Latest from Horse & Hound in Dressage-opinion

‘A relaxed expression, a quiet mouth, a swinging tail and a willing attitude say far more than the bridle a horse wears,’ says Anna Ross

Anna Ross — Thu, 02 Jul 2026 09:32:22 +0000

British grand prix dressage rider and trainer Anna Ross discusses brideless dressage, the stretch debate and two sad farewells

Ten years ago, the trend was clear: short reins won gold medals. Today, we can ride grand prix in a snaffle, we’re trialling a stretch movement at grand prix and the first bridleless dressage competition has generated enormous discussion. Whether these things represent progress is much debated – but the direction of travel has definitely changed.

Mention bridleless or bitless dressage, and you have a great way to blow up the internet. Some see it as the next step in improving horse welfare; others believe it has no place in the sport.

There is also a viewpoint that the double bridle is not a harsher piece of equipment, but a more refined one – capable of lighter, more nuanced communication in educated hands.

Grand prix rider Sam Whyley is among the sceptics.

“I’m struggling with the idea that this is a step forward and with the comments suggesting it’s the direction we should all take,” he says. “Are we going to get to a point where we can’t ride in breeches anymore, because a good rider shouldn’t need clothes to help keep their balance?”

He goes on: “I love the feeling of a horse working correctly and supplely through its body, engaging the hindquarters to take weight off the naturally weaker forehand. The better I am as a trainer, the healthier, happier, sounder life my horse will lead – something encouraged throughout the ascending levels, as I work towards the hardest test of all, the grand prix.

“What I’m seeing from the videos of the bridleless competition doesn’t embody this. I’m seeing horses moving hollowly, their backs like a canoe that the rider sits in rather than on; horses on the forehand, unable to lift their shoulders; pirouettes with no bend or even the wrong bend – examples of what, replicated consistently, will lead to forelimb injuries or sore backs.”

But welfare isn’t determined by bitting. I’ve seen horses ridden harshly in bitless bridles and beautifully in double bridles. A bit is a tool, and can be used well or badly. If a horse is genuinely softer and more confident without one, we shouldn’t dismiss that as “anti-tradition”, but nor should we pretend every horse is automatically better bitless.

Surely the pertinent question is: what equipment allows this horse, as an individual, to perform with the greatest confidence, relaxation and harmony?

Stretching at grand prix?

The same principle applies to the proposed stretch movement. A horse that can lengthen its neck, seek the contact and swing through its back is a joy to watch – it shows genuine throughness and trust, and could be one of the most revealing movements in the test.

Yet it has proved contentious. The much-decorated US Olympian Robert Dover has called it an “insult” to our stakeholders and too boring for spectators. But if spectators have watched a grand prix test that far without falling asleep, I think we can assume they’re pretty interested in dressage.

From a judging viewpoint, the stretch lets us reward the qualities we say we value: relaxation, harmony and correct training. At a time of increasing public scrutiny, that matters.

A relaxed expression, a quiet mouth, a swinging tail and a willing attitude say far more than the bridle a horse wears. The effectiveness of any tack depends far less on the equipment than on the hands holding the reins. If these debates encourage us to focus on those outcomes rather than defending tradition or chasing trends, the sport will be better for it.

Sad farewells

We lost an invaluable guiding hand recently. Horses and riders alike lost a friend in the late Stephen Clarke.

You always felt Stephen was on your side: ride well and you sensed it genuinely made him happy; ride poorly and you never resented his mark; you simply felt you’d let him down. Not because he was harsh, but because you knew he wanted everyone’s best.

He judged with honesty and integrity, but always with kindness.

Stephen Clarke laughing with Isabell Werth at the 2014 World Equestrian Games. Credit Alamy (Image credit: Zuma Press, Inc. / Alamy Stock Photo)

Closer to home, we said goodbye to another great man: Andrew Goodwin Davies, father of grand prix rider Sally Bell, whose quiet warmth and wisdom touched so many.

We often talk of people “passing” – and the very best pass on their knowledge, kindness and values. Those left become custodians of that legacy. In that sense, they never really leave us.

● Where do you stand on bitless dressage? And should grand prix reward a stretch movement? Write to us 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

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‘It was a massive risk that paid off’: Carl Hester’s view on the return of international dressage to Hickstead

Carl Hester — Sat, 20 Jun 2026 09:34:50 +0000

Top British dressage rider, trainer and multiple Olympian Carl Hester shares his thoughts on the “phenomenal” recent return of dressage at Hickstead.

“It was a massive risk, but in my heart, I knew it had to happen and it turned out really well.” That was Aster Events’ Daniel Watson reflecting on May’s Chart Stables International Dressage Festival at Hickstead. An understatement, Dan, it was phenomenal.

The week-long show offered something for everyone, with CDI and CPEDI classes alongside Premier League, young horse, national competitions and the dressage masters series. Dressage returning to the iconic Hickstead venue offered all our riders a world-class platform on home soil.

British team rider Dan’s the sort of person who can’t sit still. He rides up to 10 horses a day, teaches and runs a business with his partner Craig Messenger. Yet, feeling there was a gap – specifically a lack of a showcase for dressage along the lines of shows abroad – he sent an email to Lizzie Bunn at Hickstead, who emailed straight back saying they needed to meet up.

The long development process got under way. Dan was in and out of the boardroom last year. British Dressage came on board and when Chart Stables jumped at the chance to be title sponsor “the whole thing skyrocketed”.

A whole host of sponsors followed – too many to mention here, and thanks to them all – but the riders and trainers who put money in also showed dressage working together as a community. Dan reports Chart Stables has already reaped rewards: “What they’ve gained from the show is massive.”

Eye-watering costs

The costs involved were eye-watering: £250,000. That included, for example, £18,000 for hook-up, including £7,500 for diesel – the price having gone through the roof – £12,500 for the main screen, wifi and other communication tools.

Dan did a clever deal with Travelodge for 22 judges’ rooms, but there was extra for national judges in other hotels. Catering cost some £20,000 to £25,000 but was “a phenomenal return”. People don’t realise the cost of setting up.

Dan said: “It was mad, and it could have got way out of control. You have to be on every penny.” He was.

Signing up volunteers wasn’t easy. There were about 10 to 15 a day this year, and Dan found it tricky to get the right people for the right tasks, but he’ll have more of an idea going forward on who fits what role. I’m sure in the future volunteers will be flocking to sign up.

There were many conversations with Dane Rawlins, who ran Dressage at Hickstead for 27 years and hosted the superb European Championships there in 2003. Dane was there daily, having got roped into judging and told me with humour: “Bally good job. It was nice to see someone else suffering.”

Dan also paid tribute to the Hickstead team: “I feel utterly privileged to have worked with such a team: Lizzie, Ellie and Will Bunn. To have their backup throughout. No words.”

The result: a show that rivals the best in Europe

At the trot-up, one of the foreign judges told Dan that the show rivalled the best in Europe, at which Dan told me he nearly fell over backwards. He may have felt things were going too fast at the time, but he has a dressage Nations Cup in his sights and putting in a bid for the European Championship may not be just a dream.

Lizzie Bunn commended Aster Events for running a dressage camp attended by 75 preceding the show as a “clever move” and the lovely ball attended by some 200 people was a great success.

From the Hickstead perspective, Lizzie said, “The whole team from caterers to sponsors really got behind it.”

She paid the ultimate compliment to Dan and his team: “They were such a pleasure to deal with. They are now our template for outside events.”

Dan doesn’t have a business studies degree but has always been analytical. He told me he felt slightly naive going into it and slightly scared himself with what he had created.

I think he should be awarded an honorary first-class honours degree sharpish after pulling off an incredible success…and perhaps a medal for bravery! Here’s to the future.

● Were you at Hickstead in May and what did you think? What other shows would you like to see brought back – or boosted – on home soil? Write to us 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

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‘I couldn’t have been prouder of how our team rode producing lovely, harmonious pictures,’ says Laura Tomlinson

Laura Tomlinson — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 11:39:31 +0000

Laura Tomlinson shares her thoughts on her home-bred horses debuts and a sweltering Nations Cup in Lier, Belgium

I have to start by adding my congratulations to Ros Canter and her brilliant partner, Lordships Graffalo (Walter), on their Mars Badminton win. What an incredible role model Ros is as a rider but also as a mother. She is breaking both records and boundaries of what is achievable as a woman.

Although she may make it all look so easy, it’s worth remembering that creating such a picture of ease and harmony takes an enormous amount of hard work and dedication day in, day out.

It’s also a testament to the team around them, especially when coming back from pregnancy. I know both my eldest daughter and I left Badminton feeling hugely inspired by so many awesome partnerships and fabulous riding.

I also feel my claim to fame here is that Walter’s grandfather was my old horse, Polarion, who I took from juniors through to our first grand prix together.

Since Badminton, I’ve had the privilege of competing another home-bred, Forest Hill, at his first international at Hickstead. It was emotional for me to have another horse at that level for the first time, and at a show that my father loved so much.

The atmosphere was wonderful, and the team there did a great job of combining so many classes across so many levels, both nationally and internationally.

Forest Hill had only two grand prix tests at a local venue under his belt before going down the centre line there, and so I was delighted with his top-three placing. There’s so much more to come from him.

The thing that struck me about him was how uncomplicated he felt and how happy he was to do his job – he was totally undistracted. The special was trickier as we had not practised it, but he gave it a good bash. The first half felt great; we came a little unstuck in the canter, but I felt all the things I wanted to feel for the future.

I also had a newer horse, Ostmarks Digal, out in the prix st georges (PSG) and was able to take the win there. Australian rider Tyla Schou, who works for me at home, took a six-year-old mare of ours, Vallemagia, to win the six-year-old classes with over 95%!

Lots to like in Lier

From Hickstead, it was on to the Nations Cup in Lier, where again, the Belgians put on a fabulous competition – although it did feel like riding in an oven with the heatwave having struck in full force.

Sadly, Full Moon really struggled to settle in his stable, which was right by the main thoroughfare of horses passing in each direction. We had some great moments, but we definitely took too much of that tension into the ring, which translated into silly mistakes that curbed the marks from reflecting his improvements elsewhere.

He’s getting stronger at this level now, but we need to do some homework on getting through the canter work clean or else the scores won’t improve.

But it was great fun to be on the team, as ever well looked after by Caroline Griffith and the World Class staff. Sadie Smith, Susan Pape and Lewis Carrier all put in superb grand prix tests, and I couldn’t have been prouder of how the team rode – each producing a lovely, harmonious picture with a happy athlete under saddle – or of our second-place finish.

I went from there to the National Schools Equestrian Association arena eventing championships at Hickstead with my eldest daughter to sweat some more. Luckily, she managed to win more rosettes than I did, and I was delighted to see so many children having fun and getting a taste for competing on such amazing grounds.

At the time of writing, next up is the international at Wellington, with Forest Hill in the grand prix and Ostmarks Digal in the PSG, and possibly a ride on the six-year-old mare potentially to qualify her for the World Breeding Championships, as Tyla cannot ride her for Australia.

It all seems rather like a whirlwind at the moment, but very exciting to be busy with such lovely horses that my team and I have put so much work into over the years.

● Who is the rider or role model who’s inspired you most this season? 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

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‘Running reins do not feature in the British Horse Society’s teaching’, plus other responses to Pammy Hutton’s column

Carol Phillips — Sat, 30 May 2026 09:28:08 +0000

Dressage rider, trainer and British Horse Society (BHS) Fellow Pammy Hutton’s recent exclusive H&H column, in which she asked “Should anyone ever use running reins?”, has prompted a wide range of responses, both online and via email.

Pammy clarified her opinion saying: “The simple response lies in the word ‘anyone’ – and the answer to that is no. The word ‘ever’ is where the conundrum starts…” She said she has used them “occasionally, when needed”, adding: “The art comes in learning the if, the how and the when.”

To continue the conversation, here are some of the responses we received at H&H this week. If you’d like to add your views, please email us at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name and address (only name and nearest town will be published), for consideration.

Pammy Hutton is widely acknowledged as one of our most esteemed BHS Fellows. Her extensive knowledge and experience within the equestrian community are unparalleled, and her regular column is always a pleasure to read.

Prior to the publication of her column last week, Pammy and I had a conversation regarding the contentious topic of running (draw) reins, prompted by a recent post she had shared on social media. During our discussion, we both concurred that the insights of Nuno Olivera, as expressed in his book From an Old Master Trainer to Young Trainers, provided valuable clarity on the appropriate, and more importantly, the inappropriate use of this training aid. Pammy also emphasised the importance of exercising great caution when employing running reins.

I am confident that your readers appreciate that the more than 50 BHS Fellows each hold unique opinions on the use of this particular rein. Most Fellows, myself included, would not recommend its use. Furthermore, running reins do not feature in the teaching or doctrines of the British Horse Society.

Patrick Print FBHS – Chair BHS FellowsEdinburgh

“To what purpose are you using them?”

Pammy Hutton’s column was refreshing to read. I have been lucky enough to visit her school, Talland, recently through an Emile Faurie Foundation auction schoolmaster prize via another special lady, dressage judge and trainer Maryanne Horn, who also featured recently in H&H. I can honestly says it’s a rare and special place.

By making such high quality schoolmasters accessible to amateurs, who often don’t have the funds to purchase such horses but who have no less passion to keep dreaming, it’s an establishment which keep those dreams alive.

I’ve never been somewhere that balances that fine line between horse training and welfare so well. There is a sugar cube box available on every side of the school, and the principal knows every one of her horses inside out (with eyes everywhere and on everyone!). She is as quick as lightning and tougher on the riders than the horses, and rightly so!

This is no dead-eyed riding school, but a place full of humble trainers and riders and willing horses who are correctly worked and well managed.

It’s never about whips, spurs or, as Pammy’s article bravely took on, running reins, but to what purpose are you using them, and who is on the end of them (or indeed teaching those on the end of them).

Experience, empathy and an understanding of when to add, but more importantly, release the pressure, both on horse and human is key.

Beyond that still, what I saw first hand at Talland, and what I think makes the biggest difference, is an undeniable love of the horse.

Kim HarmanTenterden, Kent

“Usually ‘good’ riders don’t need them”

I spent many years having training with three-time Olympian Johanna “Jook” Hall whose opinion of running reins was that there was a place for them in training, but only ‘good’ riders are capable of riding with running reins and usually ‘good’ riders didn’t need them!

Charmian AitkenSedgeford, Norfolk

What do you think? Email us at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name and address (name and nearest town will be published) for the chance to have your views published in a future issue of H&H magazine or online.

To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major events, as well as exclusive insights from top names, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

‘I’ve been warned never to discuss this, but here goes,’ says Pammy Hutton as she tackles a taboo topic

Pammy Hutton — Mon, 25 May 2026 09:30:02 +0000

Pammy Hutton FBHS asks “should anyone ever use running reins?” and shares her thoughts on judging inconsistencies

I’ve been warned never to discuss this taboo topic, but here goes… Should anyone ever use running reins?

The simple response lies in the word “anyone” – and the answer to that is no. The word “ever” is where the conundrum starts.

Do I ever? Yes, occasionally, when needed. The art comes in learning the if, the how and the when.

The running rein – which runs from the rider’s hand, through the bit ring and back to the girth – has a sliding effect, and if gently used, can teach the horse about a soft contact. It’s far better than pulling the head in.

The great classical trainer Nuno Oliveira advocated using what he also called “German reins” with “tact and delicacy”, briefly and not daily. The big mistake, he says, is forgetting to give with the hand once the horse is in the desired position.

Interestingly, he points out that ecuyers – or classical horsemen – traditionally used running reins attached to a cavesson rather than the bit.

And I love this Oliveira observation on running reins: “A knife in the hands of a gentleman can cut meat into very small pieces, but in the hands of a maniac, it can be dangerous.”

Another well-known but modern trainer refers to “assistance reins”, which sounds kinder. But there’s never an excuse to ignore the need for care, caution and remembering that all-important “give”.

FEI must get its house in order

“Brilliant… but a pity all the scores were not more level,” was all I could say to a disappointed advanced medium gold competitor at last month’s Winter Dressage Championships.

“You rode a blinder!” was what I wanted to say after watching their mistake-free test. The only consolation was that another competitor was judged first, second and 19th.

Soon after the winters, I treated myself to an Addington trip. Wow, what an encouraging grand prix and all classes were full at this popular venue. Nothing was too much trouble. My only niggle is that the surface is a tad hard. Apparently, it suits the showjumpers, but I was busy trying to keep my “jumper” in the ring!

The show was a great leveller for me as I was not good enough; there’s work to do to compete at this level again. Oh, the terrors of failing to achieve the exclusive 70% – yet most judges’ marks were on the money with helpful comments.

As someone who has regularly shuddered at mark discrepancies and favouritism, I totally understood all the points H&H dressage editor Oscar Williams raised in his article on the subject of artificial intelligence.

I’m also a little nervous that widespread use of AI analysis of every movement, although helpful, could terrify some into giving up.

Yet for now, the most urgent thing is for the FEI to get its house in order and make some clear decisions on issues that have been left hanging for far too long.

It needs to determine if we really like four-time canter pirouettes? What about the trot that is not in two-time? The walk that is not in an accurate four-time beat? Is it acceptable for the foreleg to be behind the vertical in piaffe? Does conformation of horse and rider matter?

Even if we went totally down the AI route, dressage will always be subjective.

I’ve always applauded high marks for ease and harmony, but surely measuring the extent to which a test looks easy and harmonious can only ever be a matter of the judge’s perception?

Opinion aside, some well-defined guidelines from the FEI down would go a long way towards removing arbitrary marks based on uncertainties and inconsistencies.

Equestrian answer to farmers’ choir?

The Hawkstone Farmers’ Choir nailed it on TV’s Britain’s Got Talent. It might have started to promote a certain beer, but it turns out that singing together is a wonderfully uniting force in an often lonely profession.

Now, which equestrians can sing? One slot on Britain’s Got Talent did more for farming’s image than any advertisement. Surely the horse world could pull off something similar… Any sponsors out there?

● Where do you stand on running reins – sometimes or never? Write to us 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

To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major events, as well as exclusive insights from top names, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

‘What the public thinks about equestrian sport matters,’ warns Richard Davison

Richard Davison — Sat, 09 May 2026 08:25:54 +0000

Four-time dressage Olympian Richard Davison reflects on British success abroad and difficult questions closer to home

This season may have got off to a troubling start for some, but the past few weeks have offered plenty to celebrate. Becky Moody and Carl Hester have done more than fly the flag on their travels – they’ve restated our position as a nation that strives for harmonious test riding.

Becky and Jagerbomb’s tests at their first World Cup Final were a joy to watch, and finishing head and shoulders above the field was no less than they deserved. Carl and Fame were superb in the grand prix special at the Fontainebleau CDI5*, where Lottie Fry and Glamourdale ran Justin Verboomen and Zonik Plus close in the grand prix.

At the notoriously demanding German show in Hagen, Sadie Smith and Swanmore Dantina pulled out a strong result, and Dannie Morgan shone with his up-and-coming ride Fever Tree in the small tour.

Looking ahead to the World Championships at Aachen in August, a number of contenders are vying for the fourth team slot alongside Lottie, Carl and Becky, who are certainties.

Despite being only 10 years old, Fiona Bigwood’s chestnut mare Donna Bella shows great talent across the board and especially in piaffe and passage. Her temperament seems exceptional too – hardly surprising, given that she is out of Fiona’s former Olympic mare Atterupgaards Orthilia.

Gareth Hughes continues to make steady progress with Mowgli-Olympia MC, as does Annabella Pidgley with Vamos Amigos and Gio.

Currently these combinations are returning consistent scores in the low 70s. With plenty more in the tank, it’ll be fascinating to watch them all progress.

Sympathetic use of the aids

When Owen Slot lobbed British Equestrian (BEF) a hypothetical hand grenade in his Sunday Times piece earlier this season, he forced a question our governing bodies struggled to dodge. Citing a video of one of our riders at an FEI event, he asked whether the techniques on display accorded with the BEF’s own welfare codes.

As Laura Tomlinson pointed out in her recent column, that was a valid question, particularly when many of our top riders are publicly funded through the BEF’s World Class Programme. Other parts of the federation also benefit directly from this funding. So even on this narrow point, what the public perceives matters.

The jurisdiction question is academic – my view is that, as the rules currently stand, it would be a stretch to argue the welfare codes of British Dressage (BD) apply to British riders in FEI competitions. But that was not Slot’s point.

Ad hoc discussions between international riders also identified that this was not solely a matter of rules but more significantly a tangible example of social licence in action.

Accordingly, riding and coaching techniques need to keep up with the public’s ever-changing perception and expectations.

BD’s rules state that artificial aids such as bits and spurs must be applied “sympathetically”, and if they are not, their use is deemed abusive. Every British rider should be especially mindful of how that term is interpreted.

We have countless ambassadors for the sympathetic application of the aids – Carl and Gareth among them – and on the international stage, riders such as Justin and Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour.

Not one of us is perfect, and any of us can unintentionally misuse a bit or a spur, especially in the heat of competition.

When that happens, the best response is to look through the eyes of others, own the error and strive to ride better. That serves our horses, preserves dressage for younger generations and eases the burden on those who administer the sport – many of them volunteers – who are too often left to defend it when we fall short.

Looking ahead to Royal Windsor

Let us hope that the remainder of the season delivers more British successes. With that in mind, I’m looking forward to the dressage masterclass at Royal Windsor on Thursday (14 May) with Carl and Becky, before heading to Hickstead CDI – I hope to see you all there.

● Who would you pick for the fourth team rider slot at the upcoming World Championships? 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

To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major events, as well as exclusive insights from top names, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

‘The FEI seems to be moving at a collected walk rather than an extended canter on things that “cannot wait”,’ says Carl Hester

Carl Hester — Sat, 25 Apr 2026 09:32:00 +0000

Carl Hester shares his views on the importance of the give-and-retake in dressage and the need for collective marks

Some 18 months ago, I wrote about introducing give-and-retake of the reins at small tour and grand prix level – an idea that came out of a conversation with Kyra Kyrklund.

That initiative gained great support at the FEI General Assembly last year, tabled under “changes in the rules that cannot await because of their impact on the welfare of the horses or the safety of the athletes”.

I advised anyone who doesn’t already incorporate give-and-retake in their training to start practising – it should be part of everyone’s routine.

At the recent FEI Sports Forum in Lausanne at the end of March – where it was reported that stretching on a long rein was recently trialled at a test event at Warendorf, Germany – it was discussed again as “being worked on”.

What I hope is achievable is a guideline as to what amount of stretch is expected and acceptable. My opinion is that horses stretch a lot better in rising trot, so I hope that whether to sit or rise will be left to riders.

Of course, these matters have to be trialled and worked out properly, but all I can say at this stage is that the FEI seems to be moving at a collected walk rather than an extended canter on things that “cannot wait”!

Collective marks

The 2017 FEI General Assembly voted in favour of the Dressage Judging Working Group’s proposal to remove the collective marks for paces, impulsion and submission and replace them with a single collective mark for the rider’s position, seat, correctness and effect of the aids.

There was an outcry, with German team trainer Monica Theodorescu and German five-star judge Dr Dietrich Plewa in particular producing very valid reasoning in opposition.

As Monica said at the time: “The collectives are essential to highlight the value of the principles of dressage. The judge gets the opportunity to weigh the rider’s focus positively or negatively, the clarity of gaits, throughness, connection, activity from behind and much more.

“I hope that because of this change we won’t return to seeing horses who are not loose, nor relaxed and lack natural expression.”

Dr Dietrich Plewa – who retired in 2019 – admitted at the time that judges had used collectives to influence the overall score but made some pertinent points, particularly about the marks for paces and for submission.

On the paces mark, he said: “When a horse shows mistakes in the rhythm in the test, which are not enough to eliminate the horse, then we could have expressed our remarks on balance and clarity in that collective mark.” Makes sense to me.

While some argued that the collective qualities should be addressed in the mark for each movement, collectives for paces and submission – but let’s call that something else, please – play a valuable role, it’s hoped they will be reinstated after consultation.

After all, if a rider sits perfectly for a nine yet the horse has its mouth open or tongue out, that does not make sense and does nothing to promote harmony in our sport.

Sunshine time

With the recent change to decent weather and a bit of sunshine, it’s fantastic that all the horses are able to get much more turnout. The difference in their bodies after several months of limited turnout is incredible to feel. It just validates the reasoning for turning out. I can feel the difference in them almost immediately, not just physically, but mentally, too.

Finally, while it was sad to see so few high-class entries at the World Cup Final in Texas – it seems people don’t want to travel these distances in the current climate – our Becky Moody took the plunge, and what a decision it proved to be, with her and Jagerbomb taking the title. Congratulations to them both – it’s thoroughly deserved.

● How do you think the reintroduction of collective marks would change dressage judging – for better or worse? We’d love to hear from you 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

To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major events, as well as exclusive insights from top names, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

‘Framing older age as the underdog is not good for our sport,’ warns Pammy Hutton after being asked if she still rode ‘at her age’

Pammy Hutton — Sat, 11 Apr 2026 09:30:45 +0000

International trainer and competitor Pammy Hutton FBHS on being written off by younger riders and toxic visa issues facing those coming to Britain for training

Many moons ago, I hung over a fence alongside a very good-looking man as we watched a prix st georges test. “I’m nervous,” I told the handsome stranger, who admitted he was too. We were both about to attempt our first test at this level.

Later, I asked around to put a name to this kind and reassuring person. It was David Hunt.

Today, David is president of British Dressage and the International Dressage Trainers’ Club. His glittering riding career includes winning three international classes at Rotterdam in 1988 and producing four horses long-listed for various Olympics.

Back then, I would watch the international horses and riders longingly. Somehow, a year or two later, I became one of them. Now I’m watching again, wondering “how?” How beautiful they look – and how far they are beyond the hope of most.

At times like this, I’m reminded just how specialist our sport can be and how hard it is to climb over to the other side of that fence.

Nowadays, I’m back on the “wrong” side. Deemed too old to bother with. I’ve been cut dead by a good current international young rider.

Just today, someone asked if I still rode “at your age” and if I really still train international riders? Yes, actually…

Framing older age as the underdog is not good for our sport. There’s so much to lose by dismissing those from a generation less likely to trumpet their achievements. Their knowledge and successes are no less for that.

Regionals entries

Much homework was needed to work out how I would fit championship qualifiers around my horse’s eventing commitments. The good news is that qualifying for gold classes at regionals appears so much easier these days. With no hope of winning a class to secure direct entry, two sheets at 64%-plus should do it.

This division used to regularly have 45 or 50 entries. Yet this winter has seen barely 12 in some classes. I’m assured that overall numbers are not down, just regionals – except at the brilliantly run Wellington Riding.

But why? It can’t all be due to the economy, although the soaring diesel prices certainly won’t help. No, it’s thanks to the introduction of silver regionals and generally spreading the numbers across so many options with classes for everyone.

Nonetheless, I still enjoy the challenge of the gold ranks. Otherwise, there’s always veterans!

A toxic issue

In the current political climate, this is a sensitive one, but it must be said. Work visas are potentially a toxic issue in the horse world.

Firstly, there are job applicants coming over without work visas, so do check when you employ.

Then there are those coming into the UK on visas to receive exam training. It’s my understanding that they can only career-train at an accredited college or riding school, Talland being the only such riding school in Britain. The British Racing School is also accredited.

A holiday visa permits someone to fly in for a day to take an assessment. But if you are physically training in the UK, for example, towards a British Horse Society (BHS) assessment, be careful. While there are certain caveats, in many cases it’s illegal. Someone once sent us £16,000 for fees and got into the country on a student visa, never to be seen again. Of course, we reported them to the Home Office – and put the money to good use.

Surely information about visas should be sent to all riding schools and equestrian centres in the country, starting with the BHS contacting all affiliated riding schools.

In other news, research ahead of a lecture on equine conformation turned into a case study of Google versus experience. Naturally, I stay updated on modern learnings and science, but nothing replaces life lessons.

In fact, if horses needed to pass a five-star vetting to compete at the Olympics or Badminton, how many could enter? And yet how many come home flying, ears pricked? So how good is their conformation? Yes, I stuck with the practical.

● How do you think dressage should balance welcoming the next generation with preserving the knowledge of its most experienced figures? We’d love to hear from you at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance to have your views published in a future issue of Horse & Hound magazine

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‘If the public don’t like what they see, they have the power to shut us down,’ warns Laura Tomlinson as she calls for change

Laura Tomlinson — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 09:32:56 +0000

Olympic medal-winning dressage rider Laura Tomlinson issues a plea to her fellow riders to hold themselves to new standards to ensure the sport’s future

My column this week is a bit of a plea. I know we’re all bored of hearing about social licence and the sport’s image, but after another recent barrage in the media, including the big newspapers, if we don’t change our ways, our children won’t have a sport to enjoy.

I never condone social media abuse of any sort, but putting our heads in the sand in response isn’t working. Many may argue that the critics simply don’t understand the nuances of our sport, but whether they are right or wrong in all the different scenarios is irrelevant because if members of the public don’t like what they see, they have the power to shut us down, starting with the Olympics.

Horses being squashed together with immense leg and hand pressure for minutes on end must be a thing of the past. We must hold ourselves to new standards.

The World Class Programme and our own federation have shown they’re there to protect their top riders, but should they now do more to protect the horses and the sport?

Strictness on horses’ soundness and how they are ridden needs to come from riders. When riding, we need to think of children watching and ride to inspire.

Horse welfare should come first. We hear this said all the time, but who really means it in the heat of the moment when fighting for that bit more expression for those extra marks? We need to show that we are riding and training a better way.

If a horse is being spooky or stressed in the warm-up, respond with sympathy. If a horse needs quickening, use lots of transitions rather than instantly resorting to pressure to get the result faster. Find ways to work at home that build strength to create more expression over time, rather than resorting to quick fixes.

Get those extra marks through accuracy; we need to shape the sport and the judges by offering them something better. Empty words on “harmony” are not good enough. I don’t wish to stick the knife in, and I know this column will be unpopular and risky for me as a rider who’s aspiring for a team place, but I cannot be silent on this matter any longer.

My father always said, “Horses cannot advocate for themselves; you must always stand up for them and admit when you get something wrong.” I don’t see enough of that at the moment, so here I am, not trying to act saintly but just wanting to shake everyone up.

Don’t push for those extra marks if they cost you in harmony; ride in a way that you can explain to a young aspiring kid or a complete layman. Ride with the values we all had when we started as children, in love with the idea of partnership with another animal.

The welfare rules are clear. If we get something wrong in the heat of the moment, we must acknowledge our error and pledge to do better. We need to be the sport that we are selling.

Doping tests

On another “horse welfare” note, at my last international competition, straight after the freestyle – and hours before Full Moon had to travel home – he was pulled into doping control. That’s no problem. But when they have to go into an isolated stable in a separate block, for many horses, that’s a huge stress.

Moony always goes straight back into his stable for a wee after work, here he had to go into a random stable with no horses anywhere near him, with a stranger holding a long stick with a cup attached.

He was very stressed, so of course he didn’t pee in the given time and then had his blood taken. By the time he was back in his stable, he had been holding his wee in for an hour since competing.

This wasn’t the way I wanted to reward him for his amazing efforts in his first grand prix freestyle. I wish we’d make rules like this more horse-friendly. Why can’t he pee in his own stable, that he has been in all show, next to his buddies? What difference would that make?

The doping agents don’t let them out of their sight anyway. Some rules seem so absurd and not at all in the interest of the horse.

● Do you agree that change needs to come from within – and what would you like to see riders do differently? We’d love to hear from you at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance to have your views published in a future issue of Horse & Hound magazine

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Dressage needs to answer harder questions than just ‘who did what in the warm-up’ to secure its future

Oscar Williams — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 17:44:44 +0000

H&H’s dressage editor Oscar Williams considers the challenges facing elite dressage, why similar issues are being raised time after time, and what needs to happen to achieve real and lasting change

Footage of Charlotte Dujardin warming up in Amsterdam, circulated online in recent weeks, has produced a now-familiar sequence: a short video goes viral, experts comment, outrage builds, and the sport finds itself, once again, performing concern.

A recent article in The Times followed that pattern. A World Horse Welfare spokesperson said the video was “a hard watch”, with “clear signs of tension and conflict behaviour”.

That assessment matters, of course. But what matters more – and what rarely follows – is clarity about what should actually change.

Charlotte makes for convenient headlines. But several riders were filmed riding a horse forward into a restricting rein in the same warm-up.

And that isn’t uncommon. Variations of this can be seen across disciplines and levels of competition.

That’s not to excuse, but to illustrate, that to treat this as a story about individual conduct is rather reductive – and avoids much harder questions.

Charlotte wasn’t deemed to have broken any rules. But when The Times put a series of direct questions to the British Equestrian Federation – whether her riding met their standards, whether it represented a good example of welfare, whether they would be happy for pupils to be taught this way – none of those questions were answered.

The explanation offered was that four minutes of footage from a 45-minute warm-up made an accurate assessment impossible. That might be technically true. It doesn’t read as confidence in the sport’s own standards though.

Part of the difficulty is that the rules themselves create room for evasion. The FEI General Regulations prohibit the use of spurs “excessively” or “persistently” – but in practice, this is left to the interpretation of individual stewards.

But the deeper problem is structural. Riders ride the way judges reward. They’re responding rationally to what wins.

So, if we deem the riding seen in Amsterdam as genuinely contrary to the principles of the sport, then the question is not only why riders were doing it, but why the incentives that produce it have been left unchanged.

Focusing on Charlotte allows the sport to treat this as a problem of individual conduct rather than a problem of incentives.

And if we do that, the story fades – as it always does. The next video surfaces – as it always does. And nothing changes.

Is dressage at risk?

The comments section under The Times piece contained a familiar refrain: calls for dressage to be banned.

It’s worth addressing briefly – not because I believe the argument is strong, but because it tends to set the emotional temperature of these debates before the more useful conversation can begin.

I don’t believe a ban will happen. The threshold for prohibition in equine sport has never been a welfare concern alone – if it were, racing would already be under existential threat.

Horseracing generates £4.1 billion annually and employs hundreds of thousands of people, yet has not been banned despite a significantly higher horse fatality rate. That tells you something about how these decisions are actually made – on economic, cultural, and political grounds as much as welfare ones.

It extends beyond Britain too. Across Europe, the horse sector generates more than €100 billion in annual economic impact and supports around 400,000 jobs.

The FEI prohibits the use of spurs “excessively” or “persistently” – but in practice, what this means is left to the interpretation of individual stewards. (Image credit: Alamy)

There’s also a deeper irony in the framing of elite dressage horses as unregulated victims. FEI horses are subject to rigorous passport requirements, mandatory vaccination protocols, prohibited substance testing, and international disease surveillance.

Compared to the average horse, they’re among the most closely monitored horses in existence.

A more credible risk than abolition is increased oversight. When a sport’s own regulatory framework leaves visible gaps, it tends to invite others to fill them.

This is starting to happen in parts of Europe. Danish MEP Niels Fuglsang has been a persistent voice pushing for tougher EU-level oversight of horse welfare.

And yet, for now, the political priority is elsewhere. In President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen’s, mission letters to both the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food and the Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare, horses aren’t mentioned once; the Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare has been explicitly tasked with modernising EU animal welfare rules – but the mandate focuses on farm animals, exotic imports, and food safety.

The infrastructure for EU-level intervention exists; the political will to apply it to equestrian sport doesn’t yet. When the MEP Horse Group met with von der Leyen this month, the headline policy discussion centred on simplifying the Single Market for equine mobility and trade – welfare reform wasn’t the focus.

The picture, then, is of a sector large enough to attract political attention, but not yet facing the kind of sustained legislative pressure that would force the sport’s hand. That window may not stay open indefinitely.

But welfare reform doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Every viral video is also a relevance problem – it makes dressage harder to sell to new audiences, sponsors, and broadcasters at exactly the moment the sport needs to be attracting them.

The governance reality

I’ve spoken to enough people within the FEI to know that genuine will to reform exists. But their structure for rule changes inhibits these intentions.

Changing the rules of international equestrian sport is a slow and structured process by design. Proposals must be submitted by national federations, reviewed by technical committees, circulated for feedback, redrafted, and ultimately voted on at the FEI General Assembly – often many months after the issue that prompted them has already faded from public attention.

Reform in international equestrian sport must pass through a voting system in which Germany has the same weight as the Cayman Islands – consensus is the goal, speed is not. Credits: FEI/Shortcut by Jason (Image credit: creditUnknown)

Even when a proposal passes, new rules typically only come into force the following year.

The voting structure compounds this. Each national federation carries equal weight, meaning that for dressage purposes, Germany, which won every Olympic team gold medal between 1984 and 2008, has the same vote as countries without a single FEI dressage rider.

Consensus across that breadth of membership is difficult to build quickly, and radical change is harder still.

More significantly, the core dressage rulebook is only subject to full revision on a four-year cycle – the most recent being this year.

Outside that window, amendments are generally limited to urgent welfare concerns, technical corrections, or unintended consequences in existing rules – which means the sport’s capacity to respond to a fast-moving public debate is structurally constrained even when the will is there.

Also, the rules that do emerge from urgent welfare concerns aren’t always as robust as they appear. A regulation introduced in July 2025 prohibiting substances used to induce foaming around a horse’s mouth is a case in point: the welfare intention is clear, but the enforceability is not.

If an athlete challenged such a ruling at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the burden of proof on the FEI would be considerable. One imagines the steward’s report making for interesting reading – at what point does conscientious welfare oversight become a taste test?

Good intentions written into vague rules have a habit of being tested – and failing.

This context matters for understanding why the same debates recur without resolution. Riders, owners, and administrators who want change may find themselves working within a system that processes reform in years rather than months.

What real change might look like

Despite the structural difficulties, change is not impossible – and some of it doesn’t require waiting for the FEI’s four-year cycle.

Minimum standards for turnout, licensing requirements for riding centres and instructors, and checks on unregulated breeding would establish a welfare baseline that currently doesn’t exist – the kind of oversight applied to livestock, but largely absent for horses kept outside agricultural contexts.

That will not be cost-free, and poorly designed regulation could make an already inaccessible sport more so. But horse sport’s accessibility problem predates any proposed regulation.

Done well, a licensing framework could actually stabilise the riding centres on which grassroots participation depends – and any serious regulatory agenda would need to be paired with investment, grants, and pathways that treat participation as a public good rather than a private privilege.

None of this is imminent. But regulation has always been one of the most effective drivers of cultural shift – seatbelt laws changed not just behaviour but attitudes to road safety; smoking legislation did the same.

Minimum standards for how horses are kept, handled, and bred would, over time, reshape what people consider normal and acceptable, long before anyone reaches a competition arena.

Within the sport itself, the most meaningful changes would target incentives directly.

Judging criteria that explicitly reward visible relaxation and softness – rather than simply penalising obvious resistance – would begin to shift what riders train for. In the longer term, introducing coefficients that weight marks against observable conflict behaviour during a test would make welfare a structural part of how dressage is scored.

Riders ride the way judges reward. Until the judging criteria changes, training won’t either. Credits: Getty (Image credit: creditUnknown)

Stronger steward authority in warm-up arenas, with agreed behavioural indicators triggering intervention rather than individual discretion, would close the gap between the rules as written and the rules as applied.

And a mandatory welfare education requirement for riders returning from sanctions, as Richard Davison argued in his most recent H&H column, would signal that rehabilitation is taken seriously rather than managed as a reputational inconvenience.

These aren’t radical propositions. Other sports have made harder changes under less pressure.

The honesty problem

Dressage has always sold itself on a particular image. The horse is willing. The aids are invisible. The partnership is harmonious. That image is part of what makes the sport appealing – and part of what makes these moments so damaging when they surface.

Writing in Grandprix in response to the Amsterdam footage, Timothée Peugnot and Lucas Tracol make an important point about the narratives the sport constructs around itself.

After a crisis, the next up-and-coming star is always positioned as a saviour, like Charlotte once was – presented as proof that the sport’s values are intact.

The problem is that this places impossible expectations on individuals and sets them up to fail the moment they fall short. It also lets the sport avoid the harder conversation about why the crisis happened in the first place.

But elite sport is physically demanding, mentally pressurised, and full of competitive incentive. Pretending otherwise doesn’t protect the sport’s reputation – it undermines it.

When the gap between the image and the reality becomes visible, the damage is worse precisely because the image was so carefully maintained.

As Anna Ross has written, the sport is frequently unwilling to look critically at itself – and too much of the content produced around it retreats into safe, uncritical celebration rather than honest engagement.

What does good welfare actually mean?

Every governing body will tell you that horse welfare is their number one priority. But it’s worth asking what that actually means – because good welfare and elite sport exist in a tension that nobody in the industry likes to acknowledge directly.

A horse in perfect welfare is, by most definitions, an animal that is calm, free from pain, able to express natural behaviour, and not subject to significant stress.

A horse competing at the top level is asked to perform movements of considerable physical and mental demand, in an environment of noise and pressure, under a rider responding to competitive incentive.

Those two descriptions aren’t straightforwardly compatible.

That doesn’t mean elite equestrian sport is inherently abusive. But it does mean that the question “what is good welfare?” cannot be answered without first acknowledging that sport and welfare exist on a spectrum.

My own view is that good welfare and horse sport aren’t inherently incompatible, even if they are in tension. Horses can be asked to do things they wouldn’t choose to do, and may not particularly enjoy, without that constituting poor welfare – provided it causes no lasting harm and their overall quality of life is good.

But that isn’t a condition we can assume is always met. The burden of demonstrating it sits entirely with the humans involved, which is precisely why clearer standards, rather than individual discretion, matters.

It’s also why the sport needs to engage seriously with the growing body of equine stress research, rather than waiting for the science to become undeniable.

What level of physical demand on a horse is tolerable? What does pressure look like when it crosses a line?

Until the sport is willing to engage with that honestly – not defensively, not with reassuring language about harmony and partnership, but with genuine precision about what it asks of horses and why – it’ll keep having the same argument.

For me, pressure isn’t the same as suffering. A horse that is tense in a warm-up, above the bit, showing conflict behaviour, isn’t necessarily being abused. The threshold sits somewhere around this: riding that produces sustained, unresolved conflict behaviour – where the horse’s signals are consistently overridden rather than addressed – has crossed a line.

The question stewards, judges, and federations need to ask then is not “is this horse tense?” but “is this tension being listened to?” – and, critically, how do we assess that in practice.

That isn’t a rhetorical question. It requires agreed behavioural indicators, trained officials, and the institutional will to act on what they observe. The tools exist. The framework does not.

The people inhibiting change are not indifferent to horses – most of them have dedicated their lives to these animals, which is precisely what makes this hard.

But what the sport owes them – and itself – is the honesty to keep asking these questions as a matter of ongoing habit, not in response to a video, not in a carefully worded statement.

Whether it’s capable of that is, genuinely, unclear.

We’d love to hear your thoughts. Where do you think the line sits between acceptable training pressure and poor welfare – and do you think the sport is currently on the right side of it? Write in and share your views at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance to have your response published in a future issue of Horse & Hound.

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Anna Ross: ‘Everyone’s watching now, and willingness to question ourselves has to be part of the deal’

Anna Ross — Mon, 16 Mar 2026 10:30:56 +0000

British grand prix dressage rider and trainer Anna Ross on dressage being under public scrutiny and the potential for AI to support judging in the future

Dressage is back in the spotlight and, while the FEI has issued its penalties and attempted to move on, the court of public opinion is rather less forgiving.

The Times in particular seems to have developed a keen interest in dressage, which isn’t something the sport is used to. Recently their chief sports writer, Owen Slot, wrote a piece questioning footage from the warm-up at the World Cup qualifier in Amsterdam. The videos have sparked renewed debate about training practices in the sport. The question the public is asking is simple: is what’s shown in these videos normal training? If it is, should it be?

As Richard Davison said in his recent column, everyone has a different idea of where the welfare line sits. One person may eat meat but refuse factory-farmed meat or battery eggs. A vegetarian might find the idea of eating meat unacceptable, while for a vegan, the consumption of eggs and dairy is equally wrong. All believe they are acting with good intentions, but who is “right”?

The same question applies to training. How much pressure is too much, and how do we measure it? These are uncomfortable conversations that, historically, our sport has not been particularly fond of. Yet we’re not short of expertise to guide us. The UK alone has many respected researchers working in equine welfare and performance. The knowledge is there if we choose to listen.

It’d be disingenuous to pretend to the public that we train horses without pressure. From the moment we handle a foal, pressure and release form the basis of communication. A hand on the chest asks the foal to step away. The foal yields, we release, and so the lifelong conversation begins.

Horses organise their societies in a similar way. Life within a herd isn’t always harmonious; it’s normal for horses to test the leader. But when criticism comes, the immediate response from stakeholders is often to point out how well the horses are cared for.

At the top level, an international horse may travel with more entourage than a Formula One team: vet, farrier, physio, saddle-fitter, nutritionist, trainer… But what has long been considered “good care” is not always the same as what is best for the horse. Would the spotless horse quite like to be muddy for a while? Might the heavily rugged horse be happier with less? And might the much-loved good-doer be healthier a little leaner?

Love and good intentions matter, but they aren’t always enough. If we are serious about our partnership with horses, then education and a willingness to question ourselves have to be part of the deal.

I don’t claim to have all the answers, but after a lifetime with horses it often comes back to that all-important quality: feel. Watching how the horse responds and making decisions from there.

Judging under pressure

To the untrained eye, dressage judging can look almost zen-like. Judges murmur to their writers as the test flows past (although riders seem only ever to hear “six” as we strain our ears going by).

In reality, it’s more like a mental triathlon at speed, with the wrath of the internet waiting to pounce. In the grand prix alone, there’s an extraordinary amount of counting: tempi changes, pirouette steps, piaffe transitions. All of this while judges are also expected to assess rhythm, balance, straightness and

harmony. It’s impossible to judge everything perfectly.

The critics often forget that judges are evaluating in real time, without the benefit of slow-motion replays or a second look. While someone online may have watched the same moment 100 times on a large screen, the judge saw it once, in a fraction of a second.

Perhaps this is where technology could help. Artificial intelligence (AI) could handle the mechanical elements: counting strides, verifying the number of changes, flagging any “misses”, and checking whether pirouettes or piaffe stayed within the correct parameters. In other words, AI could deal with the mathematics while human judges focus on what humans are actually good at: evaluating quality.

Used well, technology might make the sport fairer while freeing judges to concentrate on the nuances that really define great riding: harmony, subtlety and feel. There will, of course, be naysayers. But if AI could also take on winter yard duties – say, pushing wheelbarrows over frozen ground or breaking the ice on water buckets – I suspect even the most sceptical horse people might be tempted to sign up.

What role, if any, should technology play in the future of dressage judging? Write to us at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance to have your views published in a future issue of Horse & Hound magazine

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Carl Hester warns riders to ‘be careful what you wish for’ ahead of the FEI dressage rules revision

Carl Hester — Thu, 19 Feb 2026 10:26:15 +0000

Carl Hester welcomes the news that six international dressage shows will be held in Britain this year, and warns fellow riders that welfare rules can sometimes result in unintended consequences

With the FEI World Championships for dressage taking place this August at Aachen – alongside those for showjumping, eventing, para dressage, vaulting and driving – a feast of equestrian excellence beckons.

The fact we have six international dressage shows in this country in 2026 is also amazing. In the run-up to the worlds, we are so fortunate to have three fabulous venues hosting internationals: Hartpury, Hickstead and Wellington Riding. To have the opportunity to watch our team hopefuls ahead of selection is great, and that spectators can watch – wait for it – for free, is brilliant.

In previous years, Addington has hosted the earliest fixture in the British international calendar, but after the venue’s recent management change, there wasn’t time to confirm the FEI schedule. Kelvin Bywater, who has loads of experience, has taken on the lease at Addington, so I wish him well. Hopefully next year we’ll be back there?

Hartpury stepped in at short notice to cover the event, and it’s fantastic they can host our senior, youth and para riders (30 March–3 April). With Hickstead back on the calendar in May, thanks to Daniel Watson and his Aster Events team, and Wellington Riding in June, we have a brilliant run of internationals on home soil.

Please do come and support our riders on the road to the World Championships. Everyone is welcome! There is always talk of expense to watch shows, but the cost of running shows has gone through the roof. Take the opportunity to support not just our horses and riders but these brilliant venues for free.

Also remember that the NAF Five Star Winter Dressage Championships are free to attend for spectators, so nip along to Addington to watch (15–19 April) – you can learn so much.

Welfare and rules

A hot topic is the upcoming FEI rules revision. Talking to British Dressage (BD) CEO Jason Brautigam, I totally agree with him that this presents a bit of a rallying cry – an opportunity to make positive and progressive changes with the horses’ welfare at the forefront.

Jason is always in favour of harmonised rules across the disciplines, as am I, but I agree that any move to replicate showjumping’s revision of the blood rule would be a retrograde step.

The new rule, which came into force on 1 January, states that rider-induced blood on the horse will no longer lead to automatic elimination but be replaced by a system of recorded warnings. Britain has not followed suit at a national level. British Equestrian and British Showjumping were among the delegations to make efforts to halt the proposal.

All I’d say to those who supported the revision is: be careful what you wish for. Several showjumpers already have a first warning – and two in 12 months mean suspension. A second near team selection could see the rule come back to bite them.

The deadline for submissions from national federations is this month, so let’s get behind FEI dressage director Ronan Murphy and the dressage strategic action plan working group, of which my team-mate Gareth Hughes is a member. We must focus not just on welfare, but on always putting the horse first – transparently.

On another note, I’m not very technical, but was interested to hear from Jason about the upcoming launch of a new BD app next month, developed with Wild Monkey Factory, the brains behind Horse Monkey. It’ll enable riders to access a variety of information, such as their record, profile, history and results, and receive push notifications when they gain a qualification. Clever stuff!

The year of the fire horse

Finally, when this column’s in print I’ll be competing in Doha. Fame’s fit and on great form. The show runs 18–21 February. The new Chinese Year starts on 17 February. It’s the year of the fire horse and it’s said to come galloping in bringing bravery, optimism, courage and action. Here’s to all of those – just no galloping in the tests, please, Fame!

● What changes would you like to see in the FEI rules revision to ensure welfare is prioritised? Let us know at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance for their story to appear in a forthcoming issue of the magazine

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We shouldn’t take riding horses for granted and we should tell others why we love it, says Pammy Hutton

Pammy Hutton — Mon, 09 Feb 2026 10:32:15 +0000

Pammy Hutton shares her thoughts on the true value of horses and riding in the modern world

“There’s nothing so good for the inside of a man as the outside of a horse.”

Often attributed to Winston Churchill or former US president Ronald Reagan, this truism is in fact from Sir John Lubbock’s book The Use of Life, published in 1894.

Lubbock was a liberal politician and banker, a contemporary of Charles Darwin, and an influential scientist and thinker. He is credited with helping to establish archaeology as a discipline and later purchased the land at Avebury, Wiltshire, to protect the historic stones that stand there today.

The human condition, and how best to make use of it, fascinated Lubbock. His astute observations on the value of horses to people, made at a time when equines were part of everyday life, feel more relevant than ever in today’s changed world.

I’m lucky enough to meet lots of people of all ages and from different walks of life at Talland School of Equitation, our family’s riding school. “Why do you ride?” I love to ask the unsuspecting.

Many clearly have not really thought about it.

But when they do, the floodgates open…

“I just love horses.”“They make me happy.”“I love the way they make me feel.”“It’s the best part of my day,”“It’s the only place I can find quiet peace.”“It’s discipline and a challenge!”

Google tells me that enjoyable activities – including overcoming the difficult – cause your body to release “happy” neurotransmitters and hormones, leading to both physical and emotional reactions. The responses can be immediate and mood-enhancing as well as contributing to long-term health benefits.

In equestrian terms, that lovely endorphin rush doesn’t necessarily come from winning Badminton, a dressage championship, show or race. Its root lies in the physical and emotional connection that is our love for horses.

The modern version of Lubbock’s “inside of a man” is truly “a person’s physical and mental health and happiness”.

We have several riders at our riding school who are past their best – it’s not just me – and for whom riding once or twice a week helps with mobility issues and even dementia.

The lucky ones

Sometimes we take riding for granted. A friend in the north, who’d been snow-bound and unable to ride for a week, expressed sheer joy at the chance of a steady hack. “Never again will I complain about having to exercise my horse in all weathers. I’m the lucky one,” she declared.

A ride I had the other day gave me a high for a week. The feel, the togetherness, ease, harmony and fun. No wonder horses are addictive!

Equestrianism could be so much better marketed to the public with a focus on the benefits of riding for everyone. Let’s not make it too complicated. Let’s just say “I love riding” to as many as will listen.

Yes, the industry needs to look outside itself more. I saw on TV a 93-year-old woman giving dance classes. She looked as fit as a fiddle, and her pupils were ecstatically brimming with all the benefits. I wanted to join in…

Not only should we promote riding to children, but also to the life-begins-at-whatever-age-you-choose brigade. They’re the ones with disposable income, time and health consciousness.

So, are our governing bodies’ marketing departments working on this? Or was I the only person watching early-morning TV?

Don’t worry, though, I won’t be sitting in that chair for long. I’m off for a ride – “I love riding.”

Preserving peace

On another note, are equestrian establishments becoming easy targets for property developers and councils to grab land for house building?

Talland and The Kiln Equestrian Centre in Surrey know all about this. With 660 houses due to appear on our Gloucestershire doorstep, our peaceful hacking could become less peaceful.

However, if I really believe all the above, I can’t afford to be a NIMBY. The incoming residents could be good for business. So I’ll hack down there with the horse I love – and sell riding to them.

● How could the sport do more to promote its benefits to people of all ages? Write to us at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance for your thoughts to appear in a forthcoming issue of the magazine

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Richard Davison calls for extra steps to ensure riders suspended for horse abuse change their training methods

Richard Davison — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 10:32:20 +0000

Four-time dressage Olympian Richard Davison, who holds a master’s degree in law and advises sports lawyers on equestrian matters, believes introducing mandatory rehabilitation protocols within equestrian disciplinary sanctions could help offending riders change and improve the reputation of the sport

For some, the London International Horse Show might seem like a distant memory. But the performance of Lottie Fry and Glamourdale was outstanding and will stay with me for some time. All five of our British riders did us proud. It was great to welcome German-based Susan Pape back onto home ground and to enjoy Sadie Smith’s London debut.

Following the completion of her suspension, Charlotte Dujardin’s return to competition was fully justified. The principles of natural justice dictate that once a disciplinary sanction has been served, the matter is concluded, and British Dressage’s (BD) CDI selection policy rightly reflects this. Despite that, public interest in Charlotte remained high.

It was therefore a relief for many to hear welcoming cheers from at least a large part of the grandstand as she entered the arena. Under such scrutiny, her grand prix performance was a masterclass in focus and technical riding.

The two-day dressage package went down well and included educational and entertaining events scheduled between the two FEI classes. I hosted a thought-provoking “Dressage in the spotlight” session, bringing together visitors, representatives from the FEI and BD, riders and other professionals to openly discuss some of the key issues currently facing the sport.

Constructive sanctions

The issue of abusive training techniques arose. The discussion focused on a proposal for sanctions to include mandatory rehabilitation as a structured route back into the sport.

Rather than being punitive, the aim would be to provide psychological and educational support, alongside professional evaluation, to ensure that individuals take ownership of their actions and reform their training methods.

Iain Graham, CEO of British Showjumping, explained how they already provide this, and I have received a copy of the Danish federation’s equivalent protocol. Not all offending riders can face up to their actions. Instead, they target their frustration at those who reported them or the governing bodies that had to impose the sanctions.

Using Charlotte’s violations as a case study, I don’t think anyone could blame her if she were to feel as though she had been thrown under the bus by the person reporting her. I think she was. Why would anyone wait four years before reporting a welfare case if they cared about horse abuse?

On that basis, some understandably felt that the complainant’s actions were intended to harm Charlotte’s professional reputation.

But that is irrelevant and not the issue that incenses many onlookers. They remain shocked by the video depicting an Olympic champion, who previously promoted equine welfare, excessively whipping a horse while training it. On those grounds, they feel deceived.

The interests and wellbeing of horses must always be foremost, but surely the nature of these offences indicates that perpetrators are fundamentally misguided and in need of educational assistance and redirection where out-dated practices are entrenched. Most riders would struggle to rehabilitate without support, particularly under public scrutiny.

Relying on statements published in connection with disciplinary proceedings won’t cut it with the public. Nor will simply returning to the winner’s enclosure.

Remaining silent is also ineffective as it creates a void. This can too easily be filled with an assumption that the only reforms that have been made are those that ensure the perpetrator won’t get caught again.

This assumption may not be accurate, but in the absence of transparency, it’s difficult to counter.

Restoring trust

There are no guarantees when it comes to restoring lost integrity. The public tends to view cases involving animal mistreatment differently from other wrongdoings.

However, there is one common requirement if trust is to be restored: that all endeavours towards rehabilitation and reform have been exhausted.

Petitions against the use of horses in sport show no sign of easing. At present, BD and the FEI don’t include mandatory rehabilitation protocols within their disciplinary sanctions, but such measures could support both the rehabilitation of offending riders and the reputation of the sport.

For everyone’s sake, these protocols should be implemented as a matter of urgency.

● What steps do you think equestrian sport should take to rebuild public trust – and how important is rehabilitation in that process? Write to us at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance for your thoughts to appear in a forthcoming issue of the magazine

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The moments, medals and horses that defined the 2025 dressage season

Oscar Williams — Sun, 28 Dec 2025 08:30:49 +0000

As H&H dressage editor, I take great pleasure in sharing my highlights of the sport this year. For dressage, 2025 has been a big one.

If this summer’s European Championships proved anything, it’s that dressage is a sport of fine margins. In the team competition, Britain and Germany were neck and neck. Andrew Gould’s heartbreaking elimination on day one stripped Britain of its safety net; from that moment on, it was do-or-die. That they still took silver says everything about the composure of Carl Hester, Becky Moody and Lottie Fry.

The European Para Dressage Championships uncovered breakout performances and plenty to celebrate for the Brits. (Image credit: creditUnknown)

The para Europeans were just as tight. Britain arrived as outsiders – including in my own predictions – but breakout rides from Jemima Green and Fantabulous rewrote the formbook and lifted the team to bronze.

Britain’s youth teams also shone. Annabella Pidgley led an inexperienced under-25 side to team bronze, while Isla Sully and her 16-year-old Lusitano Vagabond de Massa delivered the top junior score to secure another bronze medal.

The British team win silver at the 2025 European Dressage Championships (Image credit: creditUnknown)

At home and amid wild weather, Sadie Smith claimed an emotional national title on Swanmore Dantina, becoming the 29th rider to add her name to a roll of honour. It felt like the moment this partnership truly stepped into its stride.

They’ve shone on every major stage: world champions, Olympic bronze medallists, European champions – and now World Cup winners. Lottie and Glamourdale added another line to their extraordinary CV, scoring 88.2% to take the FEI World Cup Final in April, both becoming world number ones in the process.

We’ve loved watching Jagerbomb go from strength to strength this season with Becky. From underdogs in Paris to the highest scoring Brits at the Europeans. We can’t wait to see what comes next.

Britain’s London 2012 winning team of horses, all of whom we’ve sadly lost this year (Image credit: creditUnknown)

This year marked the end of an era as all three horses from the iconic London 2012 gold-medal team left us. Mistral Højris died in March, aged 30, while Valegro and Uthopia were put down earlier this month, aged 23 and 24. The legacy of all three remains woven through modern British dressage.

The dressage world united in grief at the loss of Valegro, the greatest of all time. “We grew together, learned together, believed together,” Charlotte Dujardin wrote. “It has been the honour of my life to be not only your dance partner but your best friend.”

And the moment we didn’t see coming…

If you’d predicted in January that Zonik Plus and Justin Verboomen would win Belgium’s first-ever championship medals, let alone win double gold, most people would have said it was too soon. Zonik Plus had just made his grand prix debut. They were barely on the international radar. And yet in Crozet, they didn’t just arrive – they reshaped the dressage landscape.

Double gold medalist Justin Verboomen makes history for Belgium on Zonik Plus. (Image credit: FEI/Leanjo de Koster)

I wrote at the time that every championship leaves its mark. Some slip quietly into the record books; others change the sport’s direction. This belonged firmly in the second category. It felt like the birth of a partnership capable of defining an era. Not since Totilas and Valegro has a horse had such a singular moment – one of those rare instances where talent, timing and public imagination all collide.

What were your favourite moments in the 2025 dressage season? Write to hhletters@futurenet.com for a chance to be published in Horse & Hound – please include your full address (town and county will be published).

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Pammy Hutton calls for ‘an X Factor-type operation for equestrian sport’

Pammy Hutton — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 10:32:23 +0000

Grand prix dressage rider and trainer Pammy Hutton FBHS on why horse sport needs to get its sparkle back

Following my critique of British Dressage’s (BD) national championships, I note that the showjumpers’ equivalent (Graham Fletcher comment, 8 November) similarly lacks sparkle and spectator appeal.

We can’t expect the big broadcasters and mass media to warm to us unless we get our own house in order and demonstrate how enthralling equestrian sport can be.

I’m still awaiting the call from Jeremy Clarkson… but, seriously, we need an X Factor-type operation, perhaps at four or five big centres around the country, with everything from liberty horses to scurry driving on the programme.

We need entertainment and fun brought back to our shows. There are plenty of home-grown heroes with masses of personality, humour and charisma within our sport. Yet the public rarely gets to see them.

There will be a packed house for the London International Horse Show, where Britain’s best riders will be on show. Perhaps they could be persuaded to appear more often, say to put on demos for learning and fun, at other shows?

Yes, of course, it all costs money. But surely this would be an investment for the future of the wider equestrian industry – for the sake of jobs, businesses and the horses.

Talking of investment, I wonder what else could have been achieved with the money spent on the British Horse Society’s latest rebrand and new logo. It doesn’t do anything for me…

Pammy Hutton says: the horses know best

How do we decide which horsey products to buy? Is it what we see advertised, promoted on social media, or as recommended by friends?

In my experience, it’s often our horses who know best. So perhaps we should listen to them instead of telling them what they’ll like after buying it.

As a rider and trainer, I’ve been lucky enough to benefit from working with various saddle brands over the years.

One company in particular has provided me with the best dressage saddles ever. I rode in the same one for more than 25 years – so long that I even got my leg pulled about it mid-test. So that’s the company I remained with for three decades.

Then, recently, I was offered a fantastic deal with another make of saddles. They sounded fabulous – and one model was associated with a top Olympian.

Well, long story short… one horse hates the original saddles and lets me know with ears back and tail swishing, yet loves the one with the famous name.

My other horse won’t travel straight or happy in the “famous name” saddle, but loves my loyal, older saddles. It makes no difference how many times they are fitted perfectly, the horses decide.

Pammy Hutton on new rules

I’ve always used my voice when competing, but have only once been heard! Yes, I’m one of the ventriloquists who are welcoming BD’s and British Riding Clubs’ (BRC) new rule to allow “discreet” voice aids in competition. Maybe now I’ll call out “seven” in a “Strictly” voice every time I pass the judges…

In another move, which represents a significant cultural shift, nosebands are no longer to be compulsory when competing with BRC.

Sweden made nosebands optional in 2025, Denmark followed soon after, and many here are questioning their necessity. But BD and the FEI remain focused on measuring noseband tightness with gauges.

Perhaps the answer is to let riders decide how their horses go best and are happiest? Although if tack rules go to extremes, safety must be considered.

Importantly, no new rule is a panacea. Removing the noseband won’t fix heavy hands, bad riding or poor saddle fit. And using the voice isn’t a shortcut for feel or timing.

The need for us all to learn and improve as riders never changes.

Signing off from 2025

Finally, I wish all my readers and their horses a merry Christmas and a great 2026.

● How do you think equestrian sport could bring back more fun and atmosphere without losing its roots? Write to us at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance for your thoughts to appear in a forthcoming issue of the magazine

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‘It’s time to make people curious about dressage by showing its beauty when done well’, says Laura Tomlinson

Laura Tomlinson — Thu, 27 Nov 2025 10:28:25 +0000

Olympic medallist and successful British grand prix dressage rider Laura Tomlinson shares her thoughts on rebuilding her sport for a new generation of fans

It is crazy to think we are about to close out another year, and that in a couple of months we will be stepping into 2026 with fresh resolutions, hopes and goals. Now that I am in my 40s and that bit wiser, I find myself reflecting more on what this past year has taught me and what I want to carry forward.

This year, I learned to be more patient and to notice the smaller wins instead of only judging myself against the distance to the bigger goal. I also learned that my body needs more upkeep than it used to. Missing a gym or Pilates session hits harder now, both physically and mentally.

Dressage has had a tough year, with ups but also downs, fighting social media critics with ever louder voices and a decline of sponsorship within the sport, which has made competitions more expensive to run and to take part in.

It feels like we have been forced into a corner, and the only hope of emerging with a positive future is to find a new audience of enthusiasts who want to be part of what should be a wonderful sport.

Whether we are competitors, owners, breeders or fans, we need to make people curious about the sport again by showing its beauty when it is done well. Harmony, training and genuine partnership need to be visible to anyone watching, even those with no background in dressage.

Grand prix changes

The proposal of changes to the grand prix to reflect such values and make it easier to judge correct and harmonious training must absolutely be the way forward. The inclusion of a give and retake of the reins, as mentioned by Carl Hester in his most recent column, is a great start.

In regular British Dressage tests, we will be allowed to use voice aids, again something I am all for. Anything that helps with keeping physical aids more subtle and helps the horse better understand what we are asking of them is a positive.

I’d love to see a stretch on the circle in rising trot or canter, as in some of the five-star eventing tests. A give and retake of the reins is great, but in just a few strides, a clever rider can disguise a fair amount. With stretching on half a 20-metre circle, however, we’re more exposed and true relaxation is tested.

Whether or not a horse stretches genuinely forward, following the rider’s hands and not curling up or grabbing the bit, but rather staying in self-carriage and in rhythm are things that could further help the judges reward correct training according to the basic scales.

A give and retake in one pace, and a half 20-metre circle stretch in another, could be great for swaying the direction the sport has been headed in. It may not seem entertaining enough, but that is what the freestyle is for. The grand prix and special should really test horse and rider, but they should focus on harmony and the scales of training, not just expression and tricks.

Also, if riders took it in turns to commentate at events that are covered live, we would have a chance to educate spectators on the nuances of good training.

Time for a new competition?

I wonder too if we could create a new competition at some of the big equestrian events, for example, where a showjumper, an eventer and a dressage rider team up and compete in their respective disciplines; a dressage test at top level and to music, a cross-country round, then a top-level showjumping round.

Instead of fighting over the attention, we could encourage the existing fans and enthusiasts to appreciate all the disciplines and what they have to offer, and create more opportunities for sponsors and fans to get their money’s worth.

● How can dressage attract a new generation of enthusiasts while staying true to harmony and correct training? Let us know your ideas 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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‘What are we waiting for?’ asks Carl Hester following the FEI General Assembly

Carl Hester — Thu, 13 Nov 2025 10:28:11 +0000

Carl Hester shares his views on why adding give and retake of the reins to the grand prix test must be the way forward

I was doing a clinic in California while the FEI General Assembly 2025 was taking place in Hong Kong, so with a long flight home and then starting teaching at what to me was 1am with the time difference, I was reliant on WhatsApp for a full catch-up.

As I wrote in my column last year, the introduction of a give and retake the reins at prix st georges and grand prix level was Kyra Kyrklund’s idea, which she had already put forward to the International Dressage Riders Club (IDRC) and the FEI.

As I said then, I think this is a brilliant idea. Correct stretch is a key sign of how your horse’s work is progressing. It shows whether the outline just looks right – or if the horse is truly in self-carriage, without the rider hanging on. In a give and retake, if the horse stretches to the bit and doesn’t go behind the bit, it shows the horse is using its back, from hindleg to hand.

Some people were puzzled and asked why on earth anyone would want to watch it. But if they did, it would lead to a full understanding of why the movements aren’t just “tricks”.

From a training point of view, give and retake should be a part of everyone’s routine. It confirms whether or not your horse is in self-carriage, which is one of the most difficult things to achieve, and whether your horse is working correctly with relaxation. Use it!

Thank heavens there was great support for this initiative tabled on FEI documents under “urgent repairs” – rule changes that cannot wait due to their impact on horse welfare. Denmark has already implemented this change under national rules.

The IDRC, European Equestrian Federation and British Equestrian also expressed support.

The FEI’s dressage technical committee now say they are establishing a working group to review all tests to “include movements where the suppleness and self-carriage of the horse can be better assessed, placing greater emphasis on assessing correct training, in accordance with the scale of training”. So get practising!

But with no immediate changes planned, Kyra wonders what we are waiting for, as do I.

As for Diana Al Shaer’s election as chair of the FEI dressage committee ahead of the favoured candidate, Klaus Roeser, that came as a bit of a shock. The vote, a secret ballot open to all federations, contrasts with the European Equestrian Federation’s approach, where only nations actively involved in the sport can vote. We’ll have to see how it plays out.

Goodnight, Jilly

When I heard the news of Jilly Cooper’s death, like many others, I remembered the immeasurable amount of joy she brought through her sense of fun, knowledge and general frolics.

I was fortunate to sit next to her on several social occasions. She was intoxicating, always laughing, teasing and talking about two of her favourite subjects: sex and horses.

My good friend Roly Luard, co-owner of our adored Valegro, had been a great friend and former neighbour of Jilly’s for many years. Jilly was godmother to Roly’s son Harry, whose 21st birthday was after the Rio Olympics. Jilly stood up to deliver a speech.

As well as congratulating Harry on his birthday, Jilly also congratulated Roly on Valegro’s very exciting and successful performance.

In true Jilly fashion, she finished by asking everyone to raise a glass to Roly and her wonderful “Viagra”. Of course, the whole place fell about laughing. I’m sure Jilly didn’t intend to say that, but no one was surprised. It was just so Jilly. She was unique and will be so much missed.

I wish she’d written a book about the dressage scene… or do I?

● What can dressage do to evolve fast enough while prioritising horse welfare and rewarding correct training? 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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‘We need to be braver when celebrating our sport – and champion our heroes,’ says Anna Ross

Anna Ross — Thu, 06 Nov 2025 10:25:48 +0000

Social media was on fire last week when fellow H&H columnist Pammy Hutton suggested that someone like Jeremy Clarkson should be recruited to do for the equestrian community what he’s done for farming.

While Clarkson has highlighted the complex realities of British agriculture and rallied consumers behind our farmers, I can’t help but feel his pale, male and stale persona isn’t quite what we need if we’re to move beyond equestrian sport’s lingering image of elitism.

Far more my vibe was Snoop Dogg – whose comparison of piaffe and passage to the Crip walk was comedy gold. He even turned up to the Paris Olympics resplendent in full equestrian competition attire, complimenting horses on their “corn braids”.

Who’d have thought the man behind Drop It Like It’s Hot would become the unexpected saviour of positive equestrian press coverage at the Paris Olympics?

We need to be braver in how we celebrate our sport, one of the few where women consistently outperform men on equal terms.

We should be championing our own heroes: the high-flying grafters like Lottie Fry, multi-championship medallists Sophie Wells and Natasha Baker, and our new national champion Sadie Smith, who worked weekends in exchange for rides on her way to the top.

In addition, let’s not forget the army of young mothers out there smashing it and proving what’s possible with grit and passion.

Are riders too cautious?

Dressage is not short on inspiration, opinions or characters, but our sport’s subjectivity can make riders cautious. There’s the fear that speaking out could affect a rider’s competitive opportunities. That fear, conscious or otherwise, limits our collective voice. Until that changes, riders who are still competing may continue to stay a bit beige.

Equestrian sport teaches resilience, discipline and determination – all qualities that we want to shine through in our next generation. Spend any time with young riders and you’ll find there is no shortage of talent or big characters with drive and work ethic.

Talented rising stars like para rider Jemima Green and under-25 rider Harrison Ashton – fresh from victory in Herning CDI with a thriving social following – are helping bridge the gap between dressage and the wider world.

The outside world is watching us and our horse-keeping and it’s time to find our voice. The FEI’s proposed rule changes around snaffle bits, lameness checks and noseband tightness are a welcome step toward a more transparent, horse-centric sport. Charles Darwin put it best when he suggested that adaptability trumped strength and intelligence in survival.

A new chapter

Speaking of change after seven busy years in large-scale dressage horse sales, I’m embracing a new chapter.

I’m working on some exciting new international projects while keeping my base in Devon. I’ll be focusing more on our popular training courses and exploring a more bespoke, personalised approach to sales and leasing that reflects the evolving needs of horse riders and owners.

I’m also keen to put some of these new FEI rules into practice – yes, even competing at grand prix in a snaffle. It’s a shift that might ruffle some feathers, but perhaps it’s time to tailor our approaches to each horse and dare to try.

Don’t worry, I won’t be going bareback and braless just yet. But it feels like time for a new approach.

● If the horse world is too quiet for its own good, which riders, stories or ideas do you think deserve a louder platform? 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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‘The equestrian world needs its own Jeremy Clarkson,’ says Pammy Hutton

Pammy Hutton — Thu, 23 Oct 2025 09:26:06 +0000

Pammy Hutton FBHS, international competitor, and trainer of Olympic and Paralympic medallists, shares her thoughts on why horses need their moment in the media spotlight in her exclusive H&H column

The captivating TV series Clarkson’s Farm – love Jeremy Clarkson or loathe him – has informed the public where the potatoes for their chips and barley in their beer come from.

More broadcasters have picked up the theme – and look at those well-supported marches against the family farm tax. Farmers are giving their industry a voice and, in many people’s eyes, have morphed from greedy land barons into hard-working heroes feeding the country.

I’d love to see the equivalent happen in the horse world; to find a vehicle to transmit with humour, fun and tears the equestrian community’s challenges and joys to both the public and our various governments.

Does the outside world know or care that Jack and Jill can give lessons on their “retired” horse and pay no rates or council tax? That the unqualified can teach riding? Yet riding schools, even those helping some of society’s most disadvantaged, are industry rated? Or that, pound for pound, horse feed is more expensive than cattle feed, while hay and straw prices are through the roof?

The public will only empathise with real-life, people-led stories. Cute pink-clad children on ponies or well-mounted wealthy weirdos won’t engage them. People love Strictly Come Dancing because it’s all-inclusive and packed with characters. I’ve asked media company Horse & Country TV to take a look and a leaf.

Marketing is not my area of expertise, but I do know that amid the lack of action, riding schools, livery yards and competition centres’ businesses are contracting, if not closing.

The various equestrian bodies should pull together to find and fund a Clarkson to lead the charge for change.

A new dawn?

I enjoyed watching the dressage Europeans. But if the results truly celebrated a new era of ease and harmony, why did Becky Moody – with her forward hand to a softer contact – not win the bronze medal? Meanwhile Richard Davison emerged as one hell of a commentator, with wit and wisdom in equal measure.

It was pleasing to see so many world-class riders in classically simple but smart clothes; a lesson for everyday competitions.

Talking of over-equipping oneself, I thought I’d heard it all, until I listened to a message from a pupil who couldn’t make the next week’s lesson. The excuse? She was “waiting for the stirrup technician to come and set up my new stirrups”.

In my book, that’s a step (excuse the pun) too far. How about a lesson without stirrups to redress the balance between horsemanship and kit?

Nationals in focus

Having been a member of British Dressage (BD) and its predecessors for more than four decades, I’ve attended our national dressage championships as a spectator and competitor for many years.

I love the social aspect: meeting up with friends, bumping into people not seen for ages and, of course, indulging in some good shopping. But since it moved to Somerford Park, it’s just not working for me and, so they tell me, many others. Not because Somerford isn’t a great venue – it is, but the show’s layout isn’t ideal.

The silver arena – the one most spectators want to see because that’s where their ambitions lie – is out in the sticks with no seating. And for riders who have worked so hard to qualify, the lacklustre atmosphere must be disappointing.

I’m sure this is one reason why entries at regionals are down and Area Festivals are doing so well. At least at those finals at Arena UK you feel as though you’ve arrived at a proper championship.

In general, spectator numbers for the nationals have plummeted compared with when it was held at Stoneleigh. At a time when maintaining our sport’s profile is considered all-important, BD needs to ask itself why.

Sadly, many will question whether to go in future, which in turn will make the show unviable for tradestands, and so it will shrink further. A lot needs to change, or we won’t have those special national championships, for which we all spend all year counting the points required to qualify.

● If the horse world were to find its own voice in the media, what stories do you think need telling – and how? 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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Dressage star Laura Tomlinson says: ‘We need more honesty in the sport – and a bit more fun wouldn’t hurt either’

Laura Tomlinson — Sat, 11 Oct 2025 09:25:31 +0000

British Olympic dressage medallist Laura Tomlinson shares her thoughts on keeping the sport transparent – and making it fun

With the National Dressage Championships wrapped up, I want to congratulate Sadie Smith on winning the top title with her lovely mare, Swanmore Dantina. Having been on a Nations Cup team with her earlier this season, I can confidently say this is just the beginning for a very talented pair.

This year, I opted out of nationals and chose to compete in Germany a week later instead – partly because the first week of term is always tricky with the kids, and partly because I thought it would be a quiet, low-key international.

Well, that was a mistake; there were so many entries that they had to split the grand prix, and I must say the quality of horses never ceases to amaze me.

From a personal point of view, it was great to be out with my boys, if feeling a little ring-rusty, having not competed for three months. They were on great form, and Full Moon feels like he is developing yet another gear. We just need to iron out the over-enthusiasm in canter.

He reminds me of the child at the front of the class who has his hand up before the teacher has even asked the question, but that is what makes him so entertaining!

Both horses came home with highly placed rosettes, which is crucial when you are coming home to four children – rosettes are everything!

Seeking greater engagement

The reason the classes were so full was that another German competition that many were entered in was cancelled, and this seems to be a theme at the moment. Fewer entries at some levels, but then fewer competitions at the top level too. The expense of running these international shows with reduced numbers of spectators makes organisers think twice.

It’s wonderful that everyone can watch all these classes online nowadays, but it means fewer people make the effort to go in person. How do we get more interest again? We had a boom when the sport hit the spotlight in the UK in 2012 with “dancing horses” winning gold at the London Olympics. However, with the recent criticism of equestrian sports, and more specifically, dressage, it’s hard to keep big sponsors interested.

I think commentary is important; it needs to be educational and positive about how the horses are worked, trained and what is going on in the ring. But equally, when something is not going well or doesn’t look good, instead of glossing over it and slightly insulting the intelligence of the viewer, it should be called out.

Owning the tougher moments

The tougher moments should be acknowledged. That shows critics we care and are willing to address problems, not deny them. I’m not talking about online pile-ons without context – but rather that a commentator should be able to say, if a horse looks stressed or unsettled, that it’s unfortunate, and explain how the rider might work on that.

A horse under floodlights in front of a big crowd is bound to behave differently than one training at home. If a horse seems uncomfortable, let’s say so. Avoiding the issue only invites more criticism.

That’s what the sport’s harshest critics want to see: accountability. When something’s not right, we must own it and fix it – not defend ourselves when we shouldn’t. The same goes for post-competition reporting. In most sports, reporters don’t shy away from tough calls when players or coaches underperform. In ours, too often, we avoid negativity altogether – and that silence only fuels more online backlash.

We need more honesty in the sport so sponsors feel confident backing it – celebrating the highs and educating around the lows, with no filters.

What about some fun?

And a bit more fun wouldn’t hurt either. What about some cross-discipline demos, or even cross-discipline competitions? At the big indoor shows, there is “jump and drive” or fancy dress jumping and all sorts of fun things that dressage riders never get involved in. Why can’t we do some of that rather than just another ordinary demo?

I’m sure there are enough game dressage riders if it’s for the sake of getting bums on seats and sponsors back in. We need to make watching us more fun.

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‘I’ve gained a deep appreciation for para dressage in a short time – and I’m hooked’: Spencer Wilton reflects on his new role

Oscar Williams — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 09:32:07 +0000

An Olympic and World Championship medallist, Spencer Wilton is one of Britain’s leading dressage riders and technical advisor to the British para dressage team

I can say with complete honesty that 2025 is the year I’ve had my eyes opened to the world of para dressage.

I’d previously done training and a few shows with clients Susanna Wade and Melissa Cannon, but I was by no means an expert. So when Georgina Sharples, para dressage performance manager for the World Class Programme (WCP), approached me for a technical advisor role, I was surprised but excited.

Although it has been a steep learning curve, everyone has been incredibly welcoming. And I’ve spent time observing how every rider approaches training and competition.

Each is unique, but getting to know their disabilities, their strengths and how best to support them has been my biggest takeaway. They’re hugely talented and inspirational people.

When I was riding on British teams, the para squad consistently brought home medals and their success helped secure UK Sport and National Lottery funding for other equestrian disciplines. Those medals kept Britain in the game and helped us thrive. Now we have four funded sports regularly on the podium.

The team behind the team often goes unrecognised, but they’re vital. Between the home teams and the WCP, it takes a village.

Impressive medal stats

Angela Weiss and Nina Venables, the para dressage performance coaches, have been involved for 20 years. I asked British Equestrian for stats. In that time, para squads have won 157 medals, compared to 89 across the other three disciplines – although para dressage does have more medals on offer. The two of them are unsung heroes, who’ve given me invaluable support.

Over the past eight years, the professionalism and standards in para dressage have skyrocketed. With more nations now competitive, the margins are razor-thin. It’s great for the sport, but means securing medals is getting tougher every championship.

As an example, in a grade I walk test, earning seven or 7.5 hinges on minute details and losing half a mark here or there can mean the difference between a medal or sixth. The pressure is immense.

Having a strong back-up team makes a massive impact. One difference between para and able-bodied dressage is that in able-bodied dressage, most athletes have a professional set-up with their own staff.

In para dressage, it’s families putting all their time and resources into supporting a rider to achieve a goal, often with hopes resting on one horse. And access to WCP support becomes a game changer.

As 2025 was a non-qualification year, it was a chance to introduce new combinations at the recent European Championships in Ermelo. The selectors brought in Jemima Green and Nicola Naylor for their debuts, and with just three team appearances between them, Mari Durward-Akhurst and Gabby Blake.

Their faith paid off, with superb performances all round, and to finish just 0.7 off the team podium is remarkable with a fresh team.

Being on the British para team comes with medal expectations, but I remember being a newbie. The WCP message is always self-belief; you’ve been selected, you’re here because we believe in you. That’s what allows you to perform at your best.

Seamless support

When it’s time to perform, everyone steps up, but between those moments, it’s got to be enjoyable too, and if it is, that only helps athletes to deliver their best.

What people don’t see is how seamlessly the support team works. Everyone knows their role, but they all muck in. For para riders, even basic routines can be disrupted at shows, adding pressure. That’s why the team’s work is so vital – and they do it brilliantly.

Georgina Sharples never stops. She orchestrates everything: timings, preparations, coordination. I don’t know when she sleeps! Sophie Thomas and Vicky Cook from the WCP operations team handled all the logistics and did it with a smile. They’re incredible.

I’m 100% on board. After 30 years in dressage, I’ve gained a deep appreciation and understanding for para in a short time – and I’m hooked.

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Carl Hester: ‘It’s not just riders who are adjusting, but judges too’

Carl Hester — Fri, 12 Sep 2025 08:00:33 +0000

Carl Hester on European Dressage Championships successes and the need to balance power and harmony

Although Crozet wasn’t the biggest venue you’d expect for a major championship, what a fantastic job the organisers did for this year’s European Dressage Championships – from the stabling to the healthy, plentiful food. Geneva, a 20-minute drive away, is a stunning city, and our day off after the grand prix was a memorable one of team bonding around the picturesque lake.

Of course, team gold would have been wonderful, but it doesn’t always go to plan. Still, I’m so proud of our riders, horses, grooms and support crew.

The 2025 Europeans were a positive experience, not just for the British team but for dressage as a sport. Before the competition began, there was a comprehensive briefing that all judges, stewards and riders had to attend. I liked this approach – it set the tone of everyone working together to present harmonious, correct riding.

That’s always the goal, but having it laid out clearly for all competitors puts harmony firmly at the forefront.

Importantly, rules were applied consistently. Every noseband was checked with the new measuring device, every piece of tack inspected, and with four stewards in the warm-up and the whole thing videoed, nobody fell foul of uneven enforcement. This kind of transparency should help address the criticism that dressage hasn’t done enough to change.

As has always been the case, there will only ever be a handful of riders able to be brilliant across all the movements. Some nations don’t have the same access to training or polish as the very top, but the positive step is that welfare rules are applied equally, and everyone can enjoy the sport on a fair playing field.

I must mention double gold medallist Justin Verboomen, who is exactly what the sport needs to keep moving in the right direction. His warm-ups are as classical as his tests. When I went to congratulate him, he was so embarrassed that he put his arms over his head and said he couldn’t believe it. What a humble man!

At the grand prix press conference, someone asked why, if the riding here was some of the best ever, scores weren’t as high as at the 2023 Europeans, where we won team gold. The answer, from Danish judge Hans-Christian Matthiesen at C, was that as the sport evolves towards harmony and ease, some riders have to adapt their way of going.

My view is that if more riders rode with less power, judging would be easier.

Very few can combine big power with balance and still make it look effortless. So it’s not just riders who are adjusting, but judges too, if this is truly the way forward – which I believe it is.

The individual finals were thrilling, with the tiniest of margins between Justin and Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour. I couldn’t have picked a winner – their tests had very different but equally outstanding highlights. If Belgium can strengthen their wider team, they’ll soon be in contention for medals, which would be a huge boost for their country.

More changing of the guard

This year we’ve lost too many of the greats. Firstly, Tricia Gardiner, with whom I was lucky enough to ride on the 1991 Europeans team.

She became a dear friend to me and was still hacking Valegro at 89. Experiences like that kept Trish going. She marked her 90th birthday with a wonderful garden party on a hot summer’s day, with 40 of us there. Four days later, she passed away unexpectedly. It was a shock, but what a way to go.

Also, Jane Kidd was another giant of British dressage – a pioneer, supporter and long-serving team selector. The phrase, “looks like a flower, stings like a bee”, sums her up. She certainly kept us in line with a rod of iron. Both Trish and Jane will be greatly missed by everyone in the dressage community.

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‘The dressage Europeans was a breath of fresh air, but why were the scores so low’, asks Anna Ross

Anna Ross — Thu, 04 Sep 2025 09:30:46 +0000

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.

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.

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‘I was shocked to see regionals entries down, while Area Festivals remain crammed’: Pammy Hutton asks why many everyday dressage riders are staying at home

Pammy Hutton — Thu, 28 Aug 2025 14:58:39 +0000

Pammy Hutton FBHS, an international competitor and trainer of Olympic and Paralympic medallists, shares her thoughts on falling entries and why para dressage needs real belief to succeed

As entries dwindle at many dressage shows, I was shocked to see the trend spilling over to the regional championships. Some venues even issued last-minute “entry reminder” pleas.

So, at the height of summer – why? Money, of course, but is there also a feeling of hopelessness?

At the highest level, our top riders are peerless, with plenty of up-and-coming young talent on superb horses snapping at their heels. But the everyday rider, of whom there are many more, now stays at home.

British Dressage is inclusive, offering classes and championships for most. The void appears to be from elementary to prix st georges.

The top end is full at some Premier League shows, but at other venues not so, and some silver regionals have been sparse. Area Festivals are still crammed – with many too nervous to move up – and are stronger than many a silver class.

I don’t have a solution. But with so much being online these days, the feeling of camaraderie at shows is not so obvious. Having a few event horses now and rubbing shoulders with showjumpers, I note that their lorry ramps are slightly more fun-filled.

Dressage is judgmental – and don’t I know it! It was OK when I was an up-and-coming, but now I’m older-and-going, critical comments abound.

On another note, why do we do shoulder-in in elementary tests in rising trot? Surely sitting trot should be used for this classical movement, which is supposed to be done in collected trot.

On the other hand, a rising trot may come as relief to those hollow horses whose riders haven’t yet mastered the sitting trot. Perhaps there should be more emphasis on seat development without stirrups to help riders learn to sit to the trot with softly following seat bones.

Para problems

Para dressage is in a new era with tougher international competition and new faces among the British team riders and management.

I recently attended a memorial service for the late, great, medal-winning, para pioneer Anne Dunham. I gave a talk on how inspirational Anne was, her legacy at the British Horse Society, creating a pathway for coaches with disabilities, and how the Brits would regain gold medal status.

On the day of Anne’s memorial, Lee Pearson kicked a mark out of the park at Wellington International, putting him closer to medals than we have seen for a while. Yet I was informed by some at the sharp end of the sport that it’s unrealistic to expect a Paralympic team gold at Los Angeles in 2028 – a negative attitude that quite frankly shocked me.

Instead, the focus is apparently on individual medals. But surely that’s the wrong approach?

Lee may well need another horse for Los Angeles. I will help find one – but who will join me unless there’s genuine positivity around medal potential?

I’ve also been watching and supporting several up-and-coming para riders, including one who is clearly not “on the radar” but deserves to be. How do I know? Because the number of World Class personnel surrounding a rider indicates how “on the radar” they are.

The well-proven World Class structure, which follows other sports, is delivering. But a serious review of manpower – and where the money is spent – is needed.

At international shows, the British team is regularly backed up by a large contingent of staff. Whereas the Dutch, Americans, Germans and Danes all operate successfully with a smaller, streamlined support team led by an expert head coach, team manager or both.

The World Class Programme and the funds behind it are wonderful. But I’d like to see more money going to the riders and less to unnecessary travelling and non-travelling support staff.

Crucially, there must be strong, competent leadership with a fiercely held belief that we can reclaim gold.

And what do I think of Charlotte Dujardin’s winning comeback? Pleased, of course. I’ve always been a turn-the-page-over person.

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Carl Hester: ‘Para dressage supported us with their success, now is the time to give back’

Carl Hester — Thu, 14 Aug 2025 09:32:46 +0000

Top British dressage rider and trainer Carl Hester on paying it forward, gearing up for Crozet and a sad farewell

I had the pleasure of attending a recent fundraiser in my role as president of the Lady Joseph Trust. Founded in 2009 by Henrietta Cheetham, using funds from her grandmother’s estate set aside for charitable purposes, the trust has provided significant support to para dressage. It’s remarkable to see so many parts of the dressage community coming together in mutual support.

While our para riders did very well as individuals, they didn’t come home from Paris with a team medal. But it’s important to remember that over the years, it was para dressage that supported us with their success, securing funding, so it was nice to return the favour, not only with our success but through the Lady Joseph Trust.

It was incredibly generous of Bret Willson Dressage International to sponsor the fabulous party. Racing trainer Richard Phillips – advisor to the trust, ardent supporter and local legend – did a stellar job running the auction, which featured outstanding lots kindly donated by so many. Guests came from Devon, Cambridge, Suffolk… and even from the US!

Emily Reid – Henrietta’s groom for more than six years, with several more as a para groom and now working in insurance – not only built the auction website but also decorated the tent beautifully with flowers she’d grown herself. Emily is Henrietta’s wing woman with everything to do with running the trust, and her partner Liam even organised the car parking!

As Henrietta said: “She is absolutely wonderful!”

This really friendly, lovely evening raised in the region of £20,000 for the Lady Joseph Trust. Our thanks to everyone who came, supported and donated, and huge thanks to Henrietta.

Heading to Crozet

With the publication of the latest FEI world rankings, it’s very exciting to see three of our team of four for the upcoming European Dressage Championships in the top five.

The standings are headed by Lottie Fry in the number one spot. And what a delight for Andrew Gould, who took on the pressure of being the reserve rider in Paris and now gets his chance to star on the team. That he gets his rightful place is a thank you for doing such a great job.

Looking at scores, we stand a very good chance of being in the medals, which is, of course, really exciting. Now comes the hard part: resisting the urge to overtrain in these final weeks, so our horses stay fresh and ready for the job ahead.

Justin Verboomen proved in Aachen that anything’s possible. Let’s see who gets the chance to shine in Crozet. I’ve enjoyed less pressure this year competing on home soil and feel I have done the right number of shows to add Fame’s consistent score once again to the team effort. Wish us luck!

Goodbye to a gentleman

Sad news last week that my dear old friend and mentor Christopher Taylor passed away at the age of 90. Christopher, together with his wife Jannie, who was sadly killed in an accident many years ago, started my career with horses when I answered their ad in Horse & Hound some 40 years ago.

I still remember my interview; they wanted to see how I’d cope breaking in a young horse. I lasted about 10 seconds before being bucked clean off!

Jannie and Christopher’s passion was for taking on difficult and often unwanted horses and transforming them into top eventers and show horses. I doubt many riders nowadays would be able to fill their shoes.

Christopher, a former point-to-point rider, racehorse trainer and equine physiotherapist, as well as the most patient and calm man I’ve probably ever known, was my mentor and support throughout my career. Although he wasn’t particularly interested in grand prix dressage, as a phenomenal horseman, he always knew exactly what was going on.

It’s not just his passing that has left me sad, but also the fact that he is no longer with us to give his wise advice to so many.

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Laura Tomlinson: ‘Double bridles should be a choice across all grands prix or at none’

Laura Tomlinson — Fri, 01 Aug 2025 14:34:32 +0000

Laura Tomlinson shares her thoughts on proposed rule changes in FEI dressage and looks ahead to an exciting summer of sport

First, I want to congratulate Becky Moody on her fantastic performances in Aachen. I was so impressed with Jagerbomb’s progress since last season. His athleticism and ability to be so off the floor in the trot and canter work, while remaining in a beautiful frame, were truly worthy of their high scores.

Though the tension at the start of the test may have cost them at times, it was clear that Jagerbomb was not carrying negative tension. He was just excited to be getting on with the job – a noteworthy difference.

It makes for exciting stuff, with the European Dressage Championships ahead. Our three highest-scoring pairs could well make for a gold medal-winning team if all deliver on the day – and maybe even collect more than one individual medal.

Carl Hester has enjoyed a consistent season with Fame; Lottie Fry and Glamourdale have had some breathtaking performances and can deliver when it counts; and Becky, with Jagerbomb, is gathering momentum and confidence with each step.

There are other strong teams. Germany, despite missing Jessica von Bredow-Werndl, has high-scorers. The Belgians can’t be discounted with their new champions of Aachen – Justin Verboomen and Zonik Plus – and Denmark could also be dangerous, assuming Mount St John Freestyle is back on her A game with Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour.

It’s all to play for, but our team could absolutely do it.

Double bridle debate

Meanwhile, the FEI is back on the case, trying to bring in more rule changes as it grapples with social licence. The double bridle debate returns.

One proposed change is to allow the use of snaffle bridles up to CDI3* (news, 17 July). It’s a double-edged sword, as many people will argue that it puts pressure on riders to compete in a snaffle because it’s deemed kinder. Lots of our practice shows – particularly domestic ones – are at CDI3*, and my concern as a competitor is that we end up needing to use a snaffle at that level to please the critics.

That means when stepping up to CDI4* and CDI5*, where the double bridle would still be mandatory, the horses are not as prepared. I feel it should either be a choice across all grand prix levels or at none.

Paperless judging

The FEI also seems keen to trial paperless judging, where the whole test sheet is open to be viewed by anyone online. Currently, each mark is visible, but not the comments. This would be to aid transparency, and although a rider could request that their sheet stay private under the proposed change, that would seem suspect.

Surely it would influence what and how much judges say, as they know that every word will be scrutinised? It may put them off giving constructive feedback, given that they have only seconds to comment; it’s high pressure knowing each word will be dissected publicly rather than just by the rider.

The upside is that it would become harder to reward well-known riders with high marks when there are obvious issues in the neck or mouth. It may help focus attention on fairer marking, rather than being more forgiving of some riders than others for the same faults.

Marks can vary for several reasons, as they reflect both individual elements and the overall picture – but if a horse visibly opens its mouth, a comment is expected. Critics may then ask: if the comment is there, why does the score still remain high in some cases and not in others?

This leads into another proposed rule change: adding movements to assess suppleness and correct training. But who the “group of specialists” that decides on this should be, and how they will choose which movements to include and how to score them, remains to be seen.

A well-qualified judge should already be able to recognise these things from how the horse goes through the grand prix.

For example, does the horse relax in walk, and halt and rein-back in a straight line in diagonal pairs? Is the horse comfortable and relaxed in the frame, showing correct paces, a swinging back and the other elements in the judges’ manual?

Are we overcomplicating things, or would some movements that highlight “correctness” help to bring training and judging back on track? Time will tell.

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Anna Ross: ‘Aachen CHIO is the pinnacle for strivers, riders and welfare watchers’

Anna Ross — Thu, 17 Jul 2025 09:32:39 +0000

Anna Ross has her say on the importance of dressage basics, FEI tack rules and why education is key for improved public perception

Following a break after further surgery to my hand, I’ve been riding our up-and-coming stable talents. It’s made me realise that the basics are everything.

Part of coaching is keeping your clients, especially those bringing horses on to a high level for the first time, invested in the boring bits: corners, transitions, straightness. Once they’ve ridden at the level, the fuss about basics starts to make sense and the riders become as obsessed with these details as the rest of us. But first, they have to seem relevant.

For example, I’d say 99.9% of flying changes go wrong because the horse isn’t truly straight. Or if we let the horse die into a downward transition at lower levels, we’ll only have to go back and fix it later.

I’m convinced that putting the right basics into your horse saves wear and tear on him later, too. Too many repetitive movements are bad for horses’ limbs and brains.

One of the most important lessons to teach is that collection doesn’t mean slowing down. It’s like moving slower but with the legs working faster. More revs, more energy – not less. If you try to collect simply by slowing down, you’re just putting on the handbrake.

The opposite is true for extension: it feels like you’re going faster, but the legs are going slower, taking longer steps.

It’s the same with downward transitions. It’s important the horse stays in front of the leg, but you’ll find out if they really are as you slow down. Anyone can ride flat out, but it’s only when you can slow the speed while still keeping the energy that you achieve collection and the horse can start to sit.

Tack talk turmoil

Many thought the FEI’s recent statement on streamlining its rules meant the same tack rules would need to be used across disciplines, to present a more transparent image of the sport to the public and maintain its social licence.

Among much chuckling and speculation about who was going to tell the showjumpers, the FEI hastily clarified: “Nowhere does the report say that the tack and equipment requirements will cease to be discipline-specific and this is not what the FEI’s intention is.”

Their statement continued: “Although the FEI strives towards harmonisation of tack and equipment across FEI disciplines, differences and deviations on account of the disciplines’ technical specificities may be necessary and justifiable.”

A fine example of the inequality between disciplines was on display at the wonderful CHIO Aachen. It’s the pinnacle for strivers, riders and welfare watchers.

The warm-up area is public, and boy, has everyone got an opinion. There are stewards there dedicated to answering welfare questions from the public, who measure everything by the millimetre: nose in front or behind the vertical, ear positioning, tail swish.

Some riders tiptoe around the warm-up, half riding their horse, half managing the crowd’s interpretation of their performance.

Are stewards assigned to answering the public’s questions part of the solution to improving perception of the sport? (Image credit: CHIO Aachen)

I’ve competed at Aachen several times, and the irony has always struck me that if those eagle-eyed enthusiasts turned around and moved just 200 metres away to watch the showjumping warm-up… It seems anything goes – bits that need their own postcode, multiple martingales, draw reins, double nosebands – and very few questions asked.

Maybe we’ll all be riding our dressage horses in martingales next, to achieve that steady head carriage the public wants to see!

Education is the answer to improved public perception. I spoke to Richard White and Kyra Kyrklund at Wellington CDI about the public interpretation of our sport. They told me a story about a non-horsey friend who observed how much the horse must be enjoying the dressage test because he was “wagging” (swishing) his tail in time to the music.

A super summer of sport

As I write, brilliant news is coming in that our under-25 team have won a bronze medal at the European Championships. The young riders were just a whisker out of medal contention with solid performances. Now we have the juniors, children and senior teams to cheer for in a great summer of sport.

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Carl Hester: ‘Dressage prize money doesn’t match up to other equestrian sports’

Carl Hester — Thu, 03 Jul 2025 09:32:27 +0000

Top British dressage rider and trainer Carl Hester on recent internationals and the pony team selection fallout

Wellington CDI was a brilliant competition with standout numbers across the board. Over 110 FEI tests were ridden, and more than 400 in the Premier League. More than 50 national grand prix tests were ridden, and the Nirvana Collection prix st georges evening drew 17 combinations, with £2,500 going to the winner, the highest prize for any British Dressage (BD) Premier League class.

Just as impressive were the facilities at Wellington. This year, they added another inch of surface at a cost of £50,000 to keep the arena in good condition and upgraded the stabling and clubhouse facilities.

David Sheerin FBHS, Wellington’s general manager, explained: “Our policy is to invest ahead of the game before repairs are needed. We reinvest any profits, and it pays off as people visiting tend to respect and look after it if we keep everything looking nice. It takes spend and effort, and our wonderful team works so hard to ensure everything looks great.”

They also piloted a project to get the general public attending called the “International Dressage Viewing Experience” with QR codes and guides to explain to the public what they were watching. Tickets were free and reservations were high, but sadly, the rain put a damper on attendance.

Realistically, we can’t expect non-horsey people to want to spend a day watching while getting wet!

Interest on social media was high, though, especially in the behind-the-scenes footage using bodycams. The team had also invested in a new 360-degree Instagram camera, which created some fascinating new angles.

As David explained: “It’s all about creating trust with the public, opening the doors and showing people the stables, the welfare checks and so on.”

David and his team are now looking forward to another three-day international in early October, with small tour classes including a music class, a middle tour and the grand prix classes. They can see the demand for these classes, and they’ll provide great opportunities. Let’s hope the rain stays away.

It’s not a moan, but on the other hand, how sad that having won both the grand prix and the special, I came away with a profit of £60! And over two internationals this year, I’ve come out at a loss. It’s an expensive business, but dressage prize money really doesn’t match up to other equestrian sports.

Disappointment for pony riders

The news of the BD selectors’ decision not to send a team to the pony Europeans created a huge furore and, of course, opinions were aired on social media. No names, but here are some of those comments, as my job as a columnist is to air some of the opinions…

● “Need to change selectors if they’re unable to select”

● “My heart goes out to under-16 pony riders battling through GCSE exams at the same time as selection trials, only for this to happen”

● “Well done BD, stealing candy from the kiddies”

In addition to the reasons given on the selectors’ statement, that the panel “collectively agreed that our young riders in this age category were not quite ready to compete at championship level”, it has been announced that resources instead would be reallocated to fund an additional training camp in the autumn.

I understand that if a team had been sent, based on last year’s scores they would have finished in the bottom quarter, so there was also the issue of this posing a potential risk to the riders’ mental health should the team not bring home success.

I can see both sides of the argument, but having been on teams without a medal in sight for years, what it boils down to is this: do we really feel that if you can’t win, you can’t go? If there was no intention of sending a team, why draw up a shortlist?

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Pammy Hutton: ‘The lack of clear guidelines is unfair to dressage stewards’

Pammy Hutton — Fri, 20 Jun 2025 13:07:41 +0000

Pammy Hutton FBHS shares her thoughts on the rule vacuum that is leaving dressage stewards exposed...

With equine welfare in the spotlight, never have stewards had so much responsibility bearing down on their shoulders.

Yet unbelievably, just when consistency of governance is key to maintaining dressage’s good name, these pillars of authority have few formal written guidelines to work to.

Yes, the FEI – and by extension, British Dressage (BD) – stewards’ “Bible” is currently in disarray. The old FEI stewards’ manuals were taken offline in January after being deemed outdated. It was replaced with an online hub that lacks the technical depth and objective detail needed to support decisions when it comes to eliminations.

Wondering how stewards can possibly make judgment calls with no clear guidelines, I decided to review what’s available as we await updates.

In current stewards’ guidelines, for example, there’s no definitive description of hyperflexion. There’s also no limit on the number of minutes a horse can be worked in rather round. The only limited guidelines that do exist permit long, deep and round riding “unless used excessively or prolonged”.

FEI article 438 on this topic refers to horse welfare, but with no time scales.

In the original 2012 BD rule book, there is mention of 10 minutes, but nothing to say you can’t take a break and repeat.

Rules about noseband tightness also need definition. Nosebands are already being made with a gap at the front. And there is a question about whether the measuring device might not work with some grackles if the crossover at the front is designed to stay tight even when the back strap is loosened.

And there remains no clear obligation to use the device to check every horse’s noseband. The latest FEI protocol allows for elimination if a horse fails the device check, but neither the FEI nor BD has an explicit rule requiring elimination based solely on a manual check. Instead, they rely on general horse welfare provisions, which can set a higher bar.

And that’s just a few examples of what stewards face with no definitive rule book to guide them. Yet people still have huge expectations of them in terms of policing and transparency.

Stewards are heroic

On a human level, it’s unfair to our stewards – those heroic people who stand in the sunshine and rain, making difficult decisions to keep the show on the road.

The bigger issue is that we don’t have enough stewards to police every warm-up at every competition. Plus, we don’t have enough judges brave enough to call out bad riding in a test.

If the existing judging guidelines were enforced more clearly, stewards might not be under so much pressure. That said, a bit of common sense from an experienced steward still goes a long way.

Have we created an aura of perfection around dressage where no one famous can have a bad day? In showjumping or eventing, our idols regularly end up with their faces in the dirt, but dressage can be seen as protective of its stars.

If top-level riders were routinely marked down or even rung out if they were having a bad day, then the sport would have to come to terms with the fact that even our best combinations are not perfect, God-like beings.

There would also be more understanding that when horses have a bad day, it doesn’t necessarily mean they are in pain. Perhaps the key is to make dressage a more objectively judged sport. But to do that, we need up-to-date, robust guidelines for those overseeing it.

My thoughts on resistance bands

Resistance bands for riders have become a bit of a thing. Do I like them? No! Are they safe to use while on a horse? Not always.

Some companies are now selling these and offering accreditation to fit them on other riders, in just a matter of days. That can’t be right…

No horse or human body is born completely symmetrical. We need to work sympathetically with what we’ve got. And why extend your legs by riding without stirrups, only to put bands on and compress the muscles again? Resistance bands might be fashionable, but they’re not for me.

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Laura Tomlinson: ‘It’s all to play for in the run up to the Europeans – and I feel privileged to be in the mix’

Laura Tomlinson — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 09:44:17 +0000

British Olympic dressage rider Laura Tomlinson on recent travel chaos and her European campaign

Having recently come back from European soil, it feels like the competition season is well on its way. From epic journeys due to strikes in Calais, resulting in changes of plan, to a variation in how the new noseband device was implemented, it’s been an adventure to say the least.

First, I was at Addington CDI with my home-bred nine-year-old, Full Moon, who was making his international grand prix debut – and it was also my first time competing internationally with my cousin’s lovely horse, Issey.

It was a great way to test the waters at that level, and both horses performed well, giving me the confidence that they were ready to travel further afield and gain valuable experience.

They certainly gained mileage, although not quite as we had planned.

On the Wednesday, we set off for Dover but had to turn back due to strike-related delays and being denied a place on either the tunnel or the ferry. The horses then came home and spent the rest of the day in the field, to be reloaded in the evening to head to Portsmouth.

A six-hour ferry followed, then a few hours’ rest at a yard in Rouen before heading on to their final destination, Lier in Belgium.

The horses finally arrived late on Thursday, and I must say I was nearly in tears by the time I had the boys off the lorry, walked them and put them to bed.

Had it not been a Nations Cup show, we would have given up, but thanks to my super-groom, Hannah Smart, the boys looked in great nick and by the time Issey had to compete, he was as happy as if he were at home.

In action

Issey was first to go for the team and the first to go out of the whole class, and I was delighted with his calm, clean test. Of course, there is room for more oomph in the future, but it was every bit the confidence-giving round I’d hoped it would be for him.

As always at these things, the World Class support team were fabulous and it was great to part of a team with Lottie Fry, Andrew Gould and Lewis Robertson-Carrier. We came fourth as we lacked the one extra-high-scoring pair, but we were definitely the most consistent team.

Issey and I then did our first-ever special, and he proved himself to be rather reliable in the ring.

“Moony” had a couple of easy days in Belgium while Issey was doing all the work, but come Sunday evening, we travelled two hours over to Germany to compete at Aachen CDI3*.

Now it was Moony’s turn to take the helm, and – despite being green – he felt like an old pair of your comfiest slippers.

He, too, did a quiet and clean grand prix in the big stadium – a great experience for a young horse to take in that kind of environment, but without the full hype and intensity of the usual CDIO5* atmosphere at Aachen.

Noseband measuring device

It was interesting that in Lier, the tack, spur and noseband check happened after the test, but in Aachen, it was done beforehand.

The stewards in Aachen argued that if a horse fails the noseband check before the test, there’s still time to adjust it. But if you fail the check after the test that means you’re disqualified.

We also saw some interesting adaptations of padding on the sides of noses so that the tester could easily fit the measuring device down the front without the sides being too loose.

It will be interesting to see how things adapt and settle within this new system. Most importantly, no British riders had any troubles.

My next stop will be an easy journey to Wellington CDI3* with Issey, and then it will be Full Moon’s turn to fly the Nations Cup flag in Rotterdam. Hopefully, we’ll be back to a normal journey across the tunnel, without any delays. Luckily, Moony is like a big dog and thinks life is one big adventure anyway, so he’s quite happy to give it all a go!

With a fourth spot seemingly wide open for the European Dressage Championships this summer, the next few competitions will be exciting for several combinations – it’s all to play for, and I feel privileged to be in the potential mix.

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Anna Ross: ‘Talent without opportunity is like a horsebox with a dead battery’

Anna Ross — Fri, 23 May 2025 09:32:33 +0000

Anna Ross on helping set the next generation up for success in dressage

April and May are always busy as the NAF Five Star Winter Championships kick off the summer season.

I particularly enjoy watching the silver sections at championships – often more so than the headline classes, because you can spy the stars of the future. Many of this year’s gold section winners – like Sadie Smith and Dannie Morgan – won their first national titles in those classes, and it was good to see them paying it forward.

This year Lauren Burrows, Dannie’s assistant rider, took home her own national title. Jezz Palmer’s second rider, Amy Hose, won her class. Sadie, Jezz and Dannie all won their own first titles riding for more established riders at the time, and have grown within supportive, professional systems – when it’s mutual, it works.

The days when young people worked for peanuts and were promised the world but then let down are on their way out – thank goodness.

But as a new era of employers comes through, we have to find a way through the minefield of new challenges that affect our businesses, like the rising costs of insurance and so many perfectly serviceable horses “failing” vettings on X-ray.

As diagnostics get better, which they will, horses will look worse, and in the end, the perfect horse will arrive in plastic packaging, not in a horsebox.

People blame vets, but without a crystal ball or the money to throw away, it’s challenging for everyone. We all need a viable industry, so a fresh look is needed, encompassing welfare, business needs and breeding.

Good horse management makes all the difference – so many challenges in training and performance can be overcome with spot-on care.

It’s encouraging to see the British Horse Society (BHS) having something of a revival, with five newly qualified BHSIs and a Fellow competing at Badminton this year. It would be great to see more dressage riders follow that path.

The old view of doing things “the BHS way” has moved on. Today, the BHS is about being safe, competent and practical – not ticking boxes, but developing real-world skills that support both horses and riders.

Helping the next generation

After the winters, I headed to Addington CDI3* and thought, “Wow.” We are sitting on a gold (medal) mine of riding talent here in Britain, but it reminded me once again – talent without opportunity is like a horsebox with a dead battery.

The young riders looked particularly strong with Izzy Lickley, India Durman-Mills and Mette Dahl showing great team spirit as well as impressive performances.

Our team has started positioning horses with young riders. Demi Howard-Cartwright was one of the first. She scored a personal best in the junior freestyle at Addington and won both her classes at the following Premier League show. Future riders we support have Demi and her mother Anna to thank, as if it had been a nightmare, we probably wouldn’t have gone again.

Another rider is 16-year-old Emily Brewer. She’s been helping in our stables since she was 12 years old – sweeping, shovelling, and soaking up everything she could.

She had the ride on a former eventer now also competing in the junior classes, and when she earned the call-up for Addington, she posted on social media: “It wasn’t just a dream.”

Inspired by that moment, we’re launching a new project to help match young dressage horses with talented riders who might otherwise be priced out of progressing.

It’s not a giveaway. It’s a contract to tackle the bottleneck where many careers fizzle out, not from lack of effort, but lack of access to horsepower. I believe for every international rider, there are many others with the talent but not the means, and they’re stuck unless they sell their souls or give up.

I know, because I was one of them, a horse-mad kid in my plastic-fantastic riding boots, mucking out for rides hoping someone might think I was any good. I wasn’t sure myself, but a talented, naughty horse became my partner and my opportunity to ride on British teams.

My message is: if you are wondering if it’s possible to make your way in what seems like a rich man’s sport, we want to help.

Gold medallists of the future could be training right now on small yards with big dreams. I hope that, with structured support and a holistic modern approach, we can turn more dreamers into dance partners.

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Carl Hester says: ‘We may not all agree, but we can be kind, respectful and curious’

Carl Hester — Thu, 08 May 2025 09:29:38 +0000

British dressage legend Carl Hester shares his thoughts on the winter championships and the power of words...

Like many people nowadays, I enjoy being able to watch competitions online when I’m not riding or teaching. I had several pupils competing at the recent NAF Five Star Winter Dressage Championships, and it was a real luxury to sit down and follow their performances remotely.

I’m not going to name names – there are too many to mention – but I have to say how genuinely impressive the next generation of riders is looking. So many exciting combinations came to the fore, and with champions crowned across the board, the future of British dressage looks bright.

I’m old enough to remember when elementary was the top level at the winters – and yet this year, we saw young riders holding their own right up to inter I.

There seems to be a trend towards lower scores at the moment, but like most things in life, things change eventually when change is needed. I can remember when getting a 70% score was regarded as hitting the jackpot – and it’s still certainly not a shameful mark at all. A seven is “fairly good” by definition. Riders will have to adapt and grow with the sport.

Perspective

I feel incredibly lucky to wake up each day grateful for the people, horses and experiences in my life. Material things can be earned with hard work, but health, happiness and perspective are never guaranteed.

The important thing is to keep a positive attitude. It’s essential to be able to learn to cope with stuff as it comes up, because without doubt, it will. The news is a depressing watch these days, with so much conflict in the world.

Of course, it’s concerning, but I still hold out hope for progress, for reason and for harmony, both globally and within our own sport.

I won’t wade into politics, but I find it fascinating that people who align on big-picture world issues can still strongly disagree when it comes to dressage.

As my friend, six-time US Olympian Robert Dover, wrote recently: “Words are so powerful, and those like ‘progressive’, ‘liberal’, ‘conservative’, ‘right’, and ‘welfare’ are used to attack people every single day. These words and others like them, when looked up in the dictionary, have nothing to do with how they are perverted by people to vilify those who differ from them.”

I’m with Robert in hoping that instead of the “us or them” attitude that is so pervasive in our sport and the wider world these days, we should keep looking for the positives in both.

As Robert says, “If you look, with open arms, you will see there are way more reasons to embrace ideas that bring us together than those that split us apart.”

I’d add: look with open eyes, too. We don’t all have to agree, but we can choose to be kind, respectful and curious.

Look at horses in a field – they’re different personalities, but more often than not, they learn to get along.

Let’s also not forget how far we’ve come in prioritising both horse and rider wellbeing, physical and mental.

The sun is shining. Spring has sprung. Let’s enjoy our horses, support our people, and stay focused on the good.

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Pammy Hutton: ‘I’m getting excited about Badminton – but who will top the dressage?’

Pammy Hutton — Thu, 24 Apr 2025 09:32:55 +0000

Pammy Hutton on the dressage at Badminton and whether different types of horse benefit from different styles of training

The excitement never fails to get to me as Mars Badminton Horse Trials draws near. I even love terrifying myself by walking the cross-country course. How wonderful horses are to gallop and jump it with, on the whole, pricked ears.

The dressage will likely be highly influential this year and results at many of the build-up events have been split by less than a mark.

Will Badminton’s top 10 move well enough to win any advanced medium in the country? How straight will the changes be? Will the judges spot every change that’s late or early behind? It happens in a split second, yet can make the difference between an eight or a three, or first or 10th after dressage.

With such substantial prize money and the prestige of a placing at stake… what a responsibility for the judges!

Right now, much polishing is being applied to tests. Whose trot has the most oomph? Which walks are true, really true? Yet it only takes one person standing up at the wrong time to catch a horse’s eye – and that’s it!

Will Badminton make use of the new FEI device for measuring noseband tightness? I have tried it and I like it. I have one in my pocket, ready to whip out at any given moment. For all the arguments, it’s a step in the right direction.

A worrying situation

While I was helping some competitors at a local dressage show, I was sad to see a lack of entries. This was despite excellent facilities, good judges and wall-to-wall sunshine.

With some of the classes having only one combination entered, I fear this highlights the current economic situation and how we are all feeling the effects of less money in our pockets.

I rode another inter I for fun and as a reminder to myself how tough riding down that centre line can be at the best of times – let alone when everyone has a camera in their pocket.

With dressage currently under the microscope – and broadcasts on social media freely and easily available to all – let’s hope low entries are not a reflection of some riders’ reluctance to be seen in public.

Misreading our warmbloods

Is a horse a horse? Or do different breeds need different approaches to their education?

Having been involved with transforming the winner of £120,000 on the track into a winner of retrained racehorse dressage competitions, my philosophy was that working with a thoroughbred would be poles apart from training a warmblood.

Focusing on tact, care, with no sharp kicks or hands, teaches us many improved skills. Most eventers need the gentle approach too. I think in the past we might have been misreading our best dressage friends, the warmbloods, by assuming they need more “kick and pull”.

Who should be teaching?

Now for a thorny question… Should competitors who have no coaching or teaching qualifications give lessons to other riders?

Personally, I think not. Just as I wouldn’t recommend a car driver, no matter how competent behind the wheel, to teach a learner. After all, training others is a skill in itself – one to be learnt and honed – regardless of the activity.

The trouble is, if there’s a gap in the market, there are always people willing to fill it.

Of course, it’s rightly argued that busy competitors don’t have time to follow the usual teaching qualifications route, yet they still have much to offer. Indeed, the British Horse Society (BHS) is working hard to accommodate competition riders who wish to coach.

But, please, let’s have more younger stars working their way towards the BHS Fellowship – that most coveted of professional qualifications.

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Richard Davison: ‘Reform of dressage judging is the top concern’

Richard Davison — Thu, 10 Apr 2025 13:32:07 +0000

Richard Davison, a four-time dressage Olympian and former British World Class performance manager, who has been at the forefront of international dressage for more than 30 years, on the latest FEI developments and a chance for the sport to recalibrate

Lottie Fry’s World Cup triumph is not only another huge personal accolade for her and Glamourdale’s owners, Gertjan and Anne van Olst, it also signals Britain’s continued strength at the top of the sport.

Despite the incredibly high degree of difficulty, Lottie’s freestyle matched every beat of her British-themed music. The judges rewarded her with strong technical marks, particularly for harmony between horse and rider. Given the heightened scrutiny riders like Lottie Fry are under, this was especially good news.

I’ll be interested to see what findings emerge from R-Haltenswert, the German-based welfare group invited by the organising committee to observe the warm-up arenas and monitor FEI stewarding protocols.

Good governance is needed

I attended the FEI Sports Forum (31 March–1 April) in Lausanne held immediately prior to the World Cup Final.

The agenda reflected the high volume of representations the FEI has received following last year’s high-profile equine abuse cases. Top of the list when it comes to calls for reform was the issue of dressage judging.

The implication is that either judges are failing to recognise and penalise signs of discomfort or that there is a lack of consensus on how to score these observations. In my view, it is the latter and it has been perpetuated due to the FEI’s delay in implementing a coherent and agile code of points.

In response, the FEI has established several advisory and strategic working groups, including a strategic action planning group specifically for dressage. The group includes well-respected experts such Kyra Kyrklund, Danish vet Lise Berg and our own Gareth Hughes.

While the group seems to be in the early stages of its discussions, blue-sky thinking is a positive start. The challenge, of course, will be to convert these ideas into clear and enforceable rules.

It was repeatedly stated that those rules, which are to be designed to enhance the wellbeing of our horses, must be either evidence- or knowledge-based. Therefore, I was particularly dismayed at the lack of rationality in the suggestion that the reintroduction of collective marks could help resolve matters concerning judging and assessment.

The evidence is clear: studies show that collective marks in technical tests often enable bias and result in vague, inconsistent scores. Far from helping, they risk undermining the credibility of judges and the sport itself.

Thankfully, I was reassured by Kyra and Lise, who pointed to the robust scientific evidence already at the FEI’s disposal. This was a reminder that good intentions must still be backed by solid data.

Tack, equipment and protocols

Several submissions around tack, equipment and competition protocols have also reached parliamentary level in various national governments. Voters hold the power, and while hard evidence matters, we cannot underestimate the impact of public perception.

We must be prepared to view our sport through the eyes of those less invested than ourselves. In this, the FEI equine welfare advisory group could play a crucial role. Comprising eminent researchers, academics and independent experts, this group provides a much-needed external perspective.

Many of this group already have access to the corridors of parliamentary power. We will need to be much more comfortable with compromise if we want others to endorse our cause.

I have a sense that matters are now moving at pace and the FEI may need to accelerate the timeline it has set for the working group developing the action plan for dressage.

Looking ahead to Royal Windsor

Finally, for those keen to understand what goes into creating, training and riding an Olympic freestyle, you won’t want to miss this year’s Royal Windsor.

On Thursday, 15 May, I’ll be joined there by fellow Olympians Carl Hester, Dinja van Liere and Becky Moody for a special showcase. Set against the backdrop of Windsor Castle, it promises to be a spectacular and enjoyable event for all equestrian enthusiasts.

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Anna Ross: ‘Going round and round in circles won’t keep any horses sound and healthy – in mind or body’

Anna Ross — Fri, 28 Mar 2025 10:28:59 +0000

Anna Ross on rising tensions within horse sport and different ideas of what equine welfare looks like

Turbulent times have prompted the FEI to pledge more support for its athletes and to crack down on online bullying. Meanwhile Blue Hors – one of Denmark’s most influential studs – has announced a three-month competition sabbatical as the industry works toward clearer ethical frameworks.

Yet, there’s a deep irony in the way the sport is defended online. Engaging with trolls, even with the best intentions, only increases their visibility.

From the ground, it seems that judges are more conscious than ever of contact issues, short necks and tension. Still, questions remain about how consistency is applied.

There’s ongoing debate over whether big-moving horses are rewarded over correct training, and what exactly judges are looking for – especially in light of recent scoring discrepancies both in the UK and abroad.

Sometimes, it feels like there’s a wider gap between the top and bottom of a class than the marks reflect. A three or four is often obvious, but when a rider feels they’ve delivered a test deserving of higher scores and sees only modest marks, it’s demoralising.

Every horse can score a 10 for a halt, maintain rhythm or achieve the correct number of steps in a pirouette. Every rider, too, can strive for more elegance in the saddle. But a horse can bring quality from natural movement as well. One that is naturally swinging through the body, with greater elevation and a more active hindleg will always have the edge on horses with less athletic ability – even if both are trained to a high standard.

There’s nothing nice about watching a horse pushed beyond its physical capabilities, or one being asked to perform at a level it’s not built for. Just as with humans, not all horses are born elite athletes. At some point, ethically, we have to ask whether it’s right to push them further.

Nuanced issues

One major shift is on the way. From May, the FEI’s noseband measuring tool will be used for compulsory checks. Since its announcement, it’s certainly wrinkled a few human noses, but seeing it implemented could be a game changer, especially as national federations will follow suit.

Any move that puts welfare at the forefront should be welcomed, though what welfare means can vary depending on who you ask.

Some issues are easy to spot. Others are more nuanced, like overfeeding or excessive rugging, which may be well-intentioned but have unintended negative consequences.

Nuanced issues spark the most debate: heavier riders on smaller or unsuitable horses, the stress of international travel or even whether treating ulcers is just masking the issue of why the horse has them in the first place.

Some say a lack of rider balance is a welfare issue and while some countries require competence tests before competing, the UK doesn’t.

Even turnout isn’t a simple conversation. While freedom and outdoor space are widely considered essential, some imported horses we have don’t appear to like being in the field, shouting to come in – even when turned out in groups.

The truth is, no two horses are the same. That’s what makes blanket rules around welfare so difficult to apply.

Importance of cross-training

What we do know is that cross-training plays a vital role in a horse’s longevity. Studies have shown the benefits of variety. Different surfaces, strength and conditioning work, and outdoor access all contribute to keeping horses sound in both body and mind.

We’re fortunate to have the Devon hills, which gives our horses plenty of space for outside time and incredible hacking for strengthening work. But even without that, aqua treadmills, canter tracks and thoughtful variation can make a big difference.

One thing’s for certain: going round and round in circles won’t keep any horses sound and healthy – in mind or body.

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Carl Hester: an interesting new young horse class that rewards relaxation over pizzazz

Carl Hester — Thu, 13 Mar 2025 10:30:45 +0000

With so much emphasis these days on the lack of horsemanship and skill in the upcoming generation, and more people simply going into competition rather than using the exam and apprenticeship routes, I wanted to see what ideas are out there – and what skill sets are needed to nurture all-round horse people.

I came across a novel development from Tristan Tucker, who I’ve known for a long time. We spoke about his initiative, an entirely new concept for introducing young horses to competition with horse welfare at its core, aiming to provide them with a positive, stress-free first experience in the competition environment.

Tristan is renowned for his TRT method – and also for his hilarious act as alter ego “international dressage rider” Brett Kidding. His background, from Pony Club and working alongside his mother at a racing stable to eventing, jumping, trotting horses and grand prix dressage, provided a quest to learn – and learn from horses.

It’s exciting to see this experience put into practice with a radically new test for young horses. The focus is not on paces and pizzazz, but on giving the horse a good introduction to the ring. It also takes the pressure off riders by rewarding them for doing so, as opposed to stallion shows and the World Championship for Young Horses, where the emphasis is on gaining points.

Putting on a show

So what does the test look like? First, the rider would enter unmounted, walk the horse round on a loose rein, then go through a couple of “zones”, which involve walking the horse around a couple of umbrellas and a flag. Then mount up, show walk, trot and canter on long sides and circles, showing a few lengthened strides, a few steps of rein-back, trot on a loose rein and walk on a loose rein. Dismount, then walk horse out on a loose rein.

It’s all up to the rider to do what the horse needs and they’ll be judged on factors such as the level of relaxation in the horse, confidence, freedom and movement.

Bonus points will be gained for the rider’s ability to allow the horse to present itself, the overall relaxation of the horse and the rider, and the overall impression of the connection and ability to work confidently together.

Tristan was keen to stress to me that this is not a TRT method or Tristan Tucker competition – riders are to show their horse how they feel fits their way of riding and training. Nor is it a competition where the winner has the quietest horse.

Tristan and his co-developers want to send the following message: “We want the public to know that we are all together – organisers, riders, judges – all working on our passion to make it the best we can for our horses. We’re caring and putting our horses first, and we are going to do so through inspiration, motivation and positivity. We are going to have some fun while we are doing it.”

On 19 March, a test event will take place at the KNHS centre in Ermelo, the Netherlands. Tristan will demonstrate his methods for producing the right start for young horses.

In a few months, the first competition will follow, featuring some well-known riders and amazing prizes. These riders, professionals in the current system, have been motivated to take time out to focus on a new direction. I will be watching how this develops with huge interest.

I’ve always believed that we can all learn from one another, but our greatest teachers – if we choose to listen – are our horses.

Grace and diplomacy

This brings me to the sad news of Jonny Hilberath’s passing. I knew Jonny for over 35 years, first meeting him when he was still a work rider at a dealer’s yard in Germany. I’ve deeply admired his journey from those early days to becoming German national team trainer, a role he carried with grace, diplomacy and unwavering respect from all who knew him.

Coaching the German team is one of the sport’s most sought-after positions, yet Jonny wore it lightly. He had time for everyone – regardless of nationality – and was always the first to offer congratulations for a well-ridden test. He simply loved good training.

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Pammy Hutton: ‘We need better marketing’

Pammy Hutton — Thu, 27 Feb 2025 10:28:28 +0000

Pammy Hutton FBHS shares her thoughts on overcoming setbacks and ways to build dressage’s future

As 2025 dawned, plans were made, goals set and excitement grew. Then bang! A slight pull on my horse’s tendon now means some months off.

Whenever I write about personal disappointments, people tell me that knowing how I push myself helps to push them. Right now, I’m having to dig deep. Riding into older age, especially in the face of setbacks, requires so much more impulsion than it once did.

So, what can be done? My dieting efforts have doubled as my exercise halved without my favourite horse to ride. I’ve stepped up my work to ensure I’ve no time to dwell and I’m working with a five-year-old using my new aid – knocking knees! But no way am I giving up.

If your 2025 plans and goals likewise need adjusting, please join me and continue riding. It’s the best medicine.

A new era

Competitive dressage is very slowly entering a new era. This could, and should, be the year of fewer aids given with whips, looser nosebands, longer necks and softness over power to create an image of harmony. Other riders and trainers are starting to lead with this mindset, too.

As for dressage’s image, stronger marketing is needed on two fronts. One, to project to the outside world that it’s not an elitist, rich man’s sport with no care for the horses. And two, inside our sport, to recognise that judging should evolve to encourage the above route to harmony.

Plenty has been said about open mouths and blue tongues; I’d like to dwell on rhythm. When, oh when, will it be remembered that this is the first scale of training?

Without regular rhythm, we get imbalanced horses. And, dare I say, unless a horse is straight, the rhythm won’t be either. Personally, I have always thought straightness – or “evenly bent” as one famous trainer termed it – should precede rhythm.

Many horses carry behind unevenly, yet still manage to achieve eights. It’s been spotted at internationals already this year.

But it’s good news indeed that the FEI has created a working group to develop an “action plan for dressage”. Its stated aim “to establish a clear vision, realign objectives and create actionable plans to enhance dressage at all levels” cannot be achieved soon enough.

Dancers and fireworks

The recent KWPN Stallion Show – with its singers, dancers and fireworks – was viewed worldwide. But shouldn’t these days be more about the horses? About admiring equine exquisiteness rather than lapping up displays, drinks and sequins? We need to show love, understanding and respect for animals – not use them to posture to the moneyed in an elite bubble.

Bring back the days when horses were loved by ordinary people. Desert Orchid, Red Rum, Boomerang, Milton, Charisma, Priceless, Be Fair, Dutch Gold, Granat and Valegro are just a few names that spring to mind.

Becky Moody is doing a fabulous job with Jagerbomb. She’s relatable as a rider and he’s already a fan favourite. More combinations should be made appealing to people who dream horses – but that takes effort.

Maybe the governing bodies’ marketing teams could focus on finding suitable partnerships and moulding them into popular household names? I know that marketing costs money, of course, but a great deal can be achieved via initiative and hard work – as many social media influencers have proved.

I know it’s possible because – although I can’t claim influencer status – I enjoy a loyal social media following with my dog Millie and horse, Ebony.

Recently someone from China, with no interest in horses at all, wanted to call in to meet Millie. Ebony’s fans often pop in to our riding school to ask to meet her in person.

As I’ve discovered, social media takes a bit of managing, bags of enthusiasm and a sprinkle of imagination. But it doesn’t cost a fortune to do – and, crucially, it gets ordinary people engaged with horses.

Come on, equestrian disciplines, let’s get the public up close and personal with our wonderful horse and rider partnerships.

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Laura Tomlinson on turning 40: ‘A lot has changed since I first started’

Laura Tomlinson — Thu, 13 Feb 2025 10:32:41 +0000

Laura Tomlinson shares her views on the evolving landscape of dressage

Having turned 40 last month, I’ve become increasingly aware of the sobering reality that I often talk about things as if they happened just a few years ago – only to realise they were in fact two decades ago. It’s alarming to think that 20 years ago, I wasn’t even a child, but already competing at senior international level. So, what has changed in the past two decades?

Quite a lot – for me personally and for the sport as a whole. Beyond the rise in breeding and so the number of top-level horses and the progress of professionalism, social media has led to the concept of social licence, which has, in turn, led to a lot of tack changes and rules to keep up with the increasing need for transparency.

When I was starting out you were considered progressive for working in a snaffle. We used to warm up with no hat on and then pop on our top hats for the test. Now we cannot be seen on a horse without a hard hat and we’re discussing whether spurs and even bits should be compulsory or allowed at all, and we’re soon to be trialling a device for measuring noseband tightness.

Many of these changes are, of course, important. As Anna Ross mentioned in her most recent column, progress is valuable – especially when it ensures consistency in the rules for all competitors.

But we now need the judges to agree on how to mark a horse’s mouth and contact with the new noseband situation because by measuring the tightness on the front of the nose, it means the noseband has to be loose around the sides.

Will images of horses able to move their jaws more be spread across the internet? Or will people appreciate that horses are not robots and may express and move their jaws as they perform their exercises? To reiterate Anna’s argument, so long as there’s acceptance of the contact and salivating and chewing, this must be better than horses with mouths clamped shut.

The loss of home internationals

It’s disappointing to hear that Windsor and Hickstead will not be hosting international dressage this year. I have so many fond memories of both shows, and it’s sad to think that dressage is no longer generating enough income for these venues to justify keeping us.

The impact is not just on the riders competing at grand prix – who now have to fund more travel abroad to compete – but we’re losing platforms to inspire the younger generation of riders who don’t get to see their heroes live anymore.

At least nearly all the big competitions are now shown live online. This has been amazing for the sport on the one hand, but has also made it too easy to stay home and perhaps harder to get bums on seats at the big events.

We need to find new ways to make it easier for the big shows to host top-level dressage competitions, and offer enough all-round entertainment combined with educational demos to lure people in while keeping the costs down.

It’s certainly a challenge that needs tackling going forward, especially with the cost of everything going up – I imagine even just the electricity bills at some of the events must be extortionate.

New rides

I’ve recently taken on one of my cousin Beatrice Marienau’s lovely horses – Issey – and I’ve done my first show of 2025, which was exciting.

I rode the inter II on him and my home-bred Full Moon. Both scored over 73% and despite very lively warm-ups, I was delighted with both of them in the arena.

Full Moon has never had to do piaffe, passage or one-time changes in the ring before and I felt like such a proud mother when he did it all with a big smile on his face. Issey is very different with different insecurities and a slightly trickier neck, but he too gave me the feeling of a horse that really tries for you when under pressure, which was reassuring going into the new season.

I’ll continue with a few small national grands prix with them, and wait and see when the time is right for them to join Soegaards Bon Royal on the international stage.

So, despite now having reached the age of 40, I’m as excited as ever – like a young whippersnapper – with a string of wonderful horses to compete and enjoy!

● What are the biggest changes you’ve noticed in dressage over the years? Write to us at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and country, for the chance for your letter to appear in a forthcoming issue of the magazine

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Anna Ross: ‘Good horsemanship will never go out of fashion’

Anna Ross — Thu, 30 Jan 2025 10:32:06 +0000

International grand prix dressage rider Anna Ross on young horses, good horsemanship and the future of tack

It’s been an exciting few weeks for our breeding programme. Newton Feeling Good, the first son of my top ride Habouche (Holly), was recently approved as a stallion at the Oldenburg licensing in Germany. He was snapped up as a foal by Dutch Olympian Diederik van Silfhout, who produced him for this appearance.

Habouche is betrothed this year – by embryo transfer – to my other ride, Sezuans Donnerhall (Suzi), and there’s another top stallion who may soon join us.

Buying horses young is becoming increasingly popular in today’s challenging economic climate.

Seeing so many on the lunge at the stallion licensing, showcasing their natural movement, made me wonder: what qualities do people value most in young horses? Breeding for longevity seems obvious, and thankfully there was a noticeable absence of the long, sloping fetlocks we often saw a few years ago.

I’d swap a pretty head any day for short upright pasterns, powerful hindquarters and a well-set neck. After all, they all look beautiful with a rosette on! For me, natural cadence and confidence are essential.

Bold, inquisitive young horses tend to adapt more easily to new environments, staying relaxed and supple compared to their more nervous peers. While ridden movement shouldn’t come from tension, let’s face it – sometimes it does.

Even our riding school horses used to look Olympic-level for the first five minutes after being turned out following an extended period indoors. Likewise, when our stallions piaffe for a 10 in front of the dummy, they certainly aren’t relaxed.

So natural movement isn’t always free of tension, which begs the question what is natural, and should total relaxation be the ultimate goal in dressage?

The new noseband measuring device

We’ll need to find a new normal with the noseband measuring device coming in soon. I’m a fan of the gadget – it’s fair for everyone and removes ambiguity. Riders have received yellow cards for nosebands being too tight when they’ve been fitted in the same way throughout the season, so this offers much-needed clarity.

For as long as riders believe they’ll be marked down for any activity in the horse’s mouth, they’ll aim to present it as still. However, a clamped-shut mouth gives a horrible, dead feeling on the rein. Horses need freedom to move their jaws, swallow, and chomp on the bit.

Followers of natural horsemanship have long recognised that licking and chewing are signs of relaxation and the FEI rules now state the horse should “accept the bridle with a light and consistent soft submissive contact, thereby chewing the bit with a quiet, sensitive mouth”.

Clear guidance on acceptable movement would help, as the current directive is vague. I assume we’re not looking to resemble a cow chewing the cud or the equine equivalent of the Wrigley’s gum advert. Seminars and educational events could focus on defining what’s ideal.

Rethink tradition

Back when we wore yellow points on our tailcoats and white tape on our plaits, I was marked down in an international competition for my curb rein being too loose. It was deemed I didn’t demonstrate the acceptance of both the double bridle bits.

Personally, I think I just had my reins too long, but it sparked debate at a worldwide judges forum and it’d be interesting to revisit that debate in light of the evolution of the sport since.

In an experimental demo for Myler Bits riding in just a slip head with both Weymouth and snaffle bits individually – no noseband, browband or throatlash – most horses closed their mouths and seemed most comfortable in single Weymouth bits.

I understand at this point some traditionalists will be ripping up this copy of H&H in disgust, but in a lot of the idealised pictures of “ye olden days” many of the classical masters ride on the curb rein with long shanks.

The thought that the FEI might even consider bitless bridles will send those still in recovery from the thought of riding in snaffles into absolute freefall. But ultimately, there’s no universal right or wrong – horses react differently and should be treated as individuals.

In the end, it’s the overall impression of the horse – not the equipment – that should determine compliance with FEI welfare directives. Good horsemanship and feeling for the horse never go out of fashion.

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Carl Hester: ‘Could money saved by not going abroad keep our home internationals alive?’

Carl Hester — Thu, 16 Jan 2025 10:35:10 +0000

Carl Hester has been exploring breed shows abroad and has a possible way forward to help Britain retain our international dressage competitions

With the recent cold and snowy weather, I cast my mind back to late November having lunch in a T-shirt in Seville. Continuing my exploration of dressage around the world, I visited SICAB – the World Championships for Pura Raza Española (PRE) horses, the pure-bred Spanish horse known as the Andalusian.

It’s incredibly easy to find an Airbnb that doesn’t cost a fortune in the middle of Seville, which is crammed with bars and restaurants, again all affordable. A short taxi ride took us to Fibes, an exhibition centre rather like the NEC, where three indoor pavilions were packed full of delights and surprises.

Potentially scary moments

Like Portugal’s Golegã, which I was introduced to in 2023, this Spanish celebration of PRE horses showcases a vibrant cross-section of participants, from young children riding to Olympic-level riders.

Watching three-year-old stallions, barely beyond lunge training yet already so obedient, performing extended trots down the long side alongside their handlers was a sight to behold. It was, however, daunting watching them canter loose on a circle each way, which frequently accelerated to a gallop!

In the mares’ class, three mares were linked together by a neck strap – potentially scary. The aim is for them to look and move alike, but when one middle mare managed to turn around and drag her mates backwards until the handlers – who took it all in their stride – caught the three again, it was scary.

The grand prix class produced an outstanding win for Spanish Olympian José Daniel Martín Dockx and Malagueño LXXXIII. The farewell speech he made as he went into retirement from competition was emotional to watch. The atmosphere and passion in that crowded hall were spine-tingling.

It’s the strong family involvement and deep-rooted equestrian culture – something many other countries lack – that truly sets it apart. The families, breeders and international guests all coming together to celebrate the PRE breed – it was an incredible couple of days and in 25°C heat!

I was fortunate to have my friend Yvonne Losos de Muñiz, who competes for the Dominican Republic and is now based in Spain, as both a guide and an expert to explain the complexities of judging PRE horses. And there’s a lot to it.

Vital home internationals

Many of the people I teach are on the cusp of breaking onto the international scene and aspire to compete at that level. The days are long gone, however, when one could pop over to France and do a nice show at an affordable price.

You’re now looking at costs of up to £3,000 per horse just to get across the Channel, including diesel and entry fees – before even factoring in grooms’ wages, lorry wear and tear and other expenses. So my thought is, could people be prepared to put some of that cost into keeping home CDIs alive?

With that in mind, it is a tragedy to lose such an iconic venue as Hickstead. I know the Bunn family and Hickstead directors view it as a terrible shame but without sustainable, long-term support, it’s not viable, with exorbitant costs of over £50,000.

It won’t happen this year but if 40 riders contributed £2,000 each – less than the cost of taking a horse abroad – could the dressage community enable this magnificent show to return in 2026? We can’t afford to lose any more CDIs – not only because they provide vital opportunities for international competition, but also because they are crucial for qualifying our teams.

We have to acknowledge that foreign riders can’t afford, or don’t want to make the journey, to compete here in the UK unless the prize money is huge. The pot for sponsorship is small, so let’s try to make our first focus on getting these shows going for our own community.

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Anna Ross: ‘Changes are afoot – and I’m glad to hear it’

Anna Ross — Thu, 09 Nov 2023 10:25:56 +0000

The British Dressage (BD) AGM was broadcast live from the High Profile show at Aintree, which is well worth a visit for riders of all levels. It’s an iconic setting, with great facilities and you get a good bit of adrenaline hacking through the racecourse to the well-decorated arena. There was a great atmosphere on gala night.

Changes are afoot with new tests on the way for July next year. I’m looking forward to these, as some of the current tests were in use at the start of my career. I’m pleased to hear some will have the paces mark co-efficient reduced as collective marks make no sense to me, equating to double counting, and were dropped by the FEI years ago. I’m also glad the number of tests is going to be capped at six per level – the system needed simplifying.

On that note, Derek Pullem has been voted the new sports operations director, vowing to simplify the silver section. I would have thought rewriting War and Peace in Gujarati would be an easier task. A noble cause indeed, but may the force be with him in that particular minefield.

On the front line

I thought that stewards and the provision of support for them might have been highlighted more in the welfare presentation, as they’re on the front line of the sport, overseeing the warm-up areas and tack checks.

I was reminded of how multi-skilled they are when one of my pupils paid a visit to the astronauts, landing with a thump in the warm-up arena that could be heard on the live stream next door. As she lay grunting on Aintree’s excellent arena surface I was relieved to see steward extraordinaire Lynne Campbell approaching. Lynne is a veritable goddess of first aid and presents courses on the topic countrywide.

Staying up-to-date with first aid is essential as a trainer – but it’s probably best not to fall off in lessons with me. In times of stress, my first thought defaults to a flashback from the 1980s film Airplane, in which a passenger performed an emergency tracheotomy with a biro!

Fortunately for the rider, Lynne picked up the pieces as I tended to the horse – who was performing a lovely collected canter on the concrete pathway, demonstrating exactly why a warmblood will never win the Grand National.

The youth classes were well supported with new combinations finding their groove. The stallion Nymphenburg’s First Ampere and Isobel Lickley caught my eye, winning the young rider team test. What a horse he is, with three high-quality gaits and a super rider aboard as well – definitely one to watch for next year.

Some former pony team members were making the switch to horses look smooth sailing, too. Aintree is a fantastic venue and it would be great to have an international there.

Denmark in contention for Paris

Every four years in the autumn before the Olympics top horses change hands. New ownership has to be registered to the country they would represent before 15 January to be eligible.

The Danish team have gained a leading contender as Mount St John Freestyle, formerly competed on British teams by Charlotte Dujardin, has moved to Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour. She’ll be a strong iron in Denmark’s fire, and it will make for an even more competitive team event.

Meanwhile, there has been a social media outcry as Cathrine’s former Olympic ride Bohemian was put up for auction by his owners Sporthorse Galleria. They quickly switched this to a private sale following much criticism about the suitability of this type of sale for a top horse.

There’s no doubt that these Olympic mounts are a valuable asset for aspiring competitors, as at this late stage, for those without horsepower, dreams have to be bought not made.

Riders setting themselves up for the future without deep pockets have to gamble more, buy young and play the long game. Mount St John Freestyle is a great example. She was bought as a foal and brought up to championship team level by her owner, Emma Blundell, and Charlotte Dujardin.

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This exclusive column will also be available to read in Horse & Hound magazine, on sale Thursday 9 November, 2023

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Laura Tomlinson: ‘I’ve learnt competing during times of chaos isn’t fair to anyone’

Laura Tomlinson — Fri, 27 Oct 2023 09:28:47 +0000

Top British grand prix dressage rider and Olympian Laura Tomlinson on balancing family life – with four children – and bringing on her horses

I have to start by congratulating the fabulous gold medal-winning European Championship team who rode some inspirational tests in Riesenbeck last month. Since then, we’ve also seen Carl Hester crowned national champion for the umpteenth time – he’s such an inspiration.

From our camp, Lara Butler rode our 18-year-old home-bred Kristjan down the centre line for the last time for a successful and emotional last competition together. The pair have been a combination since 2011 and have had some fantastic international wins. It’s always an honour to have a horse for so long, and to retire him still enthusiastic and fit is a blessing and would have made my father proud.

I opted out of the Nationals this year as my grand prix horses and I needed to do some more homework, because I was just into the thick of the back-to-school period with three of my children. While, after an eight-week break, we felt rather ready to send them back to school, the number of things to buy, name and organise can become overwhelming.

In those times, my horses are definitely my sanctuary. But I’m learning that competing during times of chaos isn’t fair to my horses or myself. Now that we’re settled back into a routine, I have a few hours each day that are mine again and I can focus on my small string without clock-watching.

I’ve definitely felt the need to take a moment to work on my grand prix horses at home before stepping back out on the international circuit. I also need time to put into my upcoming horses to bring them to the next level. However, I’m conscious I have to use my time wisely, given that I have limited hours for my horses.

Making training time count

I have a lovely but quirky six-year-old mare that needs time, and also my three middle-tour horses should be prioritised. I have a 10-year-old gelding who is at grand prix in training, but I need to work on his confidence – both in training and through groundwork – with Claire Gallimore, who has helped me with many horses and their quirks.

I have also relatively recently acquired an eight-year-old gelding from Holland who needs a winter of learning that he has a neck and is welcome to use it! He’s extravagant but likes to be short in the neck with virtually no contact, so I’m working on transitions, stretching and polework to encourage him to draw more into the hand and build muscle in the correct places.

When I ride our home-bred, seven-year-old Full Moon, it reminds me of the value of spending time on the basics and how hard it is to develop those building blocks when the horses are a little older. He is the example for what I need to feel on the others. He has that softness and suppleness that goes with a genuine connection and correct responsiveness to the leg.

These are the vital ingredients for a top-level horse and what I strive to recreate over the gloomy winter months.

I competed Full Moon and the eight-year-old recently at Summerhouse in the prix st georges and they came first and second with 74.5% and 74.2%. This was interesting for me as they could not be more different in how they go. It was nice that Full Moon came out on top, as he is the more correct horse and presents a more harmonious picture than his more expressive but tighter stablemate.

I plan on using my local competition facilities over the winter to give the horses ring time and the chance to consolidate their homework in low-pressure competition environments. I recommend short-term goal setting and polishing up on the basics in the darker months when it is easy to lose motivation.

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Pammy Hutton: ‘How can we ensure Carl Hester gets the knighthood he deserves?’

Pammy Hutton — Thu, 12 Oct 2023 09:15:40 +0000

Pammy Hutton FBHS, an international competitor, and trainer of Olympic and Paralympic medallists, on why the dressage world is so lucky to have Carl Hester

How can we make sure Carl Hester gets the knighthood he surely deserves? He is a genius and the person behind almost all Britain’s current dressage success, including the recent European team gold medal.

His training is brilliant, his riding outstanding. His methods and philosophy, so generously shared, are the shining beacon that will maintain our sport’s precious social licence to operate.

Carl deserved to be knighted long ago. Am I going to have to go and knock at The King’s door? If so, it won’t be quietly…

“Brilliant and inspiring”

What can I add to the many accolades following Britain’s glorious gold medal at the European Dressage Championships? Wow, they were so good: the riders, the support team, the whole production was brilliant and inspiring.

So, please, for once, can we stay positive or at least inclusive? I lost my rag on one social media group, the members of which appeared not to see the ease, the harmony and the happy horses creating dressage at its best?

Everyone is entitled to their beliefs. There are those who ride horses with no shoes (I’m one of them). There are those campaigning against the exaggerated artificial gait known as the Big Lick, rollkur, endurance-related cruelty, whose views have rightly been represented to the FEI on occasions thanks to social media.

But to those who automatically hate modern dressage, I’d advise watching the British tests at the Europeans again with an open mind. No, it was not better centuries ago. Yes, there were some geniuses of their time then. But, wow, we need to recognise the geniuses of the here and now.

Criticise too much, too often and too indiscriminately, and you will make horses and riding wholly redundant.

Sign of the times

The FEI is putting a good spin on the fact that only one venue (albeit the wonderful Aachen in Germany) wants to host the 2026 World Championships in dressage and showjumping. What a terrible sign of the times! No one else pitched for those sports at all.

Meanwhile, over in the world of top-level endurance, Al Ula – the Saudi Arabian venue where 15 of 32 horses sampled at this summer’s Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Endurance Cup tested positive – is in line to host that sport’s 2026 World Championships.

Does no other nation want the kudos of staging a World Championship? Have medal events lost their appeal? Or have the FEI’s championship costs made them prohibitive?

Is the future mechanical?

I’ve recently ridden one of the newest mechanical horses. Having been rude about these machines’ limitations in the past, I can honestly say that the latest ones are brilliant. This one gave me many things to work on, equally weighted seat bones being one. If I could afford one, I’d use it for many of my clients.

Clever as these devices are when it comes to the mechanics of riding, one can only truly “click” with a living horse – and that’s what so often reignites a love of riding. It also overcomes the inner saboteur we all have, turning “I can’t” into “I can”. For example, I was always nervous going cross-country. But clicking with my mare, and getting fit together for a big event, has helped me gain confidence. It ain’t half fun, too!

● Do you agree that Carl Hester deserves a knighthood? Let us know at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance to have your views published in a future edition of Horse & Hound magazine

This exclusive column will also be available to read in Horse & Hound magazine, on sale Thursday 12 October, 2023

Carl Hester: ‘Riesenbeck was like a rock concert – the top of top sport’

Carl Hester — Thu, 28 Sep 2023 09:28:15 +0000

Top British dressage rider and trainer Carl Hester reflects on the European Championships, the nationals, and his ones to watch

After two of the busiest, craziest weeks of the season it seemed really fitting that in the year of British Dressage (BD)’s 25th anniversary we were able to bring home team gold. The European Dressage Championships at Riesenbeck was one of the most exciting competitions I’ve ever been part of. Sunday’s freestyle was like a rock concert.

You could feel the tension through the air in the warm-up and riding up the chute to the arena felt intimidating. The lion’s den maybe, but this is what top sport should be about, and with sublime performances, exciting scores including several personal bests, Riesenbeck was the top of top sport.

Everyone knows the army of support and helpers behind our team, and with the pressure on to win gold, our grooms and everybody in the support team played a part. Quite simply, one of the best ways to produce our best performance is to have only that to focus on, and it’s down to our support teams that we were able to achieve it.

After a mad dash home on the Sunday night – arriving at 3am – it was then time to start preparing the seven horses going to the LeMieux National Dressage Championships from our yard. With three days to get ready, it was amazing that they all performed as well as they did. Thankfully, while we were in Germany, the team at home did an excellent job ticking them over with stretching, hacking, lungeing and turnout. Sometimes a horse learns more in a week off than when you’re schooling it.

Reason to celebrate

I really felt that the championship at Somerford Park had grown, not only in size, but in spectator numbers, which is a good sign.

With my thoughts very much on the 25 years since BD parted from the British Horse Society, it’s great that medals across all levels are becoming more regular – not only seniors but the youth teams, too, with young rider and junior medals, and some outstanding rides from our pony riders. British dressage is not only becoming more successful, but more united across the board.

Of course, some things could be better. Although it’s wonderful to have a medal parade, you had to feel for the rider trying to handle a four-year-old in the next arena. Let’s not forget that everyone has to pay really expensive entry fees. My thought for the future is that during prize-giving medal parades and suchlike, we need to abandon competition elsewhere to make it a level playing field.

I also know that some of the silver competitors felt they were almost at another competition as their arena was so far away. Surely a solution would be to have the competition arenas parallel, with two warm-ups at the back. Then hopefully everyone would feel more included.

On a personal level, it was En Vogue’s turn in the spotlight and I was delighted to take my 11th national title. Although Vogue had a “Vogue moment” in the music, I was thrilled it was still good enough for him to have his moment of glory as he’s been brilliant all year.

The National Dressage Championships still has that special feeling. For many, the start of Strictly Come Dancing heralds the route to Christmas. For me it’s the end of the nationals. I’ll enjoy the prospect of not competing again until spring, and a winter’s work of schooling some future stars.

A few exciting horses caught my eye at Somerford Park. In the young horse championships, seven-year-old winner St Giles Flamboyant showed a lot of talent under Nicola Buchanan. Ashley Jenkins’ four-year-old winner, Nicola Mahoney’s Game On I, was another, and what a marathon Becky Moody had. It looks as though she has the most exciting team of horses ever.

Meanwhile, Rupert Byam-Cook, aged 11, was surely the youngest competitor. I was delighted to meet him, and we had a good giggle about the fact that my middle name is Rupert. He was runner-up in the prelim silver, and I hope to see him representing the boys in the future.

● Did you go to the National Dressage Championships? Let us know what you thought of the set-up at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance to have your views published in a future edition of Horse & Hound magazine

This exclusive column will also be available to read in Horse & Hound magazine, on sale Thursday 28 September, 2023

Anna Ross: Lottie Fry was my Europeans freestyle winner

Anna Ross — Thu, 14 Sep 2023 09:29:22 +0000

British grand prix dressage rider and trainer Anna Ross on Europeans fervour and how team efforts bring stars together

What a competition the European Dressage Championships have been: the highest standard I’ve ever witnessed. After Britain bagged the team gold medal, there were only four people feeling under pressure for the grand prix special and freestyle… the rest of us could just sit back and enjoy their rides.

It’s always more exciting when the outcome doesn’t seem inevitable and although the favourite prevailed, there was a battle royale for the gold medals. The Brits were outstanding – I’m going to put it out there and say Lottie Fry was my freestyle winner.

Seeing all the British blue T-shirts led me to reflect on how many people actually make up a British team. It’s easy to think it’s just four riders, but in reality the team is the front line with an army behind. The army is not just those on the battlefield – or the field of play, as it’s known in sport – but is made up of owners, grooms, vets, farriers, saddle fitters, breeders, parents, partners, supporters and many others who help bring the riders and horses together.

When British team chef d’equipe Caroline Griffiths told me a few years ago that the team members would need to score more than 80% to be in medal positions, there was a mountain to climb despite previous successes. We’ve had superstar combinations and strong teams behind them but the sport has evolved, and now it’s necessary to have three superstars with a solid back-up. It was no easy task to bring it all to a perfect storm on the day – but in Riesenbeck it happened.

Strength in depth is key to do this, and it’s not only us who have it. Germany effortlessly replaced Sönke Rothenburger’s injured ride with another 74% horse and rider in Matthias Rath and Thiago GS. Meanwhile, our British reserve horses (Jagerbomb and Indigro) are only nine and 10 years old respectively and are improving fast, along with a promising chasing group.

Nanna Skodborg Merrald and Blue Hors Zepter make an exciting superstar combination for Denmark, while their former top team member Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour brings her next horses up the levels. As the lead rider for Blue Hors, Nanna will have plenty of horsepower behind Zepter.

The bronze-medal winning Danish team also had two young horses in Jovian (Andreas Helgstrand) and Vayron (Daniel Bachmann Andersen) who will be aimed at the Olympics, and I’m sure Denmark can keep quality horses coming through.

Long-term legacy

The legacy of these medals is the inspiration to all our other riders, both young and old, to do better, to aim higher and to continue the standard set. The rest of our British army needs to keep marching to ensure that our teams have horses for the future. And the riders, unless they are self-funded, will need to possess the business management and social skills to collaborate with those who can provide for them.

We can produce both very good horses and very good riders in this country; the task is to make sure that they meet and their teams are supported. A good example of this is 24-year-old Anna Jesty. While her international under-25 grand prix win in Belgium will be understandably overshadowed, being the same weekend as the Europeans, it was another British-bred horse, another Union flag raised for our country and another top talent preparing for the future with young horses behind.

Getting behind Abi Lyle

Spare a thought for the Irish riders, who did not have Lady Luck on their side last week. It makes it even more tragic that their hard-fought Olympic team spot earned in 2019 was effectively wasted when the then team management decided not to send a team to Tokyo. We are all rallying behind Abi Lyle, who is based here in the UK, as she makes her bid for Paris as an individual.

This has been a golden year to be a British Dressage member, made even more exciting with an Olympics just around the corner. With medal-winning performances from our junior, young rider, para and senior teams, the national championships this weekend are going to have a real party atmosphere.

● Who was your winner of the individual medals at the Europeans? Let us know at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance to have your views published in a future edition of Horse & Hound magazine

This exclusive column will also be available to read in Horse & Hound magazine, on sale Thursday 14 September, 2023

Laura Tomlinson: ‘I’m more excited than I’ve been in a long time’

Laura Tomlinson — Thu, 31 Aug 2023 09:20:46 +0000

Top British dressage rider Laura Tomlinson reflects on the World Breeding Championships, Pony Club fun and Britain’s medal chances at the Europeans

I recently had the privilege of riding our seven-year-old home-bred Full Moon II at the World Breeding Championships in Ermelo, and it was indeed an experience. The standard of horses there was unreal. I found it a little scary that most of what I could hear being called across the collecting ring was “more” and “poll up”, as some very young horses were being pushed to what may well be their limit.

It will be interesting to see how many of the top three in each age category go on to be successful at grand prix. Historically, not as many as you might expect have, given the talent we see at these championships.

There were a few horses at the top, and some that were a little lower in the placings, that I would certainly have liked to take home. And it is still exciting to have had four British horses represented, all of whom were presented in a lovely way.

Fun times for the smalls

My week preceding the championships consisted of early-morning riding for me, in order to get my training done before heading off to Pony Club mini camp with my middle two children for three days, followed directly by four days of junior camp with my eldest.

She also had to fit in the qualifiers for the Pony Club polo championships (my husband’s department), which were held at Cowdray just after Ermelo. I feel as though I have done my time!

Mini camp was fabulous for the littlest people, and junior camp was brilliant too, with the children doing and learning a variety of things on and off ponies, including road safety and bitting.

The Pony Club polo championships includes camping, which adds an extra element for parents too. Needless to say, come Saturday morning tack-up time, there were a few grown-ups who were struggling. But what an incredible opportunity for children to have an amazing time with two and four-legged friends, while playing a team sport.

We’re now on holiday and recovering from the mayhem, but I have to say how grateful we are to the Pony Club for their efforts in teaching our children in such a fun way.

Looking ahead

Now while I catch my breath, I’m starting to look towards the autumn and winter, and to reflect on the season gone. Overall, it was a slightly mediocre one for me, but I start to assess what has gone right, what has gone wrong, why that is, and what I can do over the winter season to improve and prepare for next year.

My homework will vary from horse to horse and for some it will be the beginning of their proper competitive careers. So I plan how to get them out to the local venues we’re lucky to have nearby.

Going for gold

I cannot finish writing without wishing the British team the best of luck for the European Dressage Championships in Riesenbeck at the beginning of September. I don’t believe we have had a British dressage team this strong since 2012. If each of our British horses perform as they have this season, they can win the gold.

At Aachen, I watched Charlotte Dujardin and Imhotep do, in my opinion, the best grand prix, Denmark’s Nanna Skodborg Merrald and Blue Hors Zepter the best special and Germany’s Jessica von Bredow-Werndl on TSF Dalera BB the best freestyle – and that was without Lottie Fry on Glamourdale competing. It makes me more excited than I’ve been in a long time to watch the championship to come.

Meanwhile, Carl Hester is also on a very exciting horse in Fame, while Gareth Hughes and Classic Briolinca are reliable when it comes to bringing home the bacon on the day. The strength in our team is not just having one superstar – it’s the fact that all four members are capable of contributing to a team gold-medal score.

● Do you agree with Laura that Britain can win gold in Riesenbeck? Let us know your predictions at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance to have your views published in a future edition of Horse & Hound magazine

This exclusive column will also be available to read in Horse & Hound magazine, on sale Thursday 31 August, 2023

Carl Hester: ‘The most exciting British championship team since Valegro’

Carl Hester — Thu, 24 Aug 2023 09:24:15 +0000

Top British dressage rider and trainer Carl Hester on why this year’s Europeans are so exciting for British dressage

What a bumper year of medals for our junior and young rider teams, and what talent we have showing in the pony division, too. I was able to watch all of the junior and young rider European Championship tests and what a good impression the Brits’ riding made on me. They’ve come such a long way.

It was not only good riding but also lovely horses that caught my eye. With all our riders scoring around the magic 70% mark, and some above, everyone contributed to the success and it can’t be said it was down to one rider.

One tends to forget how difficult these levels are, requiring skills, technique and – another magic word – self-carriage. And in these age groups riders are not only coping with training and competition pressures, but also schoolwork and exams too.

Although the pony riders narrowly missed out on a medal there were some strong performances. Abigail Gray and George Clooney, in their first year together, stood out as a partnership with real talent and promise. They could claim an individual medal next year.

Making it happen

Looking ahead to the senior and para European Dressage Championships, Riesenbeck in Germany is a new venue for me – that doesn’t happen often! It’s a favourite with the driving world and has hosted five World Championships since the 1980s.

In 2015 Ludger Beerbaum and Baron Constantin Heereman started developing the venue, which now has top-class showjumping and dressage facilities. It’s a huge educational site as well, the base for the Longines World Equestrian Academy and the local riding club, which makes for a lovely synergy between amateur and professional sport. It looks to be a very exciting venue.

This year’s team of Charlotte Dujardin, Lottie Fry, Gareth Hughes and myself gel very well as we’ve been in this situation together before. If we’re all on form, I predict this could be one of the most exciting teams since the Valegro days.

Gareth’s record is full of top-10 placings and he’s a cool rider with great technique, Charlotte was second in Aachen recently with Imhotep, Lottie of course is the reigning world champion and Fame and I haven’t scored under 75%. Of course things can go wrong, but we’re heading to Riesenbeck to make it happen. As always, thanks to our grooms, owners, supporters and the team at British Dressage.

Humbling examples

Our para dressage teams always show great strength as well. Talking of para dressage, I recently accepted Henrietta Cheetham’s invitation to become president of the Lady Joseph Trust, which was formed in 2009, with funds from Henrietta’s grandmother’s estate, with the aim of providing horses to ensure our para riders continue to win medals. My role is to help raise funds for the equine stars of the future.

The quality of horses needed for international para dressage these days is pretty eye-watering. To have the right temperament with top paces to match is as rare as hen’s teeth, and certainly not cheap. It is always humbling to see how our para horses and riders perform together, and the bonds that bind these partnerships.

Earlier this month, Henrietta organised a summer fundraising party where it was amazing to see so many people generously donating prizes and time. It was a truly awe-inspiring evening and has raised tens of thousands of pounds; the counting is still going on.

This time next year the Paris Olympics will be over, which is a scary thought. Let’s hope by the end of 2023 our Olympic teams will be taking shape. Success this year for all our teams will indicate we’re heading the right way. Wish us luck!

● How do you rate Britain’s chances at the European Dressage and Para Dressage Championships? Let us know at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance to have your views published in a future edition of Horse & Hound magazine

This exclusive column will also be available to read in Horse & Hound magazine, on sale Thursday 24 August, 2023

Being a champion in any sport takes more than just talent

Polly Bryan — Wed, 14 Jun 2023 15:57:29 +0000

I’m H&H’s dressage editor, but I want to talk briefly about tennis. Please bear with me.

Alongside the live stream from Wellington International Festival of Dressage, I spent last Sunday afternoon watching Serbia’s Novak Djokovic claim a record 23rd men’s singles grand slam victory with triumph over Norway’s Casper Ruud in the final of the French Open.

As Novak walked onto court, knowing he had a chance to make history, I wondered how confident he felt. Reasonably confident, clearly – after it was done, his team handed him a jacket already embroidered with the number 23 in readiness for the moment.

But on his way to wearing that jacket, Novak had to put in over three hours of toil on the hot, dusty clay court. Casper did not make it easy for him, especially in the opening set, but ultimately, when it came down to it, Novak did what he has done so many times before – played a masterful match, and got it right more than he got it wrong.

Closer to home, Charlotte Dujardin was doing something similar at Wellington. Over three sizzling days, she clocked up six wins from prix st georges to grand prix with four horses – a whitewash of the kind she has produced so many times before.

Charlotte Dujardin on her small tour winner Times Kismet at Wellington CDI3* 2023. (Image credit: KEVIN SPARROW)

Meanwhile, over in Germany, another dressage Queen, reigning Olympic champion Jessica von Bredow-Werndl, was reclaiming the German national dressage championship title for the third time with TSF Dalera BB.

But here was a difference. Much like Novak’s French Open final, Jessica’s national title campaign didn’t get off to the the start she’d hoped, and she finished second behind Sönke Rothenberger and Fendi in the opening round, the grand prix.

I was struck by her comments on social media that evening, and it brought home an important reality of what it takes to consistently win at this level.

“‘You always win’ – how this sentence has annoyed me again and again,” Jessica said. “No – it’s not that simple. It is always work and training to have everything together here and now. And I didn’t have that today.”

Jessica explained she “started the two-time changes far too early and unprepared”, and it resulted in an average score of 3.2 from the judges.

“But now to the positive,” she added. “Dalera felt sensationally good while warming up and then also in the test. So fresh, so athletic, so motivated and light-footed. And that is the most important.”

Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and TSF Dalera BB en route to triple gold at the European Dressage Championships 2021. (Image credit: Peter Nixon)

It’s a lesson to all competitors to own your mistakes, and work out where it went wrong so that you can learn from them – but also not to forget to focus on the positives and feel proud of what went well. It clearly worked for Jessica – she returned to the top of the leaderboard the following day in the grand prix special, before winning the freestyle with 90.07%, and with it, the overall national title.

And it’s also a valuable reminder that, no matter how successful a rider or any other sportsperson may be, no victory is automatic.

Those who enjoy win after win are those who, as Jessica says, consistently put in enough work and training to get everything right on the day, and who can do that over and over again. But no athlete, not even an Olympic champion or Novak Djokovic, can get it right every single time. If they did, Novak would have never lost a match and instead celebrated a record number of grand slam titles back in 2015 at the US Open.

‘Being a champion means never taking winning for granted’

Of course, you can’t directly compare tennis to dressage. In tennis, it’s about you, out there alone on court for hours at a time. There’s no living, breathing sporting partner who can both disrupt your careful execution, and save you from your mistakes. Your tennis racket might prove not to be up to the job, sure, but you can just whip out a new one.

But in tennis, as in dressage, it’s striking how certain names have dominated the sport for years, returning season after season to claim title after title. Novak Djokovic, Rafa Nadal, Roger Federer, Serena Williams – much like Isabell Werth, Charlotte Dujardin, Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and Lottie Fry.

And these eight remarkable athletes all have something crucial in common. I don’t mean their talent – although of course they all have that in bucketloads. I mean their ability to show up when it counts, to learn from their mistakes, and to get it right more than they get it wrong.

Showing up when it counts includes never neglecting the small things; always taking time to set up a serve, even when the crowd are hustling you to get the job done, or preparing a horse for a perfect pirouette by riding an equally perfect corner.

It’s about viewing the entire test or match as a process – aiming to win every point, but not letting one doomed game or movement affect the next.

And it’s about never, ever, assuming you will win – even if everybody else does.

Charlotte Dujardin and Imhotep in the grand prix at the World Dressage Championships 2022. (Image credit: Peter Nixon)

Because that’s the thing. When you watch Charlotte or Jessica riding into an arena, you may assume she will win, but she doesn’t make that assumption. She knows she can win, but she knows how much she has to do first in order to make it a reality. And the reason that time after time, we are proved right, and Charlotte and Jessica end up on the podium? Because they ride into that arena, and they do everything they need to get there, often more.

And just as Novak walked onto court knowing that the record was his to claim, that an embroidered jacket was waiting for him up in the player’s box, he also knew that he would only wear it to bed that night* if he could produce his very best tennis that afternoon.

Being a champion isn’t just about being the most talented. It’s about having the dedication and the ability to produce your best performance at the exact moment it matters, time after time, and never taking success for granted.

And that’s something we can all do well to remember, whether it’s as spectators or competitors, in any sport, at any level.

*speculation based purely on the fact that if I had earned a jacket declaring me the best in the world, I’d probably never take it off again.

‘Tabloid criticism of Gemma Owen’s dressage career is cruel and unjustified’ says H&H’s dressage editor

Polly Bryan — Fri, 10 Jun 2022 13:31:12 +0000

Gemma Owen is the dressage rider who has become, arguably, the most talked-about contestant on Love Island 2022. The reality romance show, which airs six nights a week on ITV2, is just four episodes in, and already the online gossip is rife among viewers and in the press.

Gemma, it’s fair to say, has been at the centre of much of this gossip – at just 19 years old, and with former England footballer Michael Owen for a father, she was always going to attract attention outside the villa as well as within it. And then there’s her job, as an international dressage rider.

Every rider knows the difficulties in educating those outside the horse world about our sport, and of all the equestrian disciplines, dressage is understandably the hardest for most people to get their heads around. Yet social licence and public perception of the sport is more important now than ever.

As grand prix rider and trainer Anna Ross says in her upcoming 16 June column, “It’s possible Gemma Owen has done more to raise awareness and bring the job title “international dressage rider” to the UK public in one episode of Love Island than the entire annual marketing budget of British Dressage.”

But without sufficient understanding, publicity can serve the wrong purpose. Certainly Gemma’s famous father and privileged upbringing will have done nothing to help dispel the image of dressage as an elitist sport. But I was horrified to read Gemma’s dressage career being picked apart in the national tabloid media in the most cruel and unjustified manner.

Gemma Owen is an international dressage rider – she has competed on the world stage representing Great Britain, with 38 international starts. She is completely truthful in saying that she has travelled around Europe competing in big arenas; her being a “dressage champion” is a status bestowed on her by others.

It should be noted that she has not, as yet, competed internationally as a senior rider – her FEI career has so far been in pony and junior ranks – but let us not forget that she is only 19. Her selection for the British team at the junior European Championships in 2021 is a tremendous achievement, as is her championship score of 67.8% with the 17-year-old gelding Sirius Black.

Nationally, Gemma has competed up to inter I. Of the 10 levels available in affiliated dressage, this is the eighth highest, two below grand prix, which is ridden at the Olympics. Earlier this year, aged 18, she scored over 73% at prix st georges, one rung down from inter I. Very few riders make it to this level, even fewer will score over 70% once they get there – and fewer still while in their teens. And, contrary to popular opinion, no amount of money will elevate you far up the dressage ladder if you lack the talent and work ethic required.

A photo posted by on

I couldn’t help but wonder if Gemma’s sporting CV would have received such ignorant rapping if she had been a youth footballer, or tennis player, for example. Quite apart from the public acceptance those sports enjoy, in a football or tennis match, you either win or you lose. Success in dressage, a scored sport which can see 50 or more starters in any one class, is far more nuanced. Critics would do well to invest time researching the measures of success in such a sport before labelling a sportsperson’s achievements as “lame”.

I worry about the dangerous effect this sort of inaccurate and uneducated commentary could have on Gemma or other riders. I also wonder whether horse sport will ever shake off its elitist image, or whether the media will continue to perpetuate this narrative knowing it will prove divisive among the public, and therefore lucrative.

Part of the problem is that, unlike football, tennis or swimming for example, most people have little personal experience or connection with horses. It’s something of a catch-22: increasing affordable routes into the sport is hugely important, but for many, equestrianism simply does not resonate or appeal, often due to misguided impressions.

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