Corner O
By Judy Wardrope Up Front in Dressage
ver the last decade or two, there has been a shift in dressage. Gradually, we are seeing more and more horses with
tremendous brilliance and, in particular, more extravagant movement of the forehand. Edward Gal, World Cup Champion in 2010
with Totilas and runner-up in 2015 with Glock’s Undercover, said, “When I started out, scoring over 60% was something, then it was 70% and then 80%, but now it seems 90 is the new 80. To come out on the top now, you need near perfection, and with the horses we have, we compete very close to perfection.” Debbie McDonald, World Cup champion in 2003 with Brentina and now coach of Laura Graves and Verdades, concurred. “There has been a huge change in the course of my career. Horses now have more scope.” Her comment about scope encompasses the reach or range of motion of the forelegs as well as the hind legs.
Lilo Fore, president of the ground jury at the
2015 World Cup Dressage Final, said, “Horses nowadays are such amazing athletes. Their movement is more exuberant, they have more suppleness and their impulsion and collection is better than ever before.” Monica Theodorescu, grand prix rider and
coach of the German team, expanded on those points. “Definitely, the sport is not the same. There are a lot more horses of the quality we like to have for dressage. The conformation positively changed...I think the conformation is very, very important to make it easier for horses to sit, to pick up, to become light in the front, to take the weight on the hind legs and the quarters, to have a strong enough back without being stiff. That is not only a point of training, but of conformation. If the conformation is right and correct, then it is easier for the horses and easier to train them. They come into a nice,
44 November/December 2015
Conformation
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