Firn Hyde
Horse News. Christian Living. Equine Education
The Christian Equestrian's Literary "Stamp" in Type
Firn Hyde
Firn Hyde is a homeschooled teenager from South Africa. She lives on a farm with her parents, sister, and more than 500 animals.
According to Firn, "Lord Jesus cured my horse, Skye, of a terrible disease and walked into my life in 2011 . He is my best Friend and has given me a passion and a vision to lead others to Him through His magnificent creature, the horse."
Firn serves eQuest For Truth through her writings. Her contributions often include articles about Africa's horses. Currently, she is contributor to The Hoof Print Blog.
Stables of Chilean Army Captain Gaspar Lueje, 1947. The horse moved around the enclosure at a trot so nervous that his limbs jerked like something mechanical. Fear stole his grace. At every stride, his left hind leg gave an awkward little flick, a remnant of the injury that had left a puckered scar on his flank.
Faithful was good for nothing, and not even so good-for-nothing that he was in any way unique. Just another chestnut stallion, a racehorse wannabe who never had the speed, a dressage prospect who was too much of a handful; sixteen-one hands of bad habits and worse experiences, permanently on the verge of panicking.
The Army horsemaster paused in his casual stroll across the yard to watch regretfully as the horse proceeded at his clumsy gait, both ears pinned flat and one bad-tempered eye trained on the handler that stood in the centre of the ring. The bars all the way around were more than two metres high, and the horse moved so close to them that his ribs bumped against every upright. He was a sorry sight, the stereotype of the racehorse that hadn’t made it. He was a failure.
Shaking his head sadly, the horsemaster turned away to continue on his path. Then, behind him, a whip cracked. The sound snapped through the stumbling beats of Faithful’s hooves. The horsemaster heard all four hooves strike the ground in a staccato rhythm so fast that the horse had to be moving at a full gallop. He whirled around and stared as Faithful headed straight for the two-metre fence of the ring. The handler shouted, but it served only to egg the horse on; head thrown high, he plunged towards the fence. The horsemaster felt his throat tighten as the horse came too close to the fence to stop in time. He was going to try to jump it, but he would never make the leap; those long thin legs would catch the top bar and snap like matchsticks.
The horse was too afraid to care. Huge muscles bunched in his hindquarters, knees tucked up to his chest, and with his long neck stretched out, Faithful leapt. It was as if metamorphosis took place in a split second. The stumbling caterpillar of a stallion transformed, in a breath, into a floating butterfly. He jumped as if the ground was his own trampoline, sailing into the air with an effortless grace that squeezed the horsemaster’s heart. It lasted only an instant. Faithful drifted over the fence, struck the ground and became once again a panicking animal. He bolted, stable hands and trainers scuttling in all directions to catch him.
“Hey, boy!” the horsemaster shouted. A stable boy slid to a halt near him and saluted. “Sir!”
The horsemaster nodded towards Faithful, who was now shying from one side to the other as men shouted and waved their arms, trying to corner him. “Catch me that horse and fetch me his owner. I’m going to buy him.”
February 5, 1949. Viña del Mar, Chile. The tension was so great that the crowd was silent, staring into the arena, breath bated. They could sense that history was ready to be made as, in the arena, a lone horse and rider circled a single fence.
The crowd sized them up with a mixture of hope and pessimistic realism. At almost two and a half metres, the fence stood far taller than the top of the horse’s ears, a formidable slanting construction of solid poles so close together that they were difficult to see through, and taller than any horse on record had ever cleared.
If any horse looked fit to break the record, though, it was this one. Sixteen hands of pure muscle that moved with drifting grace, the horse was the colour of beaten copper. His coat caught the sunlight dazzlingly, mane and tail rippling as he ran. His rider moved with him as if horse and man were one body, directing the horse’s movements with tiny, confident touches of his hands and legs. Captain Alberto Larraguibel and the sixteen-year-old thoroughbred Huaso looked ready to take on the world.
And it was the world record they were after: to clear the highest fence ever jumped by horse and rider.
It was time. The Captain spoke to his horse, ran a hand down his neck, turned him towards the fence and urged him into a faster canter. Huaso’s strides extended, his ears pricked forward. He stretched out his neck and surged onwards, his rider crouched in anticipation for the leap, and at the last moment, some uncertainty wavered in the rider’s hands and Huaso hesitated. A breath away from the fence, he stuck his legs out straight and slid to a halt.
The crowd gave a collective groan. The Captain gripped his whip as if to punish the horse for the refusal, then thought better of it. He reached out and patted Huaso’s neck reassuringly. It was, after all, uncertain if any horse was capable of jumping that height; and yet the Captain believed that if any horse could, it was the brave stallion he rode.
“Come on, Huaso. We still have two chances left.” The Captain touched Huaso with his legs and the stallion strode into a powerful canter, circled once and came back towards the fence. This time there was no room for hesitation. The Captain tipped his weight forward, raised himself in the saddle, knowing that if Huaso stopped now he would throw his rider headfirst into the wooden poles. But Huaso rewarded his rider’s trust by trusting him back. He collected himself, stretched out his neck and leapt upwards with the effortless grace that the Captain knew so well. Adrenalin surged through the Captain’s veins as the horse sailed through the air for an impossibly long moment, tucking his knees right up to his chin – but as he came down the Captain felt a slight wavering in his hindquarters and heard the rattle as the top pole was rolled off. Huaso thudded down, and the pole came with him.
The Captain’s heart fluttered in his chest as Huaso circled once more for the final try. The crowd murmured; the air was tight with tension. Sweating and worried, the mighty stallion tossed his head and struck at the ground with his forefeet as if annoyed. The Captain soothed him with a hand on his neck, breathed deeply and made himself calm down.
“One last time, old horse. For me.”
They powered towards the jump. This was the last attempt. The Captain forced himself to be unafraid, to place all of his trust in the horse and his ability. “Now, Huaso!” At the right instant, Huaso tucked up his knees and floated into the air.
The moment seemed to last a lifetime as the poles flitted past beneath them and Huaso flew towards the apex of the leap. The Captain would not, could not glance down; the height was too terrifying, and he knew that at this moment he could not tremble. Finally, the edge of the jump, the ground below, Huaso stretched out his front legs, the Captain balanced his weight backwards and the stallion landed, throwing down his head and neck for balance, staggering forward, then gaining his momentum and cantering gracefully onwards with head and tail flung high.
There was absolute silence. The Captain had heard nothing fall, but his heart leapt with anxiety. He looked over his shoulder and saw the jump standing intact, the 2.47 metres that no horse had ever cleared before.
“Huaso, Huaso, we did it, old horse!”
Then the noise erupted. The crowds pressed around them, flags everywhere, photographers, people laughing and cheering. It was a blur of sound and colour, and the Captain could not stop smiling even as he stroked Huaso’s neck to keep him calm.
At last, the peace and quiet of Huaso’s stall. The Captain slid off him and stroked the smooth red shoulder, leaving a white lather in the sweat on the horse’s coat. Huaso sighed loudly and shook his mane, relaxing.
“Oh, Huaso. You fine, fine creature.” The Captain patted the solid curve of muscle that was Huaso’s neck. “Who would ever have thought it? Two years ago you did not look like half the horse you are now.” He ran his hand down the horse’s side and across his flank, his fingers tracing the black, puckered scar. “But perhaps your old name did suit you better, didn’t it? Our new world record holder for the high jump… Faithful.”
The true story of Huaso, earlier known as Faithful, the horse whose world record of 2.47m still stands sixty-five years later, serves to remind us that being thrown away doesn’t make something worthless. Huaso was a reject of the racing industry, a failed dressage horse; in fact, he even failed at jumping for a while.
But all it took was for somebody to see the beauty in him, to take him in hand and have the patience to train him and bring out the best in him, and the failure of a horse became a world-class athlete.
Many of us are much the same as Huaso. Broken, beaten down, tired of life and afraid of shadows. But there is still greatness in us, for the God Who made us all, made us all fearfully and wonderfully. And He knows what potential is in us and exactly how to make us live to our full potential and be everything He intended for us to be. If we can only be willing, trusting, obedient and faithful, He will make us into the best people we can possibly be. We can surprise even ourselves if we give our lives to Him.
Glory to the King.
* * *
Huaso and the Captain break the world record:
The Olympics: for many sports, the pinnacle of international competition. One of the most popular sporting events in the world, the Olympics are what thousands of sportsmen and –women aspire to.
Of our many disciplines, only three have made it to the Olympics. Unfortunately for Western riders, all these disciplines are English: showjumping, dressage, and eventing.
The series concludes with this article on what many consider the greatest test of a horse’s training and talent: the three-day event, also known as eventing.
Eventing Basics
Eventing consists of three phases: dressage, cross-country jumping, and showjumping (also known as stadium jumping in the USA). These phases can all be done in one day at small shows (one-day events), but the international format is done over three days, hence the term three-day event.
The first day of the event starts with dressage. While it is not done at as high a level as at pure dressage competitions, it is still a challenging test and designed to test the horse’s obedience, suppleness, balance and schooling, as well as the rider’s position and subtlety.
Cross-country is ridden on the second day and is regarded as the high point of the event. This extremely demanding task is something like showjumping in that a prescribed course of fences have to be cleared in the right order and within a time limit (going over the limit incurs time penalties). However, the course is far longer; while most showjumping courses consist of less than twenty fences and take under two minutes to complete, cross-country can have as many as forty fences and take up to ten or fifteen minutes. As well as jumping, the horses are expected to gallop up and down hills and through difficult terrain. The jumps themselves are rustic and often look solid, and the approach and landing could be on hills or in water. Cross-country is highly dangerous and requires courage from both horse and rider. It tests stamina, heart, speed, and the horse’s adaptability to different situations.
On the final day, a showjumping course is ridden. It is the same as ordinary showjumping, although the jumps are slightly lower than at pure showjumping competitions. This phase is a final test of the horse’s stamina and willingness, as well as its agility and speed.
Penalties are added up from all three phases and compared at the end of the event. The horse and rider with the lowest number of penalties are the winners of the competition.
Eventing Origins
Eventing originated as a military test of soldiers and their warhorses. The earlier forms of eventing were much more taxing on the horse and rider; while the showjumping and dressage phases may have been a little easier, the cross-country phase was far longer. As well as the cross-country jumping, it also included a roads and tracks phase at which the horse and rider had to proceed at a set pace of four miles an hour along a series of tracks, as well as a steeplechase phase where the horse and rider had to gallop and jump along a simple course as fast as possible.
The roads and tracks and steeplechase phases were omitted in the late twentieth century, and cross-country fences were also made somewhat safer. While most cross-country fences are still relatively solid, and have to be jumped with extreme care to avoid hitting the fence and causing horse and rider to fall, parts of them are now made of loose blocks and can be knocked over if a horse touches them.
Eventing was a perfect test of the warhorse. The dressage tested its manoeuvrability and obedience, necessary in tight battle situations; the cross country tested its courage and stamina, for long marches or urgent rides to deliver messages or flee from an enemy; and the showjumping tested its willingness to work and try its best even when tired.
Eventing Horses
As with showjumping, the original eventer was a Thoroughbred; in his book Horses are Made to be Horses, Franz Mairinger even insisted that a top eventer could only be a Thoroughbred. And although Warmblood, Arabian, and Irish Sport Horse blood has been introduced, the majority of top event horses have plenty of Thoroughbred blood.
While the Thoroughbred’s natural athleticism and courage make him a wonderful cross-country horse, some lack the trainability, suppleness and graceful movement for dressage and showjumping. And while many top eventers are Thoroughbreds – such has Exponential, Neville Bardos, Biko, and Priceless – most eventers now are Thoroughbreds crossed with breeds such as the Warmblood, Irish Sport Horse, and Arabian. The famous Tamarillo, ridden by William Fox-Pitt, was an Anglo Arabian, and double Olympic gold medallist, World Champion and European Champion Michael Jung’s horse Sam FBW is a Warmblood of German lines crossed with a Thoroughbred.
Eventing and Royalty
Eventing has the curious feature of being the sport of choice of English royalty for generations. England’s The Princess Royal (known as Princess Anne), her husband Mark Phillips, and her daughter, Zara Phillips, have evented at Olympic level. While Mark Phillips and Princess Anne’s eventing days are behind them, Zara Phillips is still active at international competitions and a huge favourite with British crowds. It was to mighty applause that she contributed to England’s team silver medal at the London 2012 Olympics on her horse High Kingdom. Princess Anne, however, took a fall at the 1986 Olympic Games (which was the first Olympics in which a member of British royalty took part), but went on to finish the event on the Queen’s horse, Goodwill. She was more successful in the European Eventing Championship, where she won individual gold on Doublet in 1971. Thirty-four years later in 2005 her daughter Zara would go on to win the same medal on Toytown.
Eventing for Everyone
Eventing is not so freely available as showjumping or dressage. Cross-country courses are few and far between and most people find themselves having to trailer their horses out to clinics or practice days in order to get any training over the cross-country fences. However, the one-day event provides a more convenient option for the low-level competitor and is available in most countries.
This discipline requires more time, training and effort than showjumping or dressage, and can be much more expensive at the higher levels, as different equipment is needed for the different phases. It remains a fantastic test of horse and rider and one that brings a great sense of achievement to competitors. Ideal for the hardworking rider who likes a challenge, while eventing is perhaps not so technically difficult as showjumping or dressage, it is the pinnacle of all-round excellence and versatility in the equine world.
Eventing as a Celebration of Creation
Like any other sport, eventing celebrates the careful design of the body and mind. God constructed the horse in such a way that it is strong enough to carry a rider over high obstacles, fast enough to sprint between the jumps, agile enough to turn tight corners from one fence to the next, intelligent enough to learn the graceful movements of dressage, and enduring enough to do all of these in three days. He gave the horse long legs and a deep chest with massive nostrils, enabling him to drink in great gulps of air to drive him over long distances at great speeds. He designed the circulatory system of the horse so perfectly that each of its feet acts as an extra heart, helping to pump blood up the legs and keep them moving fast and far. He gave the horse an excellent memory to remember all the different aids of dressage and a graceful bearing to execute them with ease. And then He gave the horse to us, His beloved, created human beings.
And when that big, brave horse thunders through the water, flinging spray in all directions as he gathers himself for the leap, with his rider trusting this huge beast to obey and urging him on in the full confidence of their combined prowess, one cannot help but glorify the God Who made it all possible. He alone allows us to achieve the feats that these Olympic disciplines demand of us. Even the greatest of riders and the most wonderful of horses would be nothing without Him. All glory goes to God.
The Olympics: for many sports, the pinnacle of international competition. One of the most popular sporting events in the world, the Olympics are what thousands of sportsmen and –women aspire to.
Of our many disciplines, only three have made it to the Olympics. Unfortunately for Western riders, all these disciplines are English: showjumping, dressage, and eventing.
This three-part series started with dressage, and will now continue with arguably the most crowd-pleasing English discipline: showjumping.
Showjumping Basics
Showjumping is a fast-paced, high-action sport that is highly popular due to its simple, spectacular nature, making it appealing even to the non-equestrian. While deceptively difficult in its execution, the principle of showjumping is not hard to grasp. A fixed pattern of jumps (known as “fences”) is set out in an arena, usually at least 60x40m. Depending on the level, the height of the fences can vary from poles on the ground for beginners to upwards of 1.70m (about 5’ 7”) at international competitions. The mission is simple: Clear all the fences in the correct order and from the correct direction. Knocking down a fence incurs four faults; stopping at a fence incurs another four, unless the horse stops three times, in which case he is eliminated. An error of course or a fall of horse or rider also spells elimination. Time penalties can also be acquired.
If in the first round of a competition, the horses with the fewest faults are tied, they will enter into the jump-off. The jump-off is ridden over only a selection of the most challenging fences on the course, and in this round, speed counts even more than before. The cleanest and fastest round in the jump-off wins.
Another very popular form of showjumping, usually as an unofficial sideshow at the big events, is the puissance or power jump. A thrilling challenge of skill, talent and courage, in this event horses and riders take turns to jump a single fence. The fence gradually gets higher, and horses are eliminated should they stop or knock the fence down. Eventually, the horse that jumps the highest wins.
In 1949, a Thoroughbred stallion named Huaso (originally Faithful) set the International Equestrian Federation’s record for the highest fence cleared by any horse. This talented equine and his rider Captain Alberto Larraguibel managed to clear a staggering 2.47m (over eight feet).
Showjumping Origins
This horse sport found its origins not in war or agriculture, but in hunting. Foxhunting on horseback was a popular pastime for the English gentry of as far back as the nineteenth century, and since foxes can dash under fences and hedges, the horses and hounds had to follow. The obstacles the original jumping horses – known as hunters – had to clear in those days would make many of today’s showjumpers think twice. Stonewalls, hedges with deep ditches on the unseen side, banks, and rivers were all considered quite manageable, no matter how awkward the approach might be.
As can be imagined, this early form of showjumping was quite ungainly and did not involve a lot of control. However, as better methods of pest control came into the scene, horseback hunting began to die out. Devotees of jumping horses learned to confine their sport to the arena, where it became safer and, eventually, much more technical. The original hunter only had to be fast, brave, and able to jump virtually anything from virtually any angle; but today’s showjumper has to manage tight corners and be adjustable to ensure a quick, clean round in the jump-off.
Showjumping Horses
For years, the ideal showjumper was the Thoroughbred. Because of his natural athleticism and speed, the Thoroughbred can tear around the fences at a terrific pace. His spirit and courage makes him a game jumper and many Thoroughbreds have good technique.
In recent years, the Warmblood took over the showjumping scene. Showjumping courses became slightly smaller, but much more technical. Balance and obedience became more important than before, with spirit and speed declining in importance. Because of the Warmblood’s milder and quieter temperament, it became the breed of choice.
Another reason for the Warmblood rising to the top in showjumping was that while most Thoroughbreds are bred for racing and change to showjumping later in life, Warmbloods are bred specifically for showjumping. This means that they have more scope and can jump better than Thoroughbreds.
Some of the best jumping lines come from the Hanoverian Warmblood, such as the mighty stallion For Pleasure, or from the Dutch Warmblood, such as the famous Hickstead. French lines have also been successful in the showjumping arena. However, many showjumpers today still have a goodly dose of Thoroughbred blood, notably from the stallions Furioso, Orange Peel and Ladykiller.
Any horse can learn to do showjumping, and indeed some of the best jumpers in the world have been of dubious breeding. Although most jumpers are very tall (16.1hh and taller), smaller horses and even ponies have been successful. Stroller, a British pony who participated in the 1968 Olympics, stood only 14.1 hands high.
Showjumping Fences
There are many different types of fences to be jumped in any given jumping course, but all fences have some features in common. Unlike cross country fences, showjumping fences are constructed from light poles or blocks that fall when struck, minimising the danger to horse and rider. They are usually made of poles or planks, but in some competitions (such as derby events) solid walls made of light “bricks” are part of the course. Fences are usually painted in bright colours, making them easier for the horse to see.
Some of the basic types of fences include:
- The upright or vertical. This is the simplest fence, and is merely a set of horizontal poles set between two uprights (vertical poles). Whilst it is only as wide as the poles, it can be an intimidating obstacle for a horse to jump.
- The cross or cross-rail. This fence is seldom seen in serious competition, but is a very popular training fence. It consists of two poles set in a flat X shape between their uprights, with one end resting in a cup and the other end on the ground. It is a highly inviting fence and helps to train a young horse to jump straight.
- The oxer. This jump consists of two pairs of uprights with their horizontal bars, making the horse jump far as well as high. There are many types of oxers, but the most common ones seen in competition are the ascending oxer (an oxer with the front bar being lower than the back bar) and parallel oxer (an oxer with both bars at the same height).
- The triple bar. A very wide jump with three bars, with the front being the lowest and the back being the highest, also known as a staircase.
- The liverpool. This jump is usually an upright, and unusual in that the jump itself is in the middle of a pool of water. The water and the jump must all be cleared in one leap.
- The water jump/water tray. Simply a shallow pool of water, this is usually a wide obstacle which the horse has to clear without touching the water.
- The combination. A combination is a set of two or more jumps that are set close together, usually meaning that the horse has to adjust his length of stride and fit one to four strides in between fences. Combinations are usually doubles (two jumps) or triples (three jumps). A combination is referred to as a single fence, the individual jumps known as efforts.
Showjumping: Enjoyable for All
Showjumping is an extremely popular discipline and is available in most areas, although there is no special division for disabled riders. Any horse and rider can learn showjumping at the lower levels, and even small children can compete on a lead rein at training shows. Many horses thoroughly enjoy jumping and it is a welcome break from hours of flatwork for both horse and rider.
You don’t need to have a horse or any type of skills to enjoy showjumping, though. It has become a wonderful spectator sport; visually appealing with its sleek horses and bright fences; engaging with its exciting action and fast pace; and easy to understand with its simple rules. A day at a horse show, watching the brave riders and beautiful horses strut their stuff, can be a wonderful day out.
Showjumping as a Celebration of Creation
Thrilling, exciting, spectacular. Showjumping is less an art than it is an adventure. It seems almost impossible that half a ton of sweating, snorting, plunging horseflesh, with the spirit and strength to clear huge obstacles at high speeds, would allow a puny human being to sit on its back and guide its movements.
And yet, in this wonderful world that God made, it can be done. The horse is so much more powerful than a human that it could hurt us with just one movement. In fact, we have only to look around us to realise how physically superior many animals in our world are. But God made us in His image and gave us dominion over the earth, and He alone made it possible for horse and man to showcase their breathtaking combination of speed, power, intelligence and bravery together. All the glory goes to Him.
In the next part, we’ll investigate the ultimate competitive test of horsemanship and equine talent: the three-day event. Until then, may God bless you.
The Olympics: for many sports, the pinnacle of international competition. One of the most popular sporting events in the world, the Olympics are what thousands of sportsmen and –women aspire to.
Of our many disciplines, only three have made it to the Olympics. Unfortunately for Western riders, all these disciplines are English: showjumping, dressage, and eventing.
In this three-part series, I’ll briefly look over the three Olympic disciplines, starting with the one in which a British rider recently shattered world records: dressage.
Dressage Basics
Dressage is the dance of the horse world. More art than sport, it combines the horse’s muscular strength, incredible memory, and willing spirit to create dazzling displays of masterful horsemanship and advanced training.
Dressage consists of a series of prescribed movements performed in a certain order (known as “tests”). Depending on the country, there are several different levels, starting with only very basic paces and figures and finishing up at Grand Prix with advanced movements such as the piaffe and passage. At its most basic, dressage is the simple flatwork training that forms the basis of any horse’s schooling. In fact, the word “dressage” comes from a French word meaning “to train”.
This sport is performed in a flat 60x20m arena. A panel of judges watch the horse and rider perform individually, then award points for each part of the test. At the end of the test a percentage is worked out and this forms the rider’s score. The rider with the best score wins.
The most popular form of dressage is the musical freestyle. Instead of being a set test, the freestyle is a selection of compulsory movements choreographed by the individual rider and set to music. This graceful display of horsemanship is wonderful to watch. Some horses have such an ear for the music that it looks as if they really are dancing to it.
Dressage Origins
Considering that the Greek general Xenophon wrote the first manual on dressage, On Horsemanship, in 400 B. C., it may well be the oldest discipline in the world. While Xenophon didn’t use the term “dressage”, his description of the horse’s way of going and the rider’s position agrees with many modern dressage principles.
Dressage originated in Europe. Technically, it’s been around for as long as men have been training horses, but the sport itself was born in the fashionable riding schools of the Renaissance era. Originally, these riding schools prepared men and horses for war, where almost all of the modern dressage movements come from. Later on it was in fashion to learn to ride these advanced movements and so the rich and noble started to refine these movements for competition and not war. Eventually, dressage was given a name and became a sport in its own right.
Dressage Horses
While any horse can do dressage at the lower levels, some breeds are more suited to it than others. Most dressage riders agree that a trainable mind is the most important asset of a dressage horse.
The first dressage horses were early Iberian horses, the predecessors of today’s Pure Spanish Horse, Lusitano and Lipizzaner. These breeds remain some of the best dressage horses because of their uphill build, strength, and ability to collect and elevate their movement. Lipizzaners especially have a reputation for extreme trainability; the famous stallions performing at the South African Lipizzaners and the Spanish Riding School in Austria are a testament to this fact.
The most popular breed for dressage today, however, is the Warmblood. Warmbloods were originally a cross between cold-blooded carthorses and hotbloods like thoroughbreds and Arabs, but the modern Warmblood is a tall, quality, free-moving horse well suited to the highest levels of sport. KWPN (Dutch) and German Warmbloods are among the best in the world. Mighty dressage horses like Jerich Parzival, Totilas, Salinero and Valegro come from Dutch and German bloodlines.
In fact, the Netherlands and Germany ruled the dressage circuit for many years. It was only at 2011’s FEI World Cup, and later the 2012 Olympics, that the British rose to the top, with Charlotte Dujardin scoring a world-record-breaking 88.022% at Grand Prix level, an Olympic-record-breaking 83.784%, and winning double Olympic gold. Her mount was the Dutch Warmblood Valegro.
Para Dressage
Para dressage is the only horse sport at the Paralympics, and athletes with a diversity of disabilities are able to compete. As horse therapy is prescribed for many disabled people, dressage has many physical benefits for the disabled, as well as boosting their emotional well-being. Athletes with disabilities as severe as complete blindness and severe paralysis compete in categories according to their disability. South Africa’s Phillippa Johnson, for example, is completely paralysed on one side of her body and can still compete successfully.
Dressage is for Anyone
Anybody can compete in dressage on any sound horse. It is a widespread discipline supported by most countries. Because it requires degree of control over the horse, and subtlety of the rider’s aids, dressage is a very technical and difficult discipline, but also extremely rewarding. The schooling of a dressage horse takes many years and is a wonderful journey well worth undertaking. The sense of achievement is incredible, and it even benefits multi-discipline riders by improving their position and understanding of the equine mind and body.
Dressage as a Celebration of Creation
At its best, dressage is a wonderful celebration of God’s creation. He alone could design an animal so massive, so graceful, and so intelligent, and then give it a mind and a memory so willing that a human can control its bulk and make it dance. A great dressage horse in passage defies gravity; he seems to float, balancing on air, weightless. His rider is so still and supple on his back that she seems to be a part of him, guiding him with invisible cues that he obeys joyously. Watching them, one cannot help but marvel at the phenomenon of what a mighty horse and an intelligent rider can achieve together. Only God’s intelligent design makes it possible for a human to control half a ton of muscle and spirit and make it dance.
Next week, we’ll explore showjumping, the most thrilling and crowd-pleasing Olympic discipline. Until then, may God bless you.