A matter of debate
I am shortly off to ride at the Global Forum in the Netherlands with Kyra Kyrklund, trainer and President of the International Dressage Riders Club. The Global Dressage Forum is a public debating platform for the international dressage world, and a really interesting forum for sharing techniques – many leading names will be discussing and scrutinising the current hot topics at the Forum. Its organisers state that its aim is to “provide a medium through which a common dressage language and philosophy can evolve and spread globally”. I believe the ‘evolvement’ is key, and that it is important to challenge existing rules and traditions where there’s room for improvement. Recent British rulings for the wearing of helmets are a good example of changes being brought about for a positive reason; safety helmets are to be mandatory for all British Dressage riders (except for advanced and above) as of December 2011 and it is expected that international rules will also soon be adapted. In our sport, we should be proactive rather than reactive, and respect tradition and history, while being open minded to new ideas and concepts.
Another interesting debate in the dressage world, and one that will undoubtedly be discussed at the Forum, is the ‘blood rule’. A proposed blood rule has been drafted by the International Dressage Trainers Club that allows exceptions to the current elimination rule, when blood appears on a horse in competition. If blood is seen during at an Olympic Games or a major Championship, under the new rule, Grand Prix riders would get to opportunity to re-start their dressage test after a medical examination by the FEI Veterinarian. Not everyone is in favour of the proposals – for example, the International Dressage Riders Club, of which I am a member, opposes the rule changes, and I support its opposition. It will be interesting to see what opinions are raised at the Forum. I will keep you posted!
A grand achievement
My pupil Emily Cousins, who won a gold medal at the 2009 Australian Youth Olympics, has just completed her second Grand Prix class, with a score of 67%. She will now be aiming for the Under 25s International Grand Prix Classes, which are held at CDI shows – what a great concept in our sport. The competitions allow younger riders to compete at Grand Prix level without having to face their older, more experienced senior rivals during their first steps at the highest levels of dressage.
Managing the crèche
Now that the nights have drawn in and the competitive season is over, it is time to take stock of the horses’ development this year, and assess how they have progressed, and what our plans for next year may be. Winter is a great time to work on the young horses, but one aspect to understand is that they are still growing; you must be careful not to overdo it and keep and eye on their physique and also changing conformation. I am a firm believer in taking things slowly and adapting a training regime to the horse in question! We have lots of youngsters on the yard at the moment – it is an equine crèche! – and I find winter an exciting time, as there’s no pressure. You can really have fun with the young horses and see their personalities and talent develop.
Safe in the saddle
Naturally, our team keeps their RS-tor rider safety aids to hand, especially when we are hacking around the tracks on our property. The device is great for helping to prevent falls and also aiding balance when you are riding a young or unpredictable horse. I am undertaking some filming work for the RS-tor soon, for some exciting, upcoming projects – watch this space for more news! (Visit www.rstor.co.uk for more info on the product.)
First published in Local Rider magazine
