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. 

FEI Dressage Facts and Figures 2023

Top 3 NFs with events in Dressage 

Top 3 NFs with registered athletes in Dressage 

Top 3 NFs with registered horses in Dressage 

Major Events in 2023…  

There were some incredible sporting moments in Dressage during 2023, with all the age ranges in action across over 900 Events and numerous championships. Scroll through this section to revisit the highlights of another amazing Dressage year, which included the FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final and the FEI Dressage European Championships across all age categories.   

• Check out all the latest FEI Dressage highlights on our dedicated FEI YouTube channel  
• Watch all the main Events live and on replay on FEI.TV  
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FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final, Omaha (USA) 

At the 35^th edition of the FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final, Germany’s Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and her fabulous mare TSF Dalera BB claimed the coveted championship title for the second time in a row. Out of 13 starters in the Freestyle, the pair once again set themselves apart from the rest with a mesmerising piaffe/passage tour, and half-passes in both trot and canter that seemed even more fluent than ever before to score 90.482%. Denmark’s Nanna Skodborg Merrald secured second place with the chestnut gelding Blue Hors Zepter on a score of 87.146% and Dressage legend Isabell Werth (GER) paired up with DSP Qantaz for third on 85.761%. Von Bredow-Werndl’s second win puts Germany on an equal standing with The Netherlands, with 13 wins each in this series. 

FEI Dressage Nations Cup™ season 2023 

The FEI Dressage Nations Cup™ kicked-off in Wellington (USA) and signed the first victory of the season for Germany ahead of the USA and Sweden. In Compiègne (FRA), we witnessed Denmark ride to victory, with The Netherlands in second and Germany third. The FEI Dressage Nations Cup™ leg in Budapest (HUN) had an Olympic qualifying spot up for grabs for the highest ranked team from Group C, which turned out to be Poland. France clinched their first and only team victory of the season in Rotterdam (NED), ahead of Germany and Sweden, and in Aachen it was Germany back at the top of the podium for the third time of the season. Denmark brought the FEI Dressage Nations Cup™ season 2023 to a close with an impressive victory over the home nation Sweden in Falsterbo. Overall winner of the 2023 series was Germany with 46 points ahead of Denmark on 40 and Sweden, 35. 

FEI WBFSH Dressage World Breeding Championship for Young Horses, Ermelo (NED) 

The FEI WBFSH World Breeding Dressage Championships for Young Horses 2023 in Ermelo once again provided Dressage enthusiasts with four spectacular days of sport and the crowning of a whole new generation of champions. 

In the battle for the five-year-old title, Denmark’s Anne-Mette Strandby Hansen and DWB mare Valerie B won the Preliminary Test ahead of Sweden’s Carl Hedin and the SWB stallion Skyline to B, while the third spot went to DWB mare Quinn G with Betina Jaeger (DEN). On the day of the final, from the 15 pairs at the start, it was Quinn G who rose to the occasion performing a fantastic test to earn the winning score of 94.800%. Westphalian gelding No Limit, ridden by Australia’s Simone Pearce, clinched silver and the Hanoverian stallion Beck’s FRH earned bronze under the saddle of Germany’s Thomas Schulze. 

The six-year-old championship proved to be quite unpredictable from beginning to end. A total of 45 pairs started in the Preliminary Test, which was won by Sweden’s Jeanna Hogberg together with the SWB gelding Be Allex. Denmark’s Victoria E Ballentin rode into second place with DWB mare Lyngbjergs St Paris ahead of The Netherlands’ Dinja van Liere and the KWPN stallion Mauro Turfhorst. 

The top three from the Consolation Classes of each category also qualified for the Finals and the black KWPN gelding My Toto ridden by Dutch superstar Hans Peter Minderhoud, who finished all the way down in 17^th in the preliminary test and won the consolation class, went through to the final. Scoring 88.600% with a test that sparkled, the pair won gold ahead of Leonie Richter with the Hannoverian Vitalos FRH and Germany’s Beatrice Hoffrogge with the Oldenburg stallion Zuperman OLD.  

Danciero 7 is the name of the newly crowned champion in the seven-year-old category. The black gelding under the saddle of Denmark’s Anna Kasprzak had already stolen the show in the Preliminary Test and then went on to repeat the feat at the final with a score of 86.829%. Leonie Richter (GER) brought out last year’s six-year-old champion, the Oldenburg stallion Global Player OLD, for the silver and bronze went to The Netherlands’ Kirsten Brouwer with the KWPN mare Lightning Star. 

Podium: 5-year-old  

Podium: 6-year-old  

Podium: 7-year-old  

FEI Dressage European Championship for Seniors, Riesenbeck (GER) 

With three Olympic team qualification spots up for grabs alongside the title of European Champions, the FEI Dressage European Championship for Seniors was certainly one of the most anticipated Dressage events of the year. The Grand Prix test which decided the team medals was held over two days and saw 16 nations battle it out for the honours.  

Great Britain took the lead from the start with stunning performances ahead of host nation and defending champion Germany, followed by Denmark in third intermediate position. On the final day Great Britain then sealed the deal thanks to Lottie Fry’s personal-best Grand Prix result of 81.258% with the stallion Glamourdale, boosting the team to a final score of 242.220. The stallion was awarded six scores of 10 for his trademark and thrilling extended canter. Despite fantastic individual performances, Germany had to settle for silver, totalling 239.674 and Denmark took home bronze on 228.727. Sweden slotted into fourth place ahead of The Netherlands in fifth and France finished sixth while Austria, Belgium and Spain earned the three Olympic qualifying spots up for grabs when filling the next three places in that order. 

From a playing field of 30 starters, the individual leader board featured the name of the defending European Champions, Jessica von Bredow-Werndl (GER) and her 16-year-old mare TSF Dalera BB at the top once again, after the pair rode to victory in the Grand Prix Special with a mark of 84.271%. The silver medal went to Denmark’s Nanna Skodborg-Merrald and the 15-year-old gelding Blue Hors Zepter, while Britain’s Charlotte Dujardin and the 10-year-old Imhotep took home bronze. 

A total of 18 combinations lined up for the highly anticipated final Grand Prix Freestyle, in which von Bredow-Werndl and TSF Dalera BB also reclaimed the championship title they had won 12 months previously and clinched their second individual gold medal of the week on home soil with a score of 92.818%. With 92.379%, Great Britain’s Lottie Fry and the fabulous stallion Glamourdale just missed out on gold while fellow-Briton and triple Olympic gold medallist Charlotte Dujardin stepped up to bag the bronze with Imhotep on 91.396%. 

Team Podium 

Individual Grand Prix Special Podium  

Individual Grand Prix Freestyle to Music Podium 

Asian Games, Hangzhou (CHN) 

Team India took the Dressage title, the first equestrian gold medal of the postponed Asian Games 2022, held in 2023 in Hangzhou, on a combined score of 209.205. The winning team, made up of Sudipti Hajela/Chinski, Divyakriti Singh/Adrenaline Firfod, Hriday Vipul Chheda/Chemxpro Emerald and Anush Agarwalla/Etro, clinched the first Asian Games gold medal in equestrian for India since 1982. Team China, made up of Zhuoqin Huang/Badoit 2, Jiayi Rao/Geniaal and Chao Lan/Sergio Leone took silver, while bronze went to Hong Kong thanks to the performances of Samantha Grace Chan/DSP Fierro, Annie Ho/Southern Cross Braemar and Jacqueline Wing Ying Siu/Jockey Club Huittharien.  

Following the qualification round, 15 horse and rider combinations stepped into the arena at Tonglu Equestrian Centre for the individual Freestyle medal-decider. Malaysia’s Qabil Ambak won his and his country’s first ever Asian Games gold medal, with a score of 75.780%, making a 25-year long dream come true. Jacqueline Wing Ying Siu and Jockey Club Huittharien took silver ahead of India’s Anush Agarwalla paired up with Etro in bronze. 

Team Podium

Individual Grand Prix Freestyle to Music Podium 

Pan American Games, Santiago (CHI) 

After the first day of the 2023 Pan American Games in Chile, the intermediate team rankings in Dressage turned out to be a tight race, with the USA out in front on a collective score of 224.338 and Brazil behind by just three points 221.151, followed by Canada in third on 214.277. The final competition day did not succeed in shuffling things around much, as the USA came out with all guns blazing, delivering one solid performance after the other and as a result, securing the gold medal. Team Brazil made history when slotting into silver medal position and the defending champions from Canada took bronze. As the USA were already qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games it was the Brazilians and Canadians who claimed the two Olympic qualifying spots on offer. 

Julio Mendoza Loor made history when taking the first-ever gold medal for Ecuador in the individual Dressage Freestyle finale. Together with the 12-year-old chestnut gelding Jewel’s Goldstrike, he posted a massive score of 87.230% for victory. Brazil’s João Victor Marcari & Feel Good VO claimed silver with 86.160% and USA’s Anna Marek & Fire Fly clinched bronze with a score of 81.305%.  

Team Podium

Individual Grand Prix Freestyle to Music Podium 

YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIPS  

FEI Dressage European Championships for Young Riders & U25, Budapest region – Pilisjászfalu (HUN) 

The FEI Dressage European Championships for Young Riders & U25 saw a total of 91 young athletes from 19 nations showcase their talent across both categories in the hope of standing on the highest step of the podium.  

In the Young Riders category, out of 13 teams taking part, Denmark took the honours and the championship title with an overall score of 218.618 after a head-to-head with Germany, who had to settle for silver on a score of 218.529. The bronze medal went to Great Britain with a score of 215.500.  

Annabella Pidgley (GBR) made it a memorable week when, together with her wonderful bay mare Espe, she clinched double gold with the highest scores in the Individual competition and the Freestyle to Music, after already having won team bronze. Silver and bronze in the Individual competition respectively went to Germany’s Valentina Pistner paired up with Flamboyant OLD and her compatriot Jana Lang riding Baron. Alexander Y de Helgstrand riding Belantis took home silver in the Freestyle where Lang won her second bronze medal. 

National glory went to Germany in the U25 category, with a team as strong as ever, boasting an overall score of 218.117 and winning the championship title by a distance. Denmark slotted into second on a score of 213.323 and third place went to The Netherlands with 210.324.  

Individually, the Germans also proved unbeatable with Felicitas Hendricks taking the win in the Grand Prix, paired up with the wonderful Oldenburg gelding Drombusch OLD. Silver went to Marten Luiten from The Netherlands together with Fyona and bronze to Helena Erbe (GER) and Carlos FRH. 

The Freestyle to Music saw a reshuffle among the Grand Prix top trio from which Helena Erbe (GER) and Carlos FHR rose to the occasion to take the championship title. The pair posted a score of 80.410% for their second gold medal of the week having been part of the winning team. Team mate Hendricks took home silver with Drombsuch OLD, and Luiten secured bronze with Fynona.  

Young Riders Team Podium 

Young Riders Individual Competition Podium 

Young Riders Individual Freestyle to Music Podium

U25 Team Podium 

U25 Grand Prix 

U25 Freestyle to Music Podium  

FEI Dressage European Championship for Juniors & Children, Kronberg (GER) 

The FEI Dressage European Championship for Juniors and Children in Kronberg turned out to be a home run for host nation Germany. Clinching every gold medal on offer, they clearly dominated the championship and demonstrated that the future of Dressage in Germany is safe.   

In the Juniors category, three teams were on each other’s heels for the remaining two podium places. Austria, Denmark and Great Britain all ended up with a team score of 214 points, making the difference between them minimal. Ultimately, Germany took the championship title, with Austria and Denmark sharing second place and Great Britain third.

Team gold medallist Rose Oatley (GER) made it a week to remember. The European Pony champion from 2021 mesmerised with her performances on Sommernacht 7 in the Individual competition where she took gold ahead of team mates Allegra Schmitz-Morkramer with Libertad FRH and Lana-Pinou Baumgürtel on Zinq Emma FH. The Championship title in the Freestyle to Music then went to Morkramer, and Baumgürtel was also able to top her previous performance by winning silver. The bronze medal went to Great Britain’s Myles Graham with Nibeley Union Hit.  

Nine teams went to the start in the Children category and it was with an impressive team total of 248.035 that Germany strode to victory. Sweden, finishing in second, scored 233.559 points followed by Spain on 228.851. Marie Bernhard and For Rock G then went on to become individual European Champion of the Children category, followed by Therese Billig (GER) with Faro Shen and Lal Mira Gürgen from Turkey on Lowland.   

Children Team Podium  

Children Individual Competition Podium   

Junior Team Podium 

Junior Individual Competition Podium 

Junior Freestyle to Music Podium  

FEI Dressage European Championship for Ponies, Le Mans (FRA)

The first two days on the Dressage stage in Le Mans witnessed a thrilling race for team medals with Europe’s leading pony riders hungry for gold. A high-performing German team gained gold on a total of 228.114 points, followed by Denmark on 217.772 and Belgium with a team tally of 216.057. 

Lilly Marie Collin from Germany, together with her bay stallion Cosmo Callidus NRW, triumphed in both the Individual Competition and the Freestyle, making it triple gold for them. In the Individual Competition Julie Sofie Schmitz-Heinen (GER) and Chilly Morning WE and Liezel Everars (BEL) with FS Capelli de Niro completed the podium. In the Freestyle to Music, Everars took home silver ahead of Maria Teresa Pohl (GER) on Der Kleine Sunnyboy WE.   

Team Podium  

Individual Competition Podium 

Freestyle to Music Podium 

FEI Dressage North American Youth Championship, Williamsburg (USA)

Nine teams lined up to battle it out for gold in the Junior category and the honours went to USA combined Region 4 and 6 composed of Norah Wright/Baccos Do Retiro, Lexie Kment/Montagny Von Der Heide, Daphne Glenn/Romanesque and Olivia Martz/Ronvair with a score of 204.575. USA Region 3’s Virginia Woodcock/Mollengardens Sans-Souci, Madison Sumner/Briar, Tessa Geven/Sir Frederico and Justine Boyer/Campanero HGF earned the silver medal on a score of 204.364. Leah Drew/Damons Davian, Sophie Forsyth/Dimagico and Lucy Sheldon/Porsche’s Florencia clinched it for Region 8 (USA) winning bronze with 203.787.  

After clinching two silver medals from the Team and Individual competition, Madison Sumner and Briar struck gold in the Freestyle. The pair posted a 73.540% to top the leader board ahead of the winner of the Individual competition, Sienna Rowe with Lightfire Just Do it. Bronze went to Allison Berger mounted on Delacure with 72.915%. Norah Wright (USA) and the grey Baccos Do Retiro completed the podium of the Individual competition on 69.382%. 

In the Young Rider category, 22 combinations representing six teams battled it out for the highest step of the podium. Team Region 3 (USA), made up of Mary Claire Piller/Caterina, Kat Fuqua/Dreamgirl, Cesiana William/Prima Ballerina and Acacia Tsamoutales/Santos proved dominant, scoring a team total of 212.353 to win the gold medal. The combined team from Regions 4 and 7 (USA) – Averi Allen/Superman, Ella Fruchterman/Hannah Montana W, Josephine Hinnemann/Copa Cabana MRF and Josh Albrecht/Espresso won the silver medal with 203.118. Combined team Regions 1/2/9 (USA) finished a close third to take bronze with a finishing total of 197.824 following the solid performances of Quinn Ridgway/Dramatika, Alicia Berger/Floriano HB, Madison Manis/Roquefort and Sydney Lipar/Zerragamo. 

After earning the top score in the Team test, Piller and Caterina repeated the feat in the Individual competition, scoring 70.147% to secure gold. Celsiana William rode to silver on Prima Ballerina with 69.912% and Kat Fuqua won bronze with her own Dreamgirl, after posting 69.294%. The Freestyle saw the same three take over the podium again, the only difference being that this time Fuqua secured silver behind Piller and William clinched bronze.  

Team Canada’s Brooke Mancusi riding Arthur and Claire Robinson with Glamour Boy scored 135.647, securing the inaugural team gold medal for the U25 division, while the US Star-Spangled team took home silver thanks to the scores of Dennesy Rogers on Chanel and Cameron Wyman with Thys. Lastly, Emily Hewitt riding Fidens and Jenaya Celina Olsen paired up with Beach Boy, representing The U.S. Stars & Stripes took the bronze.  

After having won team bronze earlier during the week, Emily Hewitt and Fidens then went on to become the first-ever winners of the U25 individual gold medal at the FEI North American Youth Championships. Dennesy Rogers took silver with Chanel and Claire Robinson of Canada won individual bronze with Glamour Boy to add to her team gold from earlier in the week. Robinson and Glamour Boy then put down the best test in the Freestyle to Music, with a score of 71.090% earning them gold, while Hewitt and Fidens had to settle for bronze behind Alexandra Dawson and her stallion Freedom.   

Junior Team Podium   

Junior Individual Competition Podium   

Junior Individual Freestyle to Music Podium    

Young Rider Team Podium    

Young Rider Individual Competition Podium  

Young Rider Individual Freestyle to Music Podium   

U25 Team Podium 

U25 Individual Competition Podium  

U25 Freestyle to Music Podium   

Para Dressage 

FEI Para Dressage Facts and Figures 2023 

Top 3 NFs with registered athletes in Para Dressage

Top 3 NFs with registered horses in Para Dressage 

Major events in 2023… 

FEI Para Dressage European Championships for Seniors, Riesenbeck (GER) 

The first day of competition at the FEI Para Dressage European Championship came to an end with the crowning of new champions in Grades I, II and III. Latvia’s Rihards Snikus and King of the Dance secured the gold medal in Grade I despite an error of course for a mark of 75.250%. The silver medal went to Martina Benzinger (GER) on Nautika with 74.833%, just in front of championship debutant Gabby Blake from Great Britain with the grey gelding Strong Beau, who took the bronze with a 74.583%. 

The gold medal in Grade II went to Germany’s Heidemarie Dresing and Horse24 Dooloop with a score of 74.776%, which put them comfortably in front of Britain’s Georgia Wilson and Sakura, who finished on 72.966% to reclaim their silver medal from 2019. Norwegian athlete Ann Cathrin Lübbe and La Costa Majlund followed closely in bronze on 72.724%. 

Grade III was not surprisingly won by the decorated Danish duo Tobias Thorning Jørgensen and the lovely mare Jolene Hill who secured yet another gold medal with 77.767%. The silver medal went to the young shooting star from France, Chiara Zenati and her black gelding Swing Royal IFCE with 72.900%. Right behind in bronze with 72.633% was the home rider and championship debutant Melanie Wienand and Lemony’s Loverboy. 

The second competition day crowned Demi Haerkens (NED) as new European champion of Grade IV together with her stunning mare EHL Daula NOP on a mark of 77.556%. Defending champion Sanne Voets (NED) had to settle for silver with Demantur RS2 NOP and Manon Clayes brought the bronze medal home to Belgium riding Katharina Solleburg. 

Grade V saw Belgium’s Michèle George rise to the occasion, taking gold together with Best of 8 on 76.308%. Just behind her was the experienced pair Frank Hosmar (NED) and Alphaville NOP having scored 76.00% and bronze went to Germany’s Regine Mispelkamp and her mare Highlander Delight’s with 74.205%. 

The Netherlands, defending European Championship team from 2019 in Rotterdam, reclaimed their title at these European Championships. For a long time, it looked like Germany would come out on top, however, the outstanding performance of Demi Haerkens and her super mare EHL Daula NOP, scoring 79.730%, put the Dutch team in gold medal position. Before her, Frank Hosmar riding Alphaville NOP and Lotte Krijnsen on Rosenstolz NOP had already laid a strong foundation for the gold. Finally, Voets and Demantur RS2 NOP sealed the deal and brought the team score up to an impressive 232.637. 

In the end, the German team of Heidemarie Dresing on Horse24 Dooloop, Melanie Wienand/Lemony’s Loverboy, Martina Benzinger/Nautika and Regine Mispelkamp/Highlander Delight’s took the silver medal with a total score of 226.979. Bronze went to the all-female team from Great Britain composed of Georgia Wilson/Sakura, Gabby Blake/Strong Beau, Charlotte Cundall/FJ Veyron and Sophie Wells/LJT Egebjerggards Samoa with 222.663. 

In the Grade I Grand Prix Freestyle, Italian Dressage queen Sara Morganti riding Mariebelle clinched the gold medal on a score of 81.640%. Michael Murphy and Cleverboy from Ireland also did a fantastic job, and delivered a flawless Freestyle scoring just below 80% and winning silver with a total of 79.887%. It was a close call for the bronze but in the end Germany’s Martina Benzinger and Nautika had the margins on their side, and were able to claim the podium spot with 78.347%. 

The German Grade II sensation of these championships, Heidemarie Dresing and Horse24 Dooloop, finished off an incredible week with a score of 80.353%, winning their second gold medal in the Freestyle. Right behind them in silver was the British duo Georgia Wilson and Sakura with 79.367%, while the bronze medal was claimed by the Norwegian rider Ann Cathrin Lübbe and La Costa Majlund with 74.540%. 

Entering the arena to the tune of Dolly Parton’s ‘Jolene’, Tobias Thorning Jørgensen (DEN) and the outstanding grey mare Jolene Hill danced their way to another gold medal in Grade III. The silver medal went to the elegant French combination of Chiara Zenati and Swing Royal IFCE with a score of 77.773% and bronze to Lotte Krijnsen (NED) with Rosenstolz NOP after posting 75.680%. 

Securing all three gold medals possible, Demi Hearkens and EHL Daula NOP were an unstoppable force when completing the Grade IV Freestyle at the top of the leader board with 82.070%. Sanne Voets and her lovely dance partner Demantur RS2 NOP delivered an unbelievable powerful and fluid Freestyle, finishing just behind Hearkens on 81.595%. Following another strong performance, Belgian Manon Claeys and her mare Katharina Sollenburg took bronze on 78.025%.  

Lastly, the Grade V championship title went to Michèle George (BEL) and her lovely mare Best of 8 after delivering a flawless Freestyle and finishing on a score of 81.275%. Following in silver position was the well-established Dutch duo Frank Hosmar and Alphaville NOP with 79.045% on 76.550%, the bronze medal went to Sophie Wells (GBR) riding the youngest horse of the championships, the just seven-year-old LJT Egebjerggards Samoa.    

Team Podium 

Individual Podium Grade I 

Individual Podium Grade II 

Individual Podium Grade III 

Individual Podium Grade IV  

Individual Podium Grade V  

Individual Freestyle Podium Grade I   

Individual Freestyle Podium Grade II 

Individual Freestyle Podium Grade III 

Individual Freestyle Podium Grade IV 

Individual Freestyle Podium Grade V