It all started with an article that international dressage rider Catherine Haddad posted on Chronicle of the Horse called Supersize It Syndrome. She writes about some common mistakes dressage riders make in their saddle fit. One of her observations is that:

6. & 7. The ear, shoulder, hip, heel line that has been touted as an equitation ideal is useful in saddleseat riding, but not in dressage. Sitting on a “three point” seat—pubic bone and two seat bones—is painful and wrong.

In dressage, you must sit with your knee far enough forward to avoid tilting onto your pubic bone. If the knees are forced backward, 99 percent of the riders in the world are tilted onto the front of their pelvis.

You should sit relaxed on your two seat bones with your thigh and knee extended comfortably in front of you. If you pull your knee backward, you will tip onto the front of your seatbones toward the pubic bone. Your hips will lock. When you restrict the motion of your own pelvis, you also restrict the motion of your horse’s back. To avoid a chair seat and get closer to the touted line, simply bend your knee, placing your foot on the horse’s barrel. Do not pull the knee backward!

Now Rita, study the reality. How many top dressage riders present an ear, shoulder, hip, heel line in real life? The best ones almost always have their heel slightly ahead of this line. In classical Greek and Roman sculpture, you will find riders sitting in natural balance on the horse—with the knee placed well forward and the lower leg falling comfortably out the knee toward the ground. Why? Because these sculptures were created by artists who studied anatomy, and this is how a human skeleton best fits an equine skeleton. It’s natural interspecies physiology.

Kitt, a professional saddle fitter and blogger responded nicely to all of Catherine’s observations, so I won’t rehash it here. But I agree with Kitt that while Catherine makes some interesting observations, she’s completely overlooking the critical component here: good saddle fit.

I will however argue that Catherine needs a lot more evidence if she’s going to convince me that the ear-shoulder-hip-heel line actually isn’t ideal. I would say that if you have a saddle that truly fits you and your horse correctly, it will put you into the correct alignment and seat and you will be a better, more effective rider.

And I will argue vehemently that the best dressage riders do in fact ride with their heels on the line. While Catherine may not, I don’t see her beating out Edward Gal or Steffen Peters too often. I think that Steffen Peters is one of the most beautiful – and as his winning record attests most successful – dressage riders today. And he does ride in the classically aligned dressage leg position.

Watch this video of Steffen Peters winning the World Dressage Masters 2011 and tell me if you could argue that the best riders have their heels ahead of that line:

What do you think?

I’m inclined to think that the magic of Totilas is due to two things: the horse’s inherent natural talent AND Edward Gal’s ride. As one blogger said when news of Totilas’ sale first hit the web, equestrian competition is a sport of couples. It takes more than just a talented horse with a talented rider. They need to have a special connection. It’s more than knowing the right aids. It’s being inside each other’s heads … and hearts. Edward and Totilas had it. Will Matthias and Totilas? I think it’s certainly possible, but not necessarily guaranteed.

Here’s some of the first video that has been released of Matthias riding Totilas:

Compared to Edward Gal and Totilas at WEG:

The handsome horse does the moves for Matthias, but he doesn’t quite have the same flash and presence under him … yet. But it’s very early in the partnership.

What do you think? Is is possible for Totilas to shine under any rider but Edward?

These riders took the top three spots during the Team Grand Prix early in the week, and never relinquished them. And even more impressively, they just kept getting better and better as the week went on. Edward Gal and Moorlands Totilas will leave Kentucky with three gold medals, Laura and Mistral Hojris will leave with three silvers, and Steffan and Ravel are leaving with two bronze medals in the individual events (and were just one point away from the team bronze as well).

I am still a little bit in shock that I had the opportunity to see all of these riders in the Grand Prix. It was like no dressage I have ever seen – including watching every single last ride at the 2008 Olympics.

Edward Gal and Moorlands Totilas at WEG

I have a feeling this partnership is going to go down in history as some of the best dressage ever seen. What I love about them is that they have the glitz and glamour of the high-scoring dressage, yet are incredibly quiet, relaxed, and flowing. There is nothing quite like the seamlessness of their transitions from passage to piaffe. And Edward Gal is such a beautiful, quiet rider. You never see him asking Totilas anything … but you know he is, and doing it well, because Totilas always does exactly what he should when he should – and close to perfection. It’s so good, they scored a 91.800% on their freestyle.

They are going home with three gold medals: Team Grand Prix, Individual Grand Prix Special, and Individual Grand Prix Freestyle.

Watch Edward Gal and Totilas’ WEG Grand Prix Freestyle

Laura Bechtolsheimer and Mistral Hojris

I was vaguely familiar with Laura’s name, but wasn’t one I knew to watch as an obvious leader in the competition. I was expecting to see Isabell Werth in her place. But Laura came in for her first test, which I got to see, and put in a stunning performance. It was almost more fun watching her than Edward. We expected Edward and Totilas to come in and blow us away. Laura and Mistral Hojris were a pleasant surprise that just got more exciting with each movement.

Laura and Mistral go back to Great Britain with silver medals in the Team Grand Prix, Individual Grand Prix Special, and the Individual Grand Prix Freestyle.

Watch Laura and Mistral Hojris WEG Freestyle

Steffen Peters and Ravel at the 2010 WEG

I was super excited to come to Kentucky and get to see Steffen and Ravel in person … they are my homeboys. I got to see Steffen clinic at Equine Affaire two years ago and decided that I really love him. He is such a horseman besides being a fantastic dressage rider. And I love Ravel’s flash … and love knowing that it’s gained through patience and classical training practices. I think Steffen and Ravel have all the flair that Edward and Totilas have, but are lacking in their smoothness between movements.

Our boys scored an 84.900% on their freestyle, their highest score of the week. They’ll go home from WEG with bronze medals in the Individual Grand Prix Special and Individual Grand Prix Freestyle.

Watch Steffen and Ravel’s Freestyle at WEG

2010 Radio Show Episode 113 by SUCCEED – Show Notes and Links:

• Hosts: Samantha Clark and Glenn the Geek
• Location: The International Equestrian Festival in downtown Lexington. Recording at 7:00 PM every night. Stop down and join us.
• Guest: Pierre St. Jacques at www.pierrestjacquesdressage.com
• Guest: Dakota Missildine
• Guest: Julie Goodnight at www.juliegoodnight.com
• Coverage: Follow all the coverage of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games on the Horse Radio Network.

Please support our sponsors because we would not be here without them:

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First the scoreboards. Check out these suckers, that were positioned on all four sides of the arena so everyone could see:

All of the judge’s scores were digitized, and they showed up on these scoreboards after every single movement and transition. The first line said what the score was for, the second line showed which judge gave which score, the third line showed the percentage score for the movement, and the fourth line showed the percentage the current leader got for the same movement. It was way cool to see exactly what the judges thought of each horse and each movement of the test. The audience literally did sympathetic “awwws” for any 4′s that showed up, and audible gasps for the 10′s (Edward Gal’s).

And there was tons of amazing dressage, especially from the top placed riders. I really loved the Denmark horses; they weren’t the flashiest and didn’t get the highest scores, but they were long-legged, floaty, and relaxed. I, of course, loved Steffen and Ravel – I had been waiting for them ever since I got here.

But really, even though it was amazing, there’s nothing worth discussing at any length after watching Edward Gal and Moorlands Totilas. It was utter perfection on horseback. Words can’t describe this pair, so I’ll just let you watch and see for yourself:

Case in point: I’ve never had a dressage lesson in my life, or even ridden in a dressage saddle (kinda crazy now that I think about it). But I spent six hours last Saturday successfully calling dressage tests (and only said circle left when I meant right once!).

Granted, it was for an end of year horse show at the therapeutic riding center where I volunteer and they weren’t even real dressage tests. But still! They had letters, movements, salutes, the full works. Look, I can even still recite it for you …

A enter working walk
X halt, salute. Proceed working walk.
C track right
R circle right 10 meters
Between R and B working trot
A working walk
E half circle right and reverse
V straight ahead
P circle left 10 meters
Between P and B working trot
C working walk
E track left
X track left down center line
G halt, salute.

And then the riders would look at me, slightly panicked, wanting to know what the heck they were supposed to do after their salute, and I’d gently guesture towards the exit.

And really, I did just totally type that from memory.

For those of you who, like me, aren’t dressage riders, this all might be confusing. So what does it mean to “call” or “read” a dressage test?

Well, when you compete at any level of dressage you have a specific test or pattern that you and your horse perform. The test is a series of movements in a specific order, and you perform the movements and transitions at specific locations in the ring. Each location is assigned a letter so you know exactly where to make the transition and where you’re headed. And the letters are always the same. Here’s a handy little chart showing you where the letters are:

Many riders memorize their dressage tests. But for those who have trouble with their memories or tend to get a little nervous, you are allowed to have a friend read your test for you. Since I have some decent horse experience and knowledge, I was recruited to be the dressage reader for the day at the therapeutic center show.

There really isn’t a lot to it, at least when the test is as simple as the one I recited for you. As soon as they started one movement, I called out the next one. So, when the rider entered the ring, I immediately called out “X halt, salute!” As soon as the judge saluted back (which gives the rider permission to continue) I called out “C track right.” As soon as the rider made the turn at C, I called out the circle at R. You get the picture.

Reading a dressage test is a pretty simple concept, but I’m sure gets more difficult as the tests get more complicated. But no matter what kind of test you are reading, here are a few tips from experience:

• speak loudly
• speak slowly
• over-enunciate
• don’t get too confident and say left instead of right
• study the test ahead of time, even ride it a few times yourself
• pay attention so you don’t get off
• try not to laugh out loud when you see your rider looking frantically for the next letter

All in all, I had an absolute blast reading the dressage tests for the show. There’s nothing as rewarding as watching the students in our therapy program do a successful dressage test, smiling as they ride past me, and feeling more confident because I could give them good direction.

So, for all of you actual dressage riders out there: do you have any tips you would add? Or funny stories of dressage calling mishaps?

I’m super thrilled and not all surprised that Steffen Peters and Ravel have the top spot on the team. My only disappointment is that Anky and Salinero won’t be attending WEG. I like when Steffen has the opportunity to thoroughly trounce her. His horsemanship, quiet manner, and level of care for all horses totally won me over when I saw him as a clinician at Equine Affaire a few years ago. Plus he’s one that I just love to watch ride. He and Ravel have been on the up and up, winning nearly every major title since their fourth place finish at the Olympics two years ago.  And they just scored an 82% in a Grand Prix in California prior to catching a red-eye flight to join the rest of the team in New Jersey.

Honestly, since I have a habit of following a little bit of all horse sports instead of one in-depth, I don’t have a clue who any of the other dressage riders on the team are. I guess that means will have to find out! It’s always fun to know a little bit about each of our team members at a major international event like WEG. I’ll do some research and get back to you with some more info on the other riders and their horses.

Our WEG dressage team gets a very short respite from competition, and then they will start working hard to prepare for their stint in Kentucky. They met with USEF Dressage Technical Advisor Anne Gribbons yesterday and today to go over the plan for the next month. Training begins in earnest on September 4, where they will cover everything from mental and physical preparation, to WEG etiquette and how to handle the media.

In honor of the US dressage team, next on the docket is the profile of World Equestrian Games dressage. Keep your eye out for the run-down in the next day.

And best wishes to our entire dressage team – and especially to my favorites Steffen and Ravel!

Update: Silly me forgot that I already wrote the WEG dressage overview. Check it out!

As one of the eight disciplines in the World Equestrian Games, here’s what you need to know about dressage and it’s specifics at WEG.

What To Look For In A Dressage Test

Dressage comes from the French word “dresser” meaning “to train”, and originated in the Renaissance Era, when it gained recognition as a good training method for European cavalries. This competition tests the obedience and agility of the horse and its coordination with its rider. The discipline is often referred to as “equestrian ballet” because the horse and rider team is required to perform a series of carefully designed, graceful movements.

Dressage Movements

As you work your way up through the dressage levels, which start at Intro level and go up to Grand Prix, you perform dressage tests, or a series of compulsory movements in a particular order. At the lower levels, these may just be basic transitions, circles, and changes of directions. At the Grand Prix level, they include half passes, canter pirouettes, piaffe (trotting in place), one and two tempi changes (a lead change every one or two strides) among others.

Be sure to check out my overview of basic dressage movements. These include leg yield, haunches in, haunches out, and shoulder in and are the foundation for all of the higher level movements.

Dressage Training Scale

Each individual movement (as well as the transitions between) receive a score on a scale of 1 to 10. The quality of movement is judged according to the dressage training scale or pyramid. The idea is that each skill builds on the ones below it. Here’s the dressage training scale starting with the ones you need to develop first:

• rhythm
• relaxation
• connection
• impulsion
• straightness
• collection

Scoring

A panel of five judges assess the figures, awarding each a mark from 0 to 10. Once totalled, these scores produce a percentage and the rider or team with the highest total score is declared the winner.

Dressage At The World Equestrian Games

Dressage competition at the World Equestrian Games consists of three tests: the Grand Prix, the Grand Prix Special, and the musical Freestyle. The Grand Prix and Grand Prix Special are set tests of compulsory movements that all competitors must perform. The Freestyle is developed by the competitor and set to music using the same movements required in the regular Grand Prix test but combined according to the rider’s individual musical and artistic goals. Riders try to pick music with tempos that match their horse’s gait, with the goal of the entire Freestyle being performed in time to the music. And when they can pull that off, it is one of the most impressive things in the whole world!

Team Competition

Each nation participating in dressage at the World Equestrian Games must send four horse/rider combinations to ride for their country. All riders will perform the Grand Prix test over the first two days of dressage competition. The top 3 scores for each nation will count for the team scores. The top three teams with the highest scores will be awarded the gold, silver, and bronze medals for team competition.

Individual Competition

The Grand Prix test which determines the team medals will also serve as a qualifying round for the individual competition.

The top scoring riders after the Grand Prix will move on and compete in the Grand Prix Special, which is a compulsory test that is shorter and more difficult. The top scoring riders in the Special will then get to perform their Grand Prix Freestyle, choreographed to music.

The scores from the Special and Freestyle will be combined, with the highest total scores determining the individual medals.

Qualifying for WEG Dressage

Dressage riders wishing to qualify for the World Equestrian Games must compete in two of three certified events being hosted all over the world. They must receive a minimum combined score of 64% from two different FEI judges of a different nationality to be eligible to represent their country at WEG.

WEG Competition Schedule

The dressage competition will take place over four days at the World Equestrian Games with a one day break between the Special and Freestyle. Purchase your tickets for dressage through TicketMaster.

All About The Disciplines

• Para Dressage
• Eventing
• Combined Driving
• Jumping
• Dressage
• Reining
• Endurance
• Vaulting

It’s been wonderful to see the whole horse world coming together to elicit change in helmet-wearing practices (or lack thereof) and in fundraising to help Courtney and her family defray the costs of increasing medical bills. The world seems to get a little smaller in a good way when things like this happen.

From t-shirts on Etsy to ebay stores, there’s a current outpouring of support across the online equestrian industry.

One that I’m super excited about is an ebay store created by SUCCEED. They’re getting people to donate all kinds of great items, auctioning them off on ebay, and giving all the proceeds to Courtney.

There are several tubs of the SUCCEED digestive conditioning supplement, Jane Savoie DVDs, a SmartPak grooming kit, a Breyer figurine of Courtney’s horse Idocus, t-shirts, totes, and more. I desperately want to go shopping!

So, please, go check it out and do a little fun horsey shopping for a good cause. Or if you have an item you’d like to donate, leave a comment on SUCCEED’s Facebook page or email Lyndsey at lwhite@freedomhealthllc.com.

And for regular updates on Courtney’s progress, subscribe to my friend On The Bit’s blog. She’s one of Courtney’s biggest fans and is doing a great job keeping us all abreast of her progress.

Thanks to Regarding Horses reader Doug for letting me know about the series tickets available for the 2010 World Equestrian Games English disciplines through Active Travel. If you are planning to attend WEG for jumping, dressage, or eventing, you can get tickets for all the events in each discipline as well as your hotel as a package deal. Here’s the information provided by Active Travel:

In addition to the general admission tickets that are on sale for WEG 2010 via Ticketmaster,  Active Travel, Inc., which specializes in offering the best riding trips worldwide, is proud to be featuring discipline series ticket and accommodation packages to WEG in 2010.

“We have worked closely with Alltech and Short’s  Sports to develop special packages for this event featuring a limited supply of A level premier seating tickets including hotel accommodations” said Stacey Adams, President.  “We are excited to be offering these packages as folks won’t have to purchase tickets one at at a time from Ticketmaster and we have already guaranteed the hotel rooms so we’ve tried to make it a true one stop shop” she said.

The company is currently offering complete discipline series tickets to Dressage, Show Jumping and Eventing along with other disciplines on a requested basis.  All packages include daily tickets to each day of competition in the requested discipline, A level preferred seating, hotel accommodation, daily breakfast, daily transportation to the Kentucky Horse Park (with one exception) and all taxes.

Click here to review  package details.

Reservations can be made online at www.activeridingtrips.com or by phone at 800.973.3221.