WEG 2010: Dressage (Not In Jeans)

Moorelands Totilas | Photo: Samantha Clark

Another day nearer to Eventing, and it really isn't too far away now.......

Today though was all about pure dressage, and for those of us not at the World Equestrian Games, a first chance to see some Kentucky action via the TV. Now normally you wouldn't catch me watching this much dressage even at a horse trials, but there was such a buzz beforehand about Totilas, and one or two others I just had to take a look. Even though I find some of these pure dressage movements a little laboured (like the canter pirouettes), I was in total awe at how athletic these horses are, and with such control.

Moorelands Totilas, ridden by Edward Gal, did live up to his reputation, and I'm no dressage aficionado or geek, but even I could appreciate the silky elegant of this horse's performance. For me this was almost over shadowed by the incredible performance of the British team who wiped the floor with the remaining competition producing personal bests to win silver. British dressage hasn't been this good since Torvil & Dean!

Carl Hester | Team Silver Medalist

Carl Hester (11th) & Laura B (2nd) looked really world class today, and there seemed to be a good crowd supporting them, and blimey - what a massive arena! I apologise, I'm probably not the best person to give authoritative comment on this type of dressage. It was great, and apart from my obvious interest in the Brits and Totilas, I did watch a few other lovely horses, including a Danish horse very similar to one of my old horses, and a fabulous looking Andalusian horse from the Spanish team. For real dressage commentary I suggest taking a look at eurodressage.com they probably have it all covered, and of course take a look at the 2010 Radio Show, as they've probably got sore thumbs from all the tweeting and camera clicking they've been up to today.

For Team GBR this all bodes very well for London 2012, and after the victory over the US Eventers on the Land Rover Cross Country Challenge yesterday this medal win just adds more muster for the forth coming eventing festivities.......

The event riders & horses have all been officially named now, with 85 combinations and 14 teams in the line up, and it all starts tomorrow with the trot up.

More on all that later....

Here's an audio interview with Laura B (Dressage's very own Jane Torvil) on winning The Team Silver, and here's a video of her test...