Introduction
Dressage, the highest expression of horse training, is considered to be the art of equestrian sport and is used as the groundwork for all the other disciplines. Its beginnings can be traced back to the 17th century courts of Renaissance Europe and today, interest in dressage continues to grow throughout the world as a sport and a pastime. Dressage is also one of the three disciplines in competition at the Olympic Games, the other two being Jumping and Eventing.
In modern competitions, horse and rider are expected to perform from memory a series of predetermined movements, known as figures (volte, serpentine, figure of eight). The completely flat arena, measuring 60 x 20 m., is skirted by a low rail along which 12 lettered markers are placed symmetrically indicating where movements are to start, where changes of pace or lead are to occur and where the movements are to end. In all competitions, the horse has to show three paces: walk, trot and canter as well as smooth transitions within and between these paces.
High quality is revealed by freedom and regularity of the paces, lightness and ease of the movements. The horse gives the impression of doing the movements on his own accord and shows immediate and even intuitive response to the rider’s commands.
At international competitions regulated by the FEI, riders and horses are expected to perform the following tests:
- Prix St-Georges (of medium standard)
- Intermediate 1 (of relatively advanced standard)
- Intermediate 2 (of advanced standard)
- Grand Prix is a highly demanding five-and-a-half-minute test requiring all of the basic schooling movements plus the fundamental airs of the Classical High School, including pirouettes (pivots on the spot at a prescribed gait), piaffe, passage and flying lead changes.
- Grand Prix Special is a seven minute test requiring the same movements as the Grand Prix but in a different order and with increased focus on the more advanced movements
- Grand Prix Freestyle (Kür) is performed to the accompaniment of a musical score. Most of the marks, based on purity of action, rhythm and regularity, impulsion and collection, are for technical performance.
Some of the most spectacular Dressage performances occur during the Grand Prix Freestyle (Kür) which is performed to the accompaniment of a musical score, often tailor-made for the performance. Freestyle is the pinnacle of Dressage execution and when it works, the result is magic.
The standard formula for FEI world and continental championships and the Olympic Games consists of a Grand Prix, Grand Prix Special and Grand Prix Freestyle (Kür) tests. The Grand Prix test decides the team medals and serves as a first individual qualifying round. The top 18 to 25 riders (the number varies depending on the type of competition) progress to the more demanding Grand Prix Special. The best riders, based on total points from the two previous tests, qualify for the medal round where they perform a Grand Prix Freestyle (Kür) test.
For more information on Dressage, please consult our factsheet.
The Premier Dressage Competitions are...
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games taking place every four years in a bissextile year. Dressage events were part of the 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm, when equestrian made its Olympic debut. The last Games were held in Athens (GRE), while the XXIX edition of the Olympics are to be held in Beijing in 2008.
FEI World Equestrian Games
The FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG) are held every four years in the even years between the Olympic Games. The last edition of the World Equestrian games were held in Achen(GER), while the next are already well underway in preparations for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games to be held on the other side of the Atlantic for the very first time in Kentucky (USA) in 2010.
FEI World Cup™ Dressage
Initiated in 1986, the FEI World Cup™ Dressage is the only annual worldwide linked series in this discipline. It consists of a series of qualifying leagues encompassing Western and Central Europe, North America, Canada and Australia. Each FEI World Cup™ qualifier comprises a Grand Prix test, which in turn is a qualification for the Freestyle to Music competition, where league points are accumulated towards places in the FEI World Cup™ Dressage Final. The first official freestyle to Music competition was launched with the FEI World Cup™ Dressage series. This prepared the way for the introduction of the freestyle into the Olympic, World and European Championship formats. Judged on both technical and artistic merit, the FEI World Cup™ Dressage combines art, sport and partnership between horse and rider at the highest level and consistently proves a winning formula with audiences all over the world. This series culminates in a yearly final. The 2006 FEI World Cup™ Dressage Final was organised in Amsterdam and was won by Anky Van Grunsven (NED) for the eighth time! For additional information on the FEI World Cup™ Dressage, please check the official website www.feiworldcup.org.
Continental Championships
Continental and Regional Games organised under the patronage of the International Olympic Committee and Regional Games Associations.
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Andreas Helgstrand (DEN) & Matine |