Often described as the pursuit of perfection, Dressage is the ultimate expression of horse and athlete working in harmony. The emotional intensity and attention to detail is awe-inspiring as is the determination and tenacity which drives the Para Dressage athletes in their quest for excellence.

2017 FEI Dressage & Para Dressage facts and figures at a glance…

Dressage

Para Dressage

Top 3 NFs with events in Dressage:

Greatest increase since 2016: Austria +13 events

Top 3 NFs with events in Para Dressage:

Greatest increase since 2016: USA +5 events

Top 3 NFs with registered athletes in Dressage:

Greatest increase since 2016: (Netherlands +19 athletes)

Top 3 NFs with registered horses in Dressage:

Greatest increase since 2016: (Netherlands +23 horses)

New in 2017

A dedicated FEI Dressage Facebook destination – FOLLOW

All annexes and agendas for the FEI General Assembly are now available to the public. You can view the 2017 Technical Committee Report for Dressage and Para Dressage HERE as well as all proposed rules modifications and other relevant documentation.

Major Events in 2017

Germany’s Isabell Werth dominated headlines and was a permanent feature on podiums throughout the whole year, but she was challenged by a number of exciting young riders! In the world of Para Dressage, all eyes were on the European Championships held alongside Dressage, Jumping and Driving in Gothenburg with a number of new contenders making their Championships debut and a new grading system from I to V.

Key events and series included the FEI Dressage World Cup™ series and Final in Omaha, the FEI Dressage Nations Cup™ Series and the Longines FEI European Championships in Gothenburg. You will find a condensed summary below or you can read all about it here – with video highlights and more…

FEI DRESSAGE WORLD CUP™ FINAL 2017, OMAHA (USA)

FEI World Cup™ Dressage, the only worldwide series in this discipline, is now in its 31^st season. The series, created in 1985, is made up of four leagues: Western European, Central European, North American (including Canada) and Pacific (Australia, New Zealand, Asia). Each qualifier consists of a Grand Prix test, which in turn is a qualification for the Freestyle to Music competition, where league points are accumulated towards places in the Final. Judged on both technical and artistic merit, FEI Dressage World Cup™ combines art, sport and partnership between horse and rider at the highest level and consistently proves a winning formula with audiences all over the world.

The FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final 2017 took place in Omaha, Nebraska, alongside the Longines Jumping Final with Werth, on her Olympic mount Weihegold OLD, securing her third FEI Dressage World Cup™ title! The German finished well clear of the field, with her closest rival Laura Graves (USA) and Verdades, who secured a personal best of 85.3%. Great Britain’s Hester finished in third place.

Podium

FEI DRESSAGE NATIONS CUP™ 2017

The series, which was launched in 2013, travelled to seven destinations in 2017, providing national teams with the opportunity to test their skills and prepare for major Championships on the horizon. By the time the final event came along in Hickstead (GBR), Sweden were already the clear leaders with one victory, two runner-up positions and a third placing under their belt.

Podium

LONGINES FEI EUROPEAN DRESSAGE CHAMPIONSHIP 2017, GOTHENBURG (SWE)

The Germans were in control of the team event right from the start and convincing performances from all team members easily gave them the gold. Denmark and Sweden took second and third.

German athlete Sönke Rothenberger, at just 22 years old, finished in second place on his 10-year-old gelding Cosmo with a phenomenal score of 90.614%. The pressure was on Werth who characteristically stepped up to the challenge, but she really had to dig deep and give it everything she had, beating her fellow German by only 0.368 marks. It’s exactly 10 years since Werth first took European Freestyle gold at La Mandria (ITA).

Team Podium

Podium

LONGINES FEI EUROPEAN PARA DRESSAGE CHAMPIONSHIP 2017, GOTHENBURG (SWE)

Greta Britain reigned supreme once again, retaining the team title and remaining unbeaten at Paralympic, World and European Championships level! They did this with a new team, only Sophie Wells had the benefit of Championships experience! It was also a very good year for Denmark, coming in a close second and picking up lots of individual medals on the way. Individually, Julie Payne (GBR), Stinna Kaastrup (DEN), Susanne Sunesen (DEN) and Sophie Wells (GBR) were all unbeaten in their individual Grades – taking home two golds apiece.

Team Podium

Grade I

Individual:

Freestyle:

Grade II

Individual:

Freestyle:

Grade III

Individual:

Freestyle:

Grade IV

Individual:

Freestyle:

Grade V

Individual:

Freestyle: