Dressage has long been seen as the most graceful of equestrian events and for good reason. The FEI dressage horses that compete at this level are trained to move gracefully across the arena performing complex maneuvers while the rider appears to give no cues and interferes very little in the actions of the horse.
The FEI rules describe dressage as "the development of the horse into a happy athlete through harmonious education. As a result, it makes the horse calm, supple, loose and flexible, but also confident, attentive and keen, thus achieving perfect understanding with his rider." Dressage also means "training" in French and when properly trained, the dressage horse is capable of performing a variety of maneuvers while it appears that the rider is really just along for the ride. This level of harmony is best witnessed during the dressage competition at the FEI World Equestrian Games.
There are two types of dressage competitions at the World Equestrian Games. These are the Grand Prix and Grand Prix Special. During the competition, each horse and rider will perform the same test that consists of specific movements and gaits to be performed at specific points around the arena. The FEI dressage horse will be capable of demonstrating a very high level of achievement and the performance of the horse will match the description of the FEI dressage rules.
Each horse is tested independently before a panel of five judges. Each movement of the test is judged independently as well. The horse and rider team with the highest overall score wins the competition. However, if you really want to see an amazing dressage performance while visiting the FEI World Equestrian Games, then you won't want to miss the Freestyle competition.
The Freestyle competition allows the rider to create their own pattern and choreograph it to music. There are specific movements that must be completed in the test, but the rider is able to determine when those movements will be performed and they can ride to the music of their choice.
You can witness dressage at nearly every equestrian horse show across the globe, but rarely do you have the opportunity to witness the best dressage horses at work. If you want to see what a truly professional dressage horse looks like, there's no better place than the FEI World Equestrian Games when riders and horses from around the world come to compete for FEI World Cup in dressage.
The dressage portion of the Alltech 2010 World Equestrian Games will take place September 27th-29th and October 1st, 2010.
For more information about the world equestrian games and to find the best world equestrian games housing visit http://weg2010housing.net.
