not seen a clear plan of the system, how it works and the associated pros and cons.

“From what little we do know, there are reservations but we will always strive to keep an open mind.

“We look forward to working with Dane and Wayne on their findings and subsequent recommendations, but must never lose sight of the fact that we must continuously strive to improve the training and education of judges to ensure fair competition.”

For more on the proposals, see this week’s H&H magazine, out 9 June.

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International team dressage to launch next year

Hickstead is considering adding a leg of the new FEI Nations Cup dressage series to its 2013 international show (1-4 August).

Director of Dressage at Hickstead Dane Rawlins told H&H that he was trying to find sponsors.

The new series — where riders compete as national teams — was announced at the FEI General Assembly last week.

FEI dressage committee chairman Frank Kempermann said: “We believe this could provide new opportunities for dressage. We hope it will be a new highlight.”

Wayne Channon of the International Dressage Riders Club welcomed the concept, saying it was important for more riders to compete at grand prix level. But he believed top riders would be unlikely to take part.

“They are already competing at between six and eight competitions a year — they will not be able to add on another five Nations Cups,” he said.

Confirmed dates so far are: three-star competitions at Vidauban, France (17-20 May) and Rotterdam (20-24 June) and a five-star at Aachen (3-8 July).

New ‘blood rule’ approved

A new rule stating what action should be taken if blood is seen on a horse during an international-level dressage test was unanimously approved by the General Assembly.

The judge at C now has responsibility for deciding if a horse should be eliminated. If the horse shows fresh blood, it will be eliminated. If the blood is old, the horse may be allowed to continue.

An FEI vet will examine the horse before its next test if it is due to compete in the next few days of the show.

This news story was first published in the current issue of H&H (15 November 2012)

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Dressage rider Dane Rawlins is now competing for Ireland after switching nationality in the run-up to London 2012.

Dane’s wife Maureen has dual Irish-GB nationality and his dressage rider daughter Anne-Marie rides for Ireland.

“I had the opportunity to change and I have a good horse [Lady Harris’s Sydney] and fantastic owners, so decided I needed to get out there,” he told H&H.

“It wasn’t an easy decision but I’d encourage others to do it if they are thinking about it — Dressage Ireland is great and very welcoming.”

Dane last rode for GB at Hickstead CDI3* last year. He has never been on a championship team.

His move was made officially at the start of the year and Dane competed for Ireland for the first time at CDI Vidauban in France (17-27 March).

He finished third in the first week’s grand prix (GP) and GP freestyle on 70.83%.

“Our first outing went really well, I’m looking forward to the future,” said Dane.

Read response to this news from Dressage Ireland, British Dressage and British dressage team manager Richard Davison in Thursday’s magazine

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The future of Dressage at Hickstead (29 July- 1 August), has been secured thanks to Craig Rawlins, brother of Dane who founded the show in 1993.

Earlier this year Dane warned the CDI*****/*** show was in trouble due to the loss of a “major sponsor”. He needed an injection of £250,000 to save it.

Craig runs Equine Elite, an auction company based in the Netherlands, which has stepped in to sponsor the event for “at least” the next three years. With him come a host of other Dutch contacts.

“Their involvement will bring another facet to the show and open doors into European dressage,” said Dane.

Hickstead this year will feature a hospitality village with improved VIP facilities.

“In addition [Dutch dressage team manager] Sjef Janssen has said Hickstead will be

their final trials before the World Equestrian Games,” added Dane.

“Stars like Edward Gal and Moorlands Totilas, Adelinde Cornelissen and Jerich Parcival, Anky van Grunsven and Salinero and Imke Schellekens-Bartles and Sunrise will come to Hickstead this year.”

From the UK, the Bechtolsheimer and Pidgley families have also pledged support. Dane Rawlins declined to comment on how much sponsorship he has now raised, but said: “We will meet the financial requirements.”

Craig Rawlins said he hopes the new Dutch involvement will help improve the presentation of shows in the UK.

“How Dane manages to put on a show with the budget available is a miracle,” he said.

“We will not be able to fix it overnight, but this year you will see a difference, which should encourage future investment.”

Hickstead will also host the national final of the Dressage Masters Championship as well as the British Young Horse Championships.

This article was first published in Horse & Hound (29 April, ’10)

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Jennie Loriston-Clarke (pictured) has been elected as the new chairman of British Dressage (BD).

At the BD AGM on Wednesday, it was announced that Jennie beat sole rival Dane Rawlins by 822 votes to 705. All 12,300 BD members were eligible to vote, but chief executive David Holmes told H&H he was delighted with 12% turnout.

“What we are most happy about is that so many people voted,” he said. “It’s a good figure and shows that people really care about who their chairman is.”

Jennie, who represented Britain at five Olympic Games, will take up the reins with immediate effect. She succeeds outgoing chair Desi Dillingham.

Don’t miss next week’s H&H (14 June) for more on this story, including reaction from Jennie, Dane and the dressage community

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British Dressage (BD) is to put voting papers for the election of a new chairman on its website, www.britishdressage.co.uk, following concerns that some member have not received the forms by post.

Jennie Loriston-Clarke and Dane Rawlins are both standing, and members vote by 18 May.

Dane Rawlins, who has already put the voting papers on his site, www.dressageathickstead.com, told H&H: “I’ve had about 40 calls from people worried that they haven’t received their voting forms.”

BD chief executive David Holmes said the ballot papers went out to members with British Dressage magazine at the end of April.

“But we’re aware some might have thrown them away by mistake,” he said, adding that members could also call the office (tel: 02476 698843) for replacement forms.

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British Dressage members will receive ballot forms to vote for a new chairman by the end of this week.

Members can vote for either Jennie Loriston-Clarke (pictured right) or Dane Rawlins (pictured below right) and have until 18 May to submit their forms. The forms will arrive in the post along with the April/May edition of British Dressage Magazine.

“The ballot forms couldn’t be more straight forward – all you need to do is tick the name you want to be chairman,” said a spokesperson for British Dressage.

Current chairman Desi Dillingham is standing down after nine years as chairman at the 2007 AGM on 6 June. The unpaid chairman position involves overseeing every area of dressage and heading the board of 10 directors.

Jennie Loriston-Clarke has been one of the most influential dressage riders, trainers, judges and breeders in the history of British dressage. She received an MBE in 1979 and was awarded the first ever Queen’s Award for Outstanding Services to Equestrianism in 2006.

“I feel I have the knowledge to move the sport forward because I know it both nationally and internationally,” said Loriston-Clarke.

South Londoner and former amateur boxer Dane Rawlins is best known as the founder and organiser of Dressage at Hickstead, which hosted the 2003 European Championships. He is the creator of the premier league series and co-developer of the British Young Rider Dressage Scheme, known as BYRDS.

“If you have an opinion then you should stand up and be counted. I was on the BHS Dressage Group main committee for 10 years and would be returning with a fresh set of views,” he said.

Read H&H’s news story about Dane Rawlings putting his name forwards as the prospective BD chairman >>

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The race for the chairmanship of British Dressage (BD) has cranked up a notch following the announcement that Dane Rawlins is to stand.

As H&H went to press on Monday, the only other candidate for the chairmanship was Jennie Loriston-Clarke. The closing date for nominees is 28 February, with postal ballots going out to all BD members at the end of March.

Dane, the founder of Dressage at Hickstead and the co-developer of the British Young Riders’ Dressage Scheme (BYRDS), explained his reasons for standing to H&H.

“I’m sure there are better people out there who aren’t standing, but I’m loud and mouthy and I want to move things forward,” he said.

“The current board has done many good things and the financial set-up is great, but something is missing — the sports aspect,” he said. “BD should not be a business running a sport, but a sport that needs to be run in a businesslike way.”

To this end, if Dane becomes chairman, he proposes to create a sports advisory panel. “This would be an independent sounding board,” he said, “to think about ways we can open dressage to more people.”

Membership of BD, which currently stands at 12,300, is open to anyone with an interest in the sport and costs between £32 and £60 a year. A BD spokesman told H&H that the organisation welcomed Dane’s decision to stand.

“Jennie is a great candidate,” she said, “but it’s great that Dane is standing, too. It is fantastic that people with such passion for the sport want to be a part of the board.”

Riders contacted by H&H said both candidates had a lot of offer.

Emile Faurie, who strenuously denied rumours that he intended to stand for the chairmanship, said the pair had ideal credentials.

“Both have qualities that would make them suitable,” he said. “They are both experienced horsemen.”

Trainer David Hunt echoed Dane’s views on setting up a sports panel.

He reasoned: “The current board has done a fantastic job with the money, but not so much with the actual sports side.”

Emile Faurie added that it was important that the upcoming elections did not divide the sport.

• This news story was first published in Horse & Hound (15 February, ’07)

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I’ve been involved in equestrianism for a long time and have seen many positive developments. Yet I have never known the distance between our national federation — the British Equestrian Federation (BEF) — and the core of the sport be so great.

The BEF appears to be in the grip of committee-itis. It has grown in personnel, yet has lost its way. It risks failing its army of enthusiasts.

The members of the disciplines’ organisations are surely what really count. The most direct contact any of our organising bodies have with their members is via the efforts of shows and their organisers. Yet when major projects arise, the BEF seems happy to pick its own small band of advisers and reject the opinions of many others who have equal, maybe greater, expertise; particularly if they are deemed difficult!

Why on earth reject this free advice, let alone isolate those who wish to give it? A major examination of the sport carried out at a cost of some £110,000 (plus a continuation fee of some £70,000 for a facilities study) found equestrianism is not unified and suggested the BEF should work towards a more cohesive structure.

This is something many would have told the BEF for a lot less. But has anything actually changed?

An example of its closed shop is the serious questions many of us have about the Greenwich site for the 2012 Olympic Games equestrian events. The London bid committee did a fantastic job in getting the Games. But now reality is setting in. More knowledgeable people than me believe Greenwich is not big enough. Indeed, 150 acres would not usually be deemed big enough for a one-day event.

If this is so, we should be told the reason for spending, what I understand will be, at least £11million, on a project that will yield no hard legacy except a boom for providers of temporary structures.

I appreciate the arguments of those who want equestrianism at the heart of London. After all, I’m a Londoner. But Greenwich will go back to being a London park. Haven’t we learnt from the Millennium Dome? What’s the point of sinking millions into something with no further benefit to the public after 2012?

The “soft legacy”, as BEF chief executive Andrew Finding described it to me, is surely no more than a “feel-good” factor. While this may be cosy, it will be temporary. When will the horse world next have such a magnificent chance to invest in its infrastructure?

If the critics are wrong, why not invite them to a gathering and reveal the full depth of the Greenwich plans?

To give a further example, I read in H&H (news, 22 June), that Hickstead had not submitted a bid for the joint European Championships for show jumping and dressage in 2009. In fact, we at Hickstead only found out after reading in H&H two weeks earlier that tenders were being invited. Hickstead contacted the BEF and stated that it was interested, reiterating its credentials, but pleading that three weeks’ notice in the run-up to the Derby and the Royal International was totally insufficient.

I’ve known Hickstead’s creator Douglas Bunn and his dedicated family for 17 years. Where would equestrianism in Britain be without them? And this is how they are treated. Who decided on such a ridiculously short time limit?

Others may have coped with the BEF’s timescale but they were not in the run-up to their major events. Hickstead knows exactly what is required, as we created successful tender bids for the 1999 show jumping and 2003 dressage Europeans. Hickstead had the idea and got support and guidance from UK Sport. Hickstead knows submissions cannot be treated in a cavalier manner. We were not comfortable with doing a rush job.

Our reward was to be rejected at the first post. I have since heard that Hickstead did not show enough “enthusiasm”. I would defy anyone to give Hugh Thomas [BEF chairman and Badminton director] such a task three weeks before Badminton!

Shows are the lifeblood of our sport and our volunteers are the lifeblood of the shows. The horse public must be represented by our federation in a way that makes us all proud. Many of our helpers want to be involved in the 2009 Europeans and the 2012 Games, wherever they are held.

We need a federation that cares about us, values our input and informs us openly of its decisions on our behalf — even if some of us are bloody difficult! Come on BEF, how about it?

• This comment was first published as part of Horse & Hound’s Talk Yourself Horse series (13 July ’06)

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