Our columnist ponders how technology is changing dressage from the top levels to the grassroots.

Our sport is changing in many ways. As is always the case with changes, some are for the better, some raise new questions and challenges, and some I’m not really quite sure about.

At the pinnacle of our sport, an enormous change and, in a number of people’s minds, a change long overdue, involves how the team medal will be determined at the Olympic Games. The Fédération Equestre Internationale recently announced a new format for the team medal—it will be determined not only by the Grand Prix test but also by the Grand Prix Special.

According to the FEI, the Grand Prix test will be the “first team qualifying competition and the first individual qualifying competition.” The Special will be the “final team competition and second individual qualifying competition.”

The German team took Olympic gold in 2008 based solely on the Grand Prix test results. In 2012, the Grand Prix Special will count as well for the team medals. Photo by Molly Sorge

Under the new system at least 32 riders will move forward to the Special. For London, the entire team of three riders from the top seven teams, and the 11 highest-placed riders in the Grand Prix who are not otherwise participating as qualified team members, will go to the Special. There could be even more riders in the Special if there are ties for seventh place amongst the teams or for 11th place in the individuals. This is an increase from the past when the Special was limited to the top 25.

This is without a doubt an improvement, and in my opinion, a huge im-provement. First, with two required rounds determining the team placing, luck will play less of a role. Skill and training should play a greater role because riders will have two opportunities to perform in the arena. However, we’re talking about horses, so don’t worry, lady luck will still be a factor.

Second, more riders will get a little more bang for their buck. While London may not be so far away, think about last time in Hong Kong. You and your horse could easily have traveled halfway around the world for one eight-minute ride.

The Grand Prix freestyle will be open to the 18 top-placed riders from the Grand Prix Special and will determine the individual gold medalist.

Teams from 11 countries will be invited to participate in the Olympic Games using the qualifying process already in place. Due to our placing at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, the United States is one of only four nations currently qualified. This means countries are duking it out for the seven remaining slots. Once again, I want to say a big thank you to our WEG team riders, horses, their owners and to technical advisor Anne Gribbons for getting that job done!

As in the past, there will be a total of 50 slots for athletes in the dressage competition at the 2012 Olympic Games, 33 of which are allocated to team members. How the other 17 are chosen is a little complicated, and I won’t bore you with the details. What is important though, and completely new for dressage, is the possibility for a country sending a team of three to send a fourth rider as an individual. The individual rider will qualify through the “FEI Olympic Athlete Ranking – Dressage” system. I believe these changes are for the good, and I take my hat off to the FEI for moving in this direction.

Online Opportunities

In the opposite direction, I’d like to discuss a totally different kind of venue from the Olympic stadium. Technology is adding a new dimension to our sport, allowing one to compete via the Inter-net. At this very moment, you can compete in dressage without leaving the comfort of your backyard. It’s an interesting concept and at least two different websites with slight variations are available as I write this.

One site (www.horseshow.com) offers “shows” where you can compete against competitors who could be literally from around the world. Meanwhile on the other site (www.perfectworlddressage.com), you don’t really compete, but you ride tests that are judged by U.S. Equestrian Federation licensed judges. You could use it as prep for a show or just for the education.

In general I think these websites sound like fun. They have the potential of enticing those who may not feel ready to show, or those who face geographical challenges (made worse by today’s fuel prices), or those with time and/or financial restraints to try their hand at riding a test. I think the positive possibilities are endless.

However, the committee member side of me has some regulatory questions about these websites. When you send in your video and ask that a certain judge look at it, is that a private lesson? Does it pose a conflict if you were to ride at a real show with that judge later? Could I see that so and so is judging my regional championships and use these sites to get a few practice rides in with the judge who may be on my championship judging panel?

I certainly don’t want to interfere with progress, and I applaud the creativity and entrepreneurial spirit that produced such amazing concepts. I just think we must be aware of the challenges these innovations present as we move dressage more and more into cyberspace.

One cyber innovation I really enjoyed using last year was the website that allows you to sit in the audience and judge a Grand Prix test on your smart phone. You can instantly compare your scoring with that of the actual judges.

I found that even though I was not responsible for the outcome of the class, I still put a lot of pressure on myself to be as correct and unbiased in my scoring as possible. If nothing else, it’s entertaining, and I found I came away with a greater respect for the judges.

Because I had to look to put in a number, the drawback was that it was hard to sit back and watch the ride; hopefully judges don’t find that to be true as well. Eventually, competition may become a matter of punching numbers into the keypad while you watch a competitor in another land ride her test on the screen of your smart phone.

Flashback several years ago to the debate of how to conduct a national championship for dressage while dealing with the enormity of the size of our country. We actually discussed using video to a central location—not so different a concept from the rides on a smart phone.

Although technology could help us out now, it isn’t really the same. You can’t truly compare apples to apples when you’re not on the same footing, lighting, temperatures, elements, etc. as your fellow competitors. Of course, conditions can vary throughout the day or even during a class. In the end, while it might be easier in some ways, it holds very little appeal because the best chance of everyone having a level playing field is with a head-to-head competition.

It’s Time For A National Championship

I believe the time has come for a head-to-head national championship for lower levels through upper levels. The new championship would not replace the high performance championships or any of the current championships, including junior, young rider and young horse.

Once again the U.S. Dressage Federation, in partnership with the USEF, is considering holding a national championship that uses regional championships as qualifiers. The goal is for the championship to start in 2013 and to take place at the Kentucky Horse Park for the first three years.

The USDF recently surveyed riders who’d participated in the regional championship program, and 61 percent of the respondents were adult amateurs. The majority of the respondents, a full 80 percent, were in favor of a national championship. Next, the question will be put before the USDF Board of Governors for a vote this December.

The concept of a national championship has been discussed for 18 years, and for varying reasons it has been put on hold each time it has come forward. In the early years, the nine regional championships varied too much in quality, and many considered the USDF not strong enough as an organization to take it on.

More recently, the downturn in the economy was an obstacle. Today, the USDF is strong enough, and there are signs of economic recovery. The large number of entries at CDIs in Florida this year points in a promising direction.

Despite the positive indication, overall memberships and participation in the sport still aren’t close to the all-time high experienced in 2007. By providing potentially attainable goals for more riders, many of whom have no international or Olympic aspirations, and involving more levels, a national championship could be a real shot in the arm for dressage in this country.

One area where I’m wondering if the dressage community has kept up with the changes in developments brought forth by the combined forces of electronic technology and the effects of economizing is the USEF Rule Book.

Licensed officials might love the convenience of having it on a thumb drive. The USEF, I’m sure, loves the cost savings of publishing it online. But this year in particular, it seems, I’ve heard of more people than ever not quite knowing the rules, and I’m wondering if the Rule Book is being read in these innovative forms.

It may be that the average competitor and official need the rules right in front of them in hard copy form. Perhaps in this case, the old way of doing things and having the Rule Book on the shelf (or in the horse show tack trunk) was better.

I know it’s not practical, but we may still need a printed tomb readily available to thumb through as we look for that rule we’re not quite sure of. Or perhaps I’m just suffering from a bit of nostalgia.

George Williams is the president of the U.S. Dressage Federation and has served on and chaired numerous committees for the USDF and the U.S. Equestrian Federation. A rider, trainer and coach, training for Havensafe Farm in Middlefield, Ohio, and Wellington, Fla., Williams earned national and international fame with several Grand Prix mounts, including the Chronicle’s 2003 Dressage Horse of the Year, Rocher. He began writing Between Rounds columns in 2010.