‘Do not forget that each rider’s ‘80%’ is totally different’

Carl Hester warns towards unfair judgment of riders breaking into prime degree

Occasions such because the World Dressage Championships open up our sport to the world. In my latest interview on The Horse & Hound Podcast, I touched on my expertise within the commentary field in Herning.

I need to reiterate my level, which was that these individuals who would possibly get judgmental, nit-picky and overly vital when watching such occasions would do effectively to keep in mind that when you have got a area of 93 starters, as in Herning, not everybody goes to be gold-medal normal.

Riders beginning out at that championship degree could also be coaching and competing their first horse on the prime degree, or using schoolmasters able to giving expertise however not shining, so their “80%” could the truth is be 65% on the scoreboard.

After all, we need to enhance requirements in dressage, but it surely’s price remembering that lots of people, particularly these from international locations which can be comparatively new to dressage, could have already given up their earlier lives and proximity to their households in an effort to transfer overseas to coach, compete and make their nation proud.

One such rider I met approach again doing small tour on the Spanish circuit is Yvonne Losos de Muñiz – my good friend “Miss World”, who rides for the Dominican Republic. After a lot exhausting work and progress, she has been nudging the highest 50 within the FEI dressage rankings this 12 months and is now the athletes’ consultant on the FEI Dressage Committee.

Method guidelines

I’m excited for the London Worldwide Horse Present (LIHS) and presenting the “Dressage Unwrapped” masterclass with Richard Davison. You’ll see dressage from each angle, with plenty of questions answered – and with Laura Collett and Dickie Waygood, plus Lottie Fry and her coach Anne van Olst within the line-up too. It’s going to be extremely particular.

Anne and I met at my first Olympics in Barcelona in 1992. A five-time Olympian and member of the Danish crew that took bronze on the 2008 Olympics, she’s the one coach in my life with whom, as an alternative of getting my lesson and ready for the subsequent day, we’d sit up effectively into the night time over bottles of wine and focus on coaching and totally different strategies. I used to go over to stick with Anne and her husband Gertjan within the Netherlands for a number of weeks at a time to work collectively.

One time, after I was there with Escapado, Anne had her eye on a flashy new cellphone I’d purchased in Dubai. She wager me the cellphone she might educate Escapado one-time modifications whereas I went dwelling to earn some cash. Positive sufficient, 15 one-tempis later, I needed to hand over the cellphone (though Anne, honey, those did then take a little bit of improvement).

Like me, she’s recognized quite a lot of trainers over time and brought a bit from all to hone her personal strategies. Simply take a look at Lottie Fry using all of the Van Olst stallions; I recall when Lottie first went to Anne’s, eight and a half years in the past, and we questioned whether or not her physique can be as much as it. There’s no clearer illustration than Lottie that it’s about method, not power.

The outdated adage goes, “Inform a gelding, ask a mare, focus on it with a stallion.” After all, stallions are probably the most tough: they need to channel focus and work alongside the breeding duties.

The administration, method and information of horses that Anne and Gertjan have made obtainable to British success, by Lottie, is wonderful. All their horses have been skilled up from foals, with lifelong relationships constructed and coaching tailor-made to every horse. It’s going to be nice to listen to from Anne and Lottie in London.

I’m wondering if, in a few a long time, we’ll be studying a few prime rider who was impressed as a teen watching Anne and Lottie from the stands at LIHS in 2022?

● What are you wanting ahead to at LIHS? Inform us at hhletters@futurenet.com. Please embody your identify, nearest city and county for potential inclusion within the journal.

• This unique column may also be obtainable to learn in Horse & Hound journal, on sale Thursday 8 December 2022

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