Equestrian Entertainment: Dressage at Olympia, the London International Horse Show

Dressage at Olympia, the London International Horse Show, is a spectacle that every dressage enthusiast should experience at least once in their lifetime. The air is electric with the enthusiasm of knowing that you are going to be viewing the best of the very best riders and horses. Included in this wonderful package is a huge horsey shopping haven, equestrian entertainment such as the Hanoverian Stud Quadrille, the Shetland Grand National and most impressive, the Metropolitan Police Activity Ride. If you've never seen it, look it up online.

I don't want to spoil it too much, but let's just say that you will never ever complain about losing your stirrup again. Also in the 2006 show mix was Anky teaching us about how to choose music for a freestyle (she wasn't riding because she was 8 months pregnant) and Imke Schellekens-Bartels giving us a dressage master class on one of her young Prix St. George horses. Then just to top things off, an equestrian rendition of "The Night Before Christmas" complete with Santa being pulled by a team of snow white horses. And speaking of snow, they make it snow inside the arena. Olympia is all of this and World Cup Qualifier dressage? How could you possibly want more? Well I will tell you this, all that I mentioned is just in one night, the night that just happened to be the Freestyle to Music night.

When I attended in 2006, there was a pretty good mix of riders from all over the world, as well as judges. The H judge was Minako Furouka, who happens to be from Japan. Also represented as judges were E, Stephen Clarke from Great Britain, C, Cara Whitham from Canada, M, Mariette Withages from Belgium and B, Jennie Loriston-Clarke also from Great Britain.

It appears that in the Freestyle to Music, riders are "upping their game" with more difficult moves to try to score higher. I tried to make notes of each ride but some are brief due to me being dazzled with the glitter of it all. I took lots of photos which nearly all came out blurry due to them being on my cell phone. So here's a tip, bring a real camera, but remember, a flash would be in poor taste so turn the flash off! It is well-lit enough anyway.