Horse Dressage Training

Major achievements: Carl won the 1985 National Young Rider Championship just 18 months after taking up dressage, was a Talent Spotting finalist in 1986 and a member of the British Young Rider team in 1988.

In his competition career as a senior, Carl has amassed a record 44 national dressage titles and has been British Dressage (BD) National Champion five times. He has competed in three Olympics, one World Equestrian Games, four European Championships and has reached one World Cup Dressage Final.

Carl and Escapado were the highest-placed British combination at the 2004 Athens Olympics as well as the 2005 European Championships, where they finished sixth with a personal record-score. He was selected for the 2007 European Championships with Lecantos, but had to withdraw due to his ride injuring himself a couple of weeks before the competition.

In 2008, Carl’s bad luck continued. He had two horses in contention for the Olympics, Dolendo and Lecantos, but both ended up out of the running due to injuries.

2009 continues with great success in the UK for Carl, his new recent ride of Uthopia has achieved results of 76.11% at Premier League PSG and CDI Inter 1 winning with 76.66%.

TMovistar also continues to impress in 2009 with a recent win at the Saumur CDI Inter 1 with 77.55%.

In 1996, Carl won the Dressage Trainer of the Year and, in 1997, he was awarded the Spillers Equestrian Personality of the Year. He is a sought-after trainer; his former pupil Vaughn Jefferis became the 1994 individual three-day event world champion and Carl was the dressage trainer for the New Zealand three-day event team at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

Qualities looked for in a dressage horse: “I look for willingness to work as well as an ability to lengthen and shorten with a desire to go forwards rather a lot.”

Favourite dressage venues: “Hickstead, as we always have stonking good weather, the arena surfaces are great and there is a party atmosphere. Abroad, I love the Sunshine Tour, which takes place on three consecutive weekends in Spain in March, from the point of view that it is the most relaxed atmosphere to start a horse’s international competition career.”

What other career would you have chosen: “Something in the hotel trade as I come from an island geared to tourism and worked in bars and hotels in my early years.”

Favourite drink:

Anky van Grunsven was born in Erp, the Netherlands, on January 2, 1968.  When she was six years old she got her first pony, a Shetland pony named “Heleentje”.  At first she would only clean and brush Heleentje. After taking the first riding lessons from her father, she joined the pony club in Erp. At age seven she started showing, something she was not too good at in the beginning.  Only after graduating from high school she decided to start riding professionally.

Prisco was the first horse that was really her own.  Anky rode her very first dressage test on Prisco at “L” level in 1980.  She advanced to “Z” level in 1982.  There were ups and downs.  Her persistence was rewarded in 1990 when she won the Dutch championships for the first time.  With her mount Bonfire she became Dutch dressage champion a second time in 1991. They won the national dressage title a total of nine times.

Anky became the World Champion Musical Freestyle in The Hague in 1994.  She won the World Cup Final seven times. The first time in Hollywood in 1995 where “Bonfire’s Symphony”, her freestyle music, played an important role.  She won in Gothenburg (1996), in ’s-Hertogenbosch (1997), in Dortmund (1999) and again in ’s-Hertogenbosch (2000).  During all these finals she rode Bonfire.  In 2004, 2005 and 2006, Anky and Salinero won the World Cup Final in Düsseldorf, Las Vegas and Amsterdam respectively.

The highlights of Anky’s career until now are of course her two gold medals at the Olympic Games in Sydney and in Athens.  The first one on Bonfire (2000), who finished his career winning in Sydney.  She won the second gold medal aboard Salinero (2004), who at the time just started his sports career.

In 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2000 and 2004 Anky was named “Rider of the Year” in the Netherlands and she was honored as “Sports Woman of the Year” in 1994.  In 2001 she was named “Rider of the Century”.  Anky also received two royal decorations “Ridder in de Orde van Oranje Nassau” and “Ridder in de Orde van de Nederlandse Leeuw”.

Riding and everything that comes with it have become a full-time occupation for Anky.  In the afternoons, after the daily training of her horses, she will teach her students.  The levels vary from the national Z level through Grand Prix.  In addition, she frequently gives clinics in the Netherlands and abroad.  Much attention also goes to her clothing line, ANKY ® Technical Casuals.  She primarily gets involved with the designs and PR.

After the successful Olympic Games in Athens, Anky and her trainer and partner Sjef had a son, Yannick Janssen, who was born on November 23, 2004.  Yannick Janssen always joins Anky and Sjef when they travel to major shows. Anky and Sjef were married in Las Vegas in April 2005 in the presence of Yannick Janssen. On March 6, 2007 daughter Ava Eden was born. Only a few weeks later she wins the National title with Keltec salinero and that year she wins the European Championships in Turin. The Dutch team wins gold. In 2008 Anky wins the two most important competitions of this year: the Worldcupfinal and the Olympic Games! Anky is the first rider even who wins individual gold three times in row with two different horses (Bonfire 2000 and Salinero 2004 & 2008)

Taken from Anky official website.

Jessica Costello and Litmanen danced their way to victory in the Grand Prix Freestyle at the inaugural CDI3* Toronto CNE Dressage Classic.

The Pony Club Dressage Objectives

The object of the Competition is to stimulate interest and enjoyment in Dressage and correct training of the horse, thereby encouraging Members to improve their riding by acquiring and establishing an independent seat, and a true knowledge of the aids.

The object of Dressage is the harmonious development of the physique and ability of the horse. 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.

British Dressage Special Offer to Pony Club Members

British Dressage are offering Pony Club Members a special discounted rate of £18.00 to join British Dressage for 12 months.  Click on the link below for more information or contact British Dressage.

Grand Prix Level dressage is the highest level of dressage. This level is governed by the FEI and tests the horse and rider to the highest standards. As with the previous levels of dressage, the horse and rider are judged on correct execution of movements, the willingness of the horse and the effectiveness of the rider’s aids. This level also consists of 3 standard tests: the Grand Prix, Grand Prix Special and the Musical Freestyle. The Grand Prix Special is similar to the standard Grand Prix test; however, special attention is paid to the transitions executed throughout the test.

Required movements for Grand Prix level dressage include:

Trot - Medium, Extended & Collected, Half Pass
Walk – Extended and Collected
Canter – Medium, Extended & Collected, Zig Zag Half Pass & Multiple Flying Lead Changes Every 1-2 Strides

Pirouettes
Piaffe
Passage
Halts – Collected Canter to Halt & Passage to Halt – immobility

1. The rider must constantly be thinking and keeping open the lines of communication with the horse remembering every horse is different and should be ridden as an individual
2. A well trained horse will gain confidence in themselves by building on their physical capabilities in a gradual way so they can understand the task that they are being asked to do, the horse is a heard animal its from the knowledge of where he stands in the order of his life in terms of routine, consistency and repetition of his training.All these things increase their ability.
3. Stay away from short cuts, they only exist in the minds of inpatient riders
4. Remember Dressage equals quality not quantity
5. The main aim of Dressage is to create harmony and balance between horse and rider
6. At all times the rider must remain aware and promote mental self discipline
7. The quality of the gaits takes precedence over all.
8. Progressing comes through a gradual build up of correct training
9. Go and watch as much good Dressage as you can