A rider in Dubai has won a UK dressage class, thanks to the growing global popularity of a new online dressage competition.
Vicky Whitbread won the Novice 37 class on dressageanywhere.com last month.
The website launched in early February and has already attracted interest from horse riders in nine countries on five continents.
Dressageanywhere allows riders to upload a video of them running through their test at home and have it judged by a qualified dressage judge.
It already offers British Dressage (BD) and British Eventing (BE) tests — and hopes in the future to offer International Equestrian Federation (FEI) and Pony Club tests.
Competitors have been in touch from countries as far afield as the USA, South Africa, Singapore, Australia, Switzerland, Finland, France and Ireland.
Vicky said: “This is a great opportunity for people who live in other countries to get feedback from top judges. Being in the United Arab Emirates, it is not as easy to compete in a wide range of competitions as it is in the UK.”
The website aims to include people with limited funds who are working well at home but can’t afford to travel to competitions. It is the second online dressage test site to launch — the first, interdressage, was started in 2007.
See www.dressageanywhere.com
