“WHAT is the future of dressage?” It’s the question that continues to dominate worldwide. Amid the calls for horses not to be used in sport and for barefoot and bitless, many who are closely involved with the sport at all levels – and who understand the real issues – struggle to make headway against a rising tide of ever-louder but anonymous opinions.
There’s a strong push for the FEI to lead publicly. But a planned meeting with dressage stakeholders is not due until after the €400,000 (£342,000) prize-funded World Cup Finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, next month. Many feel the timing lacks any sense of urgency.
It’s also a strange choice of location for a welfare-based summit when Saudi Arabia currently has one of the worst equine doping records of any FEI-participating nation.
HIGHER OVERHEADS
MY friend Tim Downes and I are talking again about hacking to 10 Downing Street to get the plight of riding schools noticed by those who could help.
Riding schools are the bedrock of UK equestrianism, particularly for first-generation riders, and many second-generation riders also use riding schools to further their development.
Denne historien er fra March 28, 2024-utgaven av Horse & Hound.
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Denne historien er fra March 28, 2024-utgaven av Horse & Hound.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
'Sorry, but I wasn't feeling it'
Fresh from the opening meet, Tessa Waugh hasn't quite yet been bitten by the hunting bug. Without the crisp autumnal air and cheek-pinching cold she hoped for, it's a sluggish start
New pair pull off a win
A former European Championships pony is on form with his new rider, while elsewhere former showjumpers and eventers take ribbons
Lording it over the rest
Horses who have returned from injury, a second generation homebred and a long format specialist score on the final weekend of the British season
Smith hits flying form
A \"her way or no way\" mare helps Zoe Smith to an impressive ribbon haul and a rider beats his own boss to the top spot
Jankorado hits the jackpot
Paul Sims is triumphant despite his interrupted jump-off preparation and a borrowed horse comes up trumps
Peanut
From \"dangerous, scary\" to hedge-hopping brilliance, hunting has been the making of this unstable but very lovable equine character
She's a corker
Communication, says long-standing and highly respected Belvoir master Lady Sarah McCorquodale, is the key to all, as Catherine Austen discovers
Access all areas Cavalier Centre
The Cavalier Centre is a fully accessible, state-of-the-art equestrian centre designed to improve lives through horse-based activities. Ellie May Forrester pays a visit
'Use it or lose it'
Not everyone wants to reach for the pipe and slippers at a certain age. Becky Murray speaks to some veteran horse-and-rider combos for their secrets of human and equine longevity
A new way forward
Worm control in horses is vital, but established methods will not remain effective for much longer. Tim Mair FRCVS explains why and how we need to change
