![]() ![]() Pas de Deux has great spectator and audience appeal. Pas de Deux and quadrille offer a way to compete in a musical freestyle with a partner or group of riders. Music can be an inspiration to the rider and engages the audience and is a creative way to present the sport. Riders can choose to show off their skills by entering a musical freestyle at any level. This skill requires a high degree of proficiency. The horse and rider should stay in step with the music. They are mandatory for any international or FEI rider and with the growth and addition of the US Dressage finals, freestyles are not just for the elite riders but also riders at all levels.įor the freestyle, the movements are choreographed to edited music. Musical freestyles are an increasingly important part of competitive dressage. The high-score horse and rider combination wins a class. Special tests are also written for musical freestyle, sport horse breeding and performances incorporating multiple horses and riders. Each movement is scored by a judge on a scale of 0-10 for their precision and execution. ![]() Each test includes a series of movements performed by the horse and rider. Often compared to ballet or figure skating, the intense connection between both human and equine athletes is a thing of beauty to behold.Ĭompetitive dressage involves progressively difficult levels incorporating multiple tests within each level. ![]() With its popularity rapidly growing each year, this Olympic sport is the ultimate expression of horse training and elegance. The word dressage comes from the French term meaning “training” and its purpose is to strengthen and supple the horse while maintaining a calm and attentive demeanor. Learn more at The American Driving Societyįollow Team USA on social media #USADriving While combined driving is a technical and demanding sport, it can be enjoyed by people of any age and with any breed of horses or ponies. The last phase, the cones course, times the competitor while they accurately negotiate an intricate, winding course of narrowly-set cones without knocking them with the carriage wheels. The marathon tests a horse’s fitness, stamina and agility along with a driver’s accuracy and judgment as they navigate an intricate series of hazards which will include water, steep hills and sharp turns – all within the fastest time possible. Typically, the second phase is the fast-paced and demanding cross-country marathon. The driven dressage phase tests the driver and their horse(s) on harmony, impulsion, ease of movement and suppleness through a sequence of scored movements in an arena. Accuracy, speed and endurance are all a necessary part of this exhilarating sport. The competitor with the fewest overall penalty points will place first. The driver and horse(s) combination will accumulate penalty points throughout each phase of competition. ![]() The sport, conceptualized by HRH Prince Phillip, is modeled after the mounted equestrian discipline of three-day eventing or the human equivalent of triathlon.Ĭompetitors drive a turnout of a single horse, a pair of horses or a team of four horses. Combined driving tests a drivers’ ability and the horses’ drivability, speed and athleticism, in three demanding phases with a carriage in tow: Driven Dressage, Marathon and Cones. ![]()
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