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.
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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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