Dressage is a form of horse riding performed in exhibition and competition, as well as an art sometimes pursued solely for the sake of mastery. As an equestrian sport defined by the International Equestrian Federation, dressage is described as "the highest expression of horse training" where "horse and rider are expected to perform from memory a series of predetermined movements".
The Hanoverian is a Warmblood horse breed originating in Germany, which is often seen in the Olympic Games and other competitive English riding styles, and has won gold medals in all three equestrian Olympic competitions. It is one of the oldest, most numerous, and most successful of the Warmblood breeds. Originally a cavalry horse, infusions of more Thoroughbred blood lightened it to make it more agile and useful for competition. The Hanoverian is known for a good temperament, athleticism, beauty, and grace.
A horse show is a judged exhibition of horses and ponies. Many different horse breeds and equestrian disciplines hold competitions worldwide, from local to the international levels. Most horse shows run from one to three days, sometimes longer for major, all-breed events or national and international championships in a given discipline or breed. Most shows consist of a series of different performances, called classes, wherein a group of horses with similar training or characteristics compete against one another for awards and, often, prize money.
The Selle Français (SF) is a breed of sport horse from France. An athletic horse with good gaits, it is usually bay or chestnut in color. The Selle Français was created in 1958 when several French riding horse breeds were merged into one stud book. The new breed was meant to serve as a unified sport horse during a period when horses were being replaced by mechanization and were transforming into an animal used mainly for sport and leisure.
The Barb or Berber horse is a North African breed of riding horse with great hardiness and stamina. It is closely associated with the Berber or Amazigh peoples of the Maghreb. It has influenced a number of modern breeds, including many in northern and western Africa.
The United States Equestrian Federation is the national governing body for most equestrian sports in the United States. It also recruits, trains, and governs American teams in international equestrian competition at the Olympics and other competitions governed by the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI).
Brentina was an Olympic-level dressage horse ridden by Debbie McDonald. She was owned by E. Parry Thomas.
Lisa Margrit Wilcox is an equestrian riding instructor best known for her success in dressage. Lisa has won ribbons in approximately 660 competitions, including the team silver medal at the FEI World Equestrian Games in 2002 and a bronze medal in team dressage in the 2004 summer olympics.
Walter A. Zettl was a German dressage rider and Olympic-level dressage horse trainer. He was born in 1929 in Alt-Rohlau, Bohemia, which is now Stará Role in the Karlovy Vary region of the Czech Republic.
Kay Frances Meredith was an American equestrian and writer. Meredith was born in West Virginia and lived in Raleigh, North Carolina. She represented the United States at numerous international dressage competitions and became National Grand Prix Champion in 1982. In 1979, she was named the American Horse Show Association Horsewoman of the Year.
Totilas, also known from 2006 to 2011 as Moorlands Totilas, and nicknamed "Toto", was a Dutch Warmblood stallion standing 17.1 hands high who was considered to be one of the most outstanding competitive dressage horses in the world, the first horse to score above 90 in dressage competition, and the former holder of the world record for the highest dressage score in Grand Prix Freestyle Dressage.
Dorothy Sarkis Morkis is an American equestrian who won a bronze medal for America in team dressage aboard her white gelding Monaco in the 1976 Montreal Olympics where she had the highest individual dressage score of any American Dressage Team competitor. In one of her mount Monaco's best showings, she won a gold medal in team and a bronze medal in individual dressage in the 1975 Mexico City Pan Am games. She continued to compete in high level dressage intermittently through the 1980's and 1990's and later taught dressage to students.
Hilda Carolyn Gurney is an American equestrian. She was born in Los Angeles. She won a bronze medal in team dressage at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, aboard her chestnut gelding Keen, who she purchased, named, and trained herself. She participated at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, again aboard Keen, where the US dressage team placed sixth. After her competitive career, she trained and bred dressage horses and acted as a competition judge.
Rafalca is a former dressage horse, co-owned by Ann Romney, that performed in the equestrian competition at the 2012 Summer Olympics, with rider Jan Ebeling. She was retired from competitions in 2014, and is now a broodmare.
The North American Sportpony is a relatively new pony breed in the United States. Its origins are from a diverse group of breeds, because the "Sportpony" is not derived from specific bloodlines, but rather is a conformation type, akin to the American Warmblood.
Dr. Cesar Parra is a Colombian-American dressage rider and coach.
Lendon Fentress Gray, is an American dressage champion, author, and former rider of Seldom Seen.
Flim Flam was a Hanoverian dressage horse who, along with rider Sue Blinks, competed for the United States at the 2000 Olympics. The pair was eighth in the individual competition and was part of the bronze medal-winning US team. Flim Flam was sired by the stallion Wilhelm Tell I, out of the mare, Cilia.
Wolkentanz, also known as Wolkentanz I, was a champion Hanoverian stallion who stood at stud at the Celle State Stud in Germany. He was noted as a leading sire of dressage horses.
Tina Irwin is a Canadian dressage rider and coach. She won silver in team dressage at the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico. She also won gold in team dressage and a silver in individual dressage at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru.
United States 