Horse Dressage Training

How many medals targeted by Team GB?

Team GB are aiming to get medals in all the disciplines; eventing, dressage and show jumping and Paralympic dressage.

Where are the chances?

Team GB are best placed to succeed in eventing where we have medalled at every Olympics bar one since 1972. In dressage, Britain has European team silver behind it from 2009. Show jumping is going through a rebuilding phase but new team manager Rob Hoekstra is using this autumn’s world championships to trial riders for 2012 rather than focus on immediate medals.

Key issue internationally?

One of the key issues in the sport internationally is the continuous debate over the welfare of the horses and what is reasonable to be asked of the animals, and the levels of medication that are acceptable.

Biggest challenge domestically?

An issue affecting Britain’s equestrian team is ‘horsepower’. Britain needs to keep hold of its best horses, but they are not bound by nationality and can be traded and purchased all over the globe. This makes funding an extremely important part of equestrianism.

Three names to watch?

British riders to look out for Laura Bechtolscheimer, in dressage, and Ben Maher in show jumping. In eventing there is Beijing Olympic bronze medallist and reigning European champion Tina Cook, and Pippa Funnell – absent from top level since 2005 – has returned as a true 2012 prospect.

Biggest international rivals?

Stiff competition is expected from Germany across the board, France and the United States in the show jumping, the Dutch in dressage and Australia in eventing. Dutchman Edward Gal and Moorlands Totilas have been unbeatable in dressage freestyle since 2009.