We need riders and owners to make a serious long-term commitment to the sport in order to have depth at the international level.
I’ve always thought dressage is a funny sport. Not until I watched Stephen Colbert did I think it was funny in a way that made you laugh; rather that it is funny as in “odd.”
Years ago, I was at a small dinner party in Bermuda, and a pretentious and overzealous guest asked me, “What are you doing for the good of the western world?” I was a young man and just starting out in my career. I had a feeling this man knew I was giving a dressage clinic and was curious in a baiting way to find out how I’d respond. He obviously didn’t take dressage too seriously.
I don’t remember how I responded other than that I gave a polite answer. However, inside I was a little shaken. I had never thought of it—my life, my passion—in that way. It certainly was one of those questions that stay with you for decades.
As this year winds down, many of us who are involved in high performance are looking ahead at the next two, four, six and eight years and wondering what we can do to prepare ourselves. We’ve always been (and always will be) dependent upon some very dedicated and talented individuals who fight their way to the top. We’re not special in this regard. Every country is pretty much in the same boat. Very few countries have true depth in their high performance ranks, hence the term “elite athletes.”
When all the dust settles after the London Olympic Games, I’m willing to go out on a limb and say the only country with significant depth is still Germany. After the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games (Ky.), the pundits were saying that the Germans had sunk to such a level that they had to buy the top horse to stay competitive.
Two years later, at what seemed like the last minute, they put together a remarkable team of three young combinations that had never been to the Olympics or a WEG before. OK, they didn’t win the gold, but as Harry Boldt supposedly said, “Silver is nice, too.”
There’s no doubt that Charlotte Dujardin and Valegro are a phenomenon. She and Carl Hester put together a brilliant plan. There was the rare combination of her talent, poise, competitive instincts, hard work and training. Plus, the stars were also aligned to give the world dressage stage memorable and amazing rides. It’s not something that’s going to be easily imitated. If dressage was a business, this would definitely be a case study for the top business schools.
We Need To Develop Our Depth
Looking ahead to the 2014 WEG in Normandy, France, and beyond, we need to develop our own top Grand Prix mounts, thereby training more good young horses in this country. We have the trainers in this country. We have good programs such as the young horse championships. We certainly have good riders; we proved that in London. We also have good riders coming along as well. We see them graduating out of the young rider ranks, we see them in the small tour, and we see them riding the young horses at the championships.
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Putting it all together for world class Grand Prix is a little more difficult. In the end I believe, no matter what we do, we’ll be dependent upon a few dedicated and talented individuals struggling their way to the top. That may simply be because that’s what it takes to be at the top.
It requires top horses, time, ability, commitment and money to be successful. Here’s where it is an odd sport and where my friend from Bermuda might have a good point: It’s an endeavor that is a little self indulgent, to say the least.
What are the rewards for those who make it possible, whether they are individual sponsors, owners or just give money to the team? I’ve been fortunate in that I’ve known some very generous people who seem to enjoy being part of the journey, of pursuing Olympic dreams with all of the ups and downs. They definitely have pride in their horse, in their team and, no doubt, in their country.
We Have To Show In Europe
We have to ask these questions and must have better answers than I can give. If we’re going to be at the top, we need to have the funds available to send our riders to compete in Europe with their top horses. We live an ocean away on a different continent, and this is where I see us having a real disadvantage compared to European riders. For both individuals and our federation, transportation expenses eat up a sizable portion of our budgets. The cost of flying horses and the time required for a meaningful stay in Europe are a tremendous commitment that not everybody can make.
Earlier, I mentioned that only Germany appears to have true depth. The Dutch came with a super horse, an aging super horse and a fairly unproven one, yet once again they demonstrated their uncanny ability as competitors at the Olympics. I firmly believe that the experience gained by competing alongside the best on a regular basis is invaluable.
If, as a rider, you are constantly challenged to rise to their level, ultimately you have a better chance of obtaining a higher level of performance. All sports are comparative by nature. In other words: Are you faster, stronger, more agile than your fellow competitor? For dressage, since it’s a subjective sport, it’s important that you are seen competing alongside the top riders you aim to beat.
It’s just as important that U.S. judges have more chances to judge in Europe so they see in person enough of the truly top combinations one right after the other. As global as we try to make the sport, Europe is still the center. Perhaps with Florida some of that will change over time, and the top European riders will come here in significant numbers. We have to keep in mind though, that while prize money is attractive, it would require amounts similar to jumping to really change the business dynamics of dressage. Yet, I am not certain we really want to go there.
A Long-Term Commitment
To be successful requires a long-term commitment on the part of all parties involved. Grand Prix horses are not made overnight, and bringing the capable ones to Grand Prix—not selling them as prospects—has to be the goal.
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It takes, in practical terms, a daily commitment from the rider/trainer and a multi-year financial commitment from the owner. There’s a risk that in the end there will be no glory for the rider or the owner.
So you better love what you do. Enjoy and cherish the partnership that you create with the horse, for ultimately that will be your reward and may end up being the only reward.
If enough trainers dedicate themselves to training Grand Prix horses, then maybe some day we will have depth, too. From depth comes a more competitive atmosphere, more exciting competition where it’s harder to predict a winner. And the bigger the pool is, the greater the chance that there will be some exceptional human and equine athletes. My guess is that whichever country wins the gold in 2016, their team will be entirely made up of phenomenons.
Meanwhile, we continue to learn more about nutrition, conditioning, shoeing and general preventative care, all of which are crucial for the health of our partner, the horse. We are fortunate in this country to have access to some of the best help in the world in these areas. Likewise, sports psychology is beginning to play a more prominent role in today’s world, too. Thanks to the U.S. Olympic Committee, our team riders have access to professionals if they want.
The competitive bar has continually been raised every two years from the Hong Kong Olympics to the WEG to the 2012 Olympics, which has created new challenges. Just like in training a horse, when a new level of performance is reached, it becomes the marker for judging the future efforts of a rider or a horse. I have no doubt that as a country we are up for the challenge.
So if someone asks a high performance athlete what he or she is doing for the “good of the western world,” don’t be surprised if the response is: “I’m pursuing my dreams, and any support could go a long way toward making it a reality. I need to find a top-of-the-line young horse with good trainability with a supportive owner and some serious coaching. Once ready I need to go to Europe to compete. I hope you’ll come along for the journey.”
Then who knows, maybe it will be another one of those case studies.
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.
