|
Subjects of the 2002 program Robert Dover: backgrounds of US medals Ernst Hoyos: From classical Vienna to modern sport Forum: Evaluation WEG Jerez Klaus Miesner: breeding top dressage horses 'Warendorf: from young rider to Grand Prix' Johan Hinnemann Press releases 2002 Report Global Dressage Forum 2002 by Jane Kidd 'A Laboratory for Dressage' by Dressage Today Most participants agreed that the program of this second Global Dressage Forum will be hard to beat in the future. There were many highlights, including a most exciting evaluation of Jerez. And there was an impressing program by the World Breeding Federation of Sport Horses, including presentations of the world’s finest young horses by the studbooks of Hannover, KWPN and Oldenburg. But for many of the representatives of 30 countries, the presentation of the educational program of the German Federation “from pony rider to Grand Prix” , was really impressing and something to think about when countries are planning their own activities to promote the sport in the future. After Joep Bartels and David Hunt, the newly elected President of the International Trainers Club, had opened the Forum, the USA based trainer Robert Dover really woke up the participants with a clinic in which he explained his thoughts about the discussions on riding deep or riding high. “The frame of the horse has to be adjustable”, Robert told, which means that a rider should be able to change the position of the head at any time, always starting from behind, riding the horse with legs and seat forward. In the second clinic, by Ernst Hoyos, a former rider of the Spanish Riding School in Vienna, a lot of working from the ground was shown. Ernst was assisted by Lisa Wilcox, who recently was very successful with the American team in Jerez. The first evening was reserved for the evaluation of Jerez, an exciting experience as 6 tests were shown on a huge screen with the points per movement and per judge produced at the moment that a movement was exercised. Then, a trainers panel asked questions and made remarks, which were answered by the Jerez judges in an open manner. There were lively discussions between the trainers, chaired by David Hunt and the judges, chaired by Mariette Withages. The following tests were shown and thoroughly discussed: 1. Grand Prix: Nadine Capelmann – Farbenfroh GP 2. Grand Prix: Rafael Soto – Invasor GP 3. Grand Prix Special: Beatrice Ferrer Salat - Beauvalais GPS 4. Grand Prix Special Ulla Salzgeber – Rusty GPS 5. Grand Prix kür: Anky van Grunsven – Krack C Kür 6. Grand Prix kür: Debbie McDonald – Brentina Kür The most hectic discussion took place on the comparison between baroque horses, like the Andalusians, and the modern sport horses. On Tuesday morning the World Breeding Federation presented a very interesting eplanation on the breeding of top dressage horses. Veterinarian dr. Gerd Heuschmann got a lot of applause on his presentation about the possible backgrounds of back and leg injuries of young horses. Very impressing were the demonstrations by the world’s best young horses, including several world champions. Hannover presented Wyoming and Dreseman, KWPN Rousseau and Broere Jazz, and Oldenburg the champions Don Davidoff and Rubels. Last part of the Global Dressage Forum was the presentation of the systematic approach of the German Federation, which educates riders from pony level to Grand Prix. It is certainly no coincidence that over 50 % of the German team riders come from the young riders teams, including such famous names as Nicole Uphoff, Isabel Werth and Ulla Salzgeber. National pony trainer Cornelia Endres and junior trainer Hans Heinrich Meyer zu Strohen introduced several of their pupils to the Forum and showed how the system works in practice. Johan Hinneman, as always a darling of the crowd, demonstrated the last difficult part of bringing a young rider to Grand Prix level with his pupil Marlies van Baalen. Warendorf’s Christoph Hess was the overall presentator and gave explanation about the backgrounds and details of this highly educational item. |
