If you’re into the classics, you’ll love the sport of dressage. One of the oldest disciplines in the world, classical horsemanship became the root of military maneuvers in Europe. As a riding discipline that has been a staple in Europe for centuries, dressage is now growing in popularity in the United States, thanks to the success of America’s Olympic teams and the United States Dressage Federation (USDF). Dressage consists of a series of subtle maneuvers that are meant to emphasize the horse’s natural movement. A difficult discipline for both horse and rider, dressage is often compared to ballet because of its demanding nature and poetic grace. Riders can start out at various levels of the sport and move up the international ranks to Grand Prix, the Olympic level.

Dressage riders execute a test made up of patterns and movements. They are scored for each element in the test, by comparing the pair to the ideal ride for that level. Riders who score the highest in their test are awarded ribbons or other prizes. But while riders do compete against one another in a technical sense, most dressage riders are more concerned about bettering their personal scores rather than beating their fellow riders.

Horses of any size, color, and breed can be shown in dressage, although warmbloods are most commonly seen in the higher levels of the competition.

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