From the editor

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15 – Travelling horses abroad to a show, for breeding or when buying and selling is more challenging since Brexit, but good preparation and high standards of horsemanship should make the process smoother.

WELCOME

Six weeks into 2021 and we’re starting to see the positive impact of the lockdown. Couple that with the successful roll out of the vaccination programme and you can begin to feel that the grip COVID has on our lives is beginning to lessen. But we’re not out of the woods just yet and we have to plan for a post-lockdown future with a number of restrictions in place for a while longer. If it means we can get back to some sort of normality, particularly training and competing, count me in!

There’s been a huge amount of work behind the scenes at BD to pull together a number of options to provide a competition calendar which works for all members and aligns with their hopes and aspirations for the season. That could be someone aiming for an Area Festival at Prelim up to those campaigning for Tokyo so it’s very complex. And there’s the matter of timing. As I write, BD, like all of us, is waiting for the government to publish their ‘road map’ to provide us with an exit strategy from lockdown.

The Board, Sport Operations team and our organisers have worked closely on a variety of options which will then be matched against the timeframe the government outlines to provide us with a new look 2021. We’ve committed to publishing a ‘return to play’ operational plan of our own which will help members make their key decisions on shows, qualifi cation plans and selection. We’ll help you to get your 2021 dreams back on track!

I hope you’ve been enjoying our ‘BD at home’ content through lockdown. It’s really important to keep a sense of community while we’re not able to get out and about and this initiative goes some way to supporting you all. We’ve covered a variety of topics with some great experts, helpful training tips, fi tness and wellness advice plus some entertaining interviews with a range riders in the sport. If you haven’t visited the hub on the website, please do – it’s a happy place to pass time in lockdown and a welcome distraction. We’ll all be back together soon and able to enjoy what 2021 has in store. DRESSAGE THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE FOR BD MEMBERS | £5.00 | ISSUE 2 | 2021British

Winnie Murphy, Editor, British Dressage

ON THE COVER:

IN THIS ISSUE...

3 From the editor

5 News & Paramatters

7 That individual fi t

How saddle makers tailor their products for horses and riders

15 New horizons

Advice on international and long distance travel

23 Bitting

Designs and materials to suit your horse

28 Therapy products

For professional and home use

35 Middle Tour

Championships

New titles claimed

39 Earning the marks

Jane Kidd’s new series on key movements throughout the grades

44 Ask the expert

How science is shaping hat design for the 21st century

46 Bodyzone

Our new series continues with training your memory

49 BD Action

BDHQ updates and members’ benefi ts

51 Regional Activity Contacts and Judges’ diary

54 Dressage Days Young talent Lewis Carrier

BRITISH DRESSAGE NEWS

YOUNG PROFESSIONALS INDUCTED

British Equestrian has inducted a fourth cohort into its Young Professionals Programme, which aims to help young people build a wider skill set to support their personal and career development in the equestrian industry.

The 12-month long Young Professionals Programme is built around a series of interactive workshops with specialist speakers, covering a broad range of topics essential to running a business. These include putting together contracts, understanding employment law, confl ict management, insurance and fi nances, and building a personal brand.

The British Equestrian Young Professionals Programme will run until Spring 2022, with the hope of running virtual and faceto-face workshops if COVID-19 restrictions allow.

The Young Professionals selected onto the 2020/21 programme by British Dressage are: Louise Gallavan, Ellen Glover, Anna Harris, Emily Hedger, Ruth Hole, Holly Lucas, Charlotte Martin, Abbie Newbury, Suzannah Offl ey, Alex Parsons and Molly Smockum Owen.

RETURN TO PLAY

The countdown to resumption has begun and we’ve been working on our own operational plan which will be our roadmap which lays out how training and sport will get underway. Our aim is to provide clarity and as much information as possible to help everyone get competition ready and to formulate their show and qualifi cation plans. Our digital news feed and COVID hub on the website are your essential references for all our updates and plans.

LORRY TYRE LAW UPDATED

New legislation that came into force on 1 February 2021 prohibits the use of tyres aged over 10 years old to be used on the front steered axles of HGVs.

The legislation applies to all vehicles with a maximum gross weight over 3.5 tonnes, whether in private or commercial use, so this includes larger horseboxes.

If inspected at a DVSA enforcement check, tyres aged over 10 years old found in these positions will be considered dangerous and attract an ‘S’ marked immediate prohibition notice. These tyres will also lead to a ‘dangerous fail’ at the annual test and a prohibition.

It will also be a requirement for the manufacturer’s date code to be legible on all tyres.

ELITE EQUINE ASSOCIATED CHAMPIONSHIPS

As outlined in the 2021 Members’ Handbook, we are now asking any of our members who intend to qualify for the Elite Equine Associated Championships in 2021 to complete our registration form. The form is now live for members to complete on the Associated Championships section of the website.

IN MEMORIAM

Former international rider, List 1 and FEI judge Barry Marshall has passed away at the age of 69.

When Barry’s wife Leonie was expecting their daughter Liza, he took over the ride on her top horse, Othello. They became a formidable partnership in the 1970s and went on to compete in Rotterdam, Paris, Nice and the World Championships at Goodwood and Barry was the fi rst British man to wear the Union Jack on his lapel.

He judged at top level including FEI World Cup events and was also appointed Chef d’Equipe at the Barcelona Olympic Games in 1992.

In more recent times, Barry found an outlet for his love of equestrian competition in the form of carriage driving. • BD also would like to offer condolences to the connections of Lucinda Marchessini who sadly passed away recently. Lucinda was a loyal owner for Carl Hester and Katie Bailey.

BD AT HOME

Have you caught up with all the content we’ve been releasing during lockdown 3.0? Our BD at home member hub is packed full of exclusive videos, training tips, rider Q&A, health and wellness advice and expert opinion – all totally free. Whatever your role in the sport and whatever aspirations you have, there’s something to entertain during lockdown. The hub is easily accessible from the website home page. Owen.

PARAMATTERS

Thanks to everyone – around 80 of you – who joined in our Zoom catch up in early February. It was a really worthwhile and informative session. We’re planning on hosting more to keep our community united so keep an eye on the BD social media channels for news of the next one.