Ringside Wanderlust Travels and tribulations
industry is grinding its gears as it lurches back into action, globe-trotting is reviving, as well. I am relieved that freelance writer Colleen Scott’s feature story in this issue, “Grand Prix Travel on a Training Level Budget” (p. 48), is in fact seeing the light of day at a time when “travel” means more than going to the grocery store.. For her report, Colleen interviewed several young-adult dressage enthusiasts who managed to “do Europe” on a shoestring budget. With their experiences and advice, coupled with tips from a seasoned travel agent, you’ll have a solid starting point for turning your dressage dream destination into a planned itinerary. For many equestrian enthusiasts, no trip to Europe would be complete without attending the renowned World Equestrian Festival CHIO Aachen, Germany, whose iconic logo and stadium are pictured on the cover of this issue. The 2020 Aachen show fell victim to the pandemic, but it’s back for 2021, scheduled for September—later than its usual date. In 2022 it’s being held in its traditional late-June/early-July time frame, so start planning that summertime trip! Or perhaps you’d
6 September/October 2021 | USDF CONNECTION
like to visit Denmark in August for the 2022 Ecco FEI World Championships in dressage, para-dressage, jumping, and vaulting—one of the “splinter competition” world championships following the International Equestrian Federation’s decision to try splitting up the all-discipline FEI World Equestrian Games. Whatever you choose, it will surely be a thrill to get back in the travel saddle. To flog the overused phrase yet again, the past 18 months have brought unprecedented challenges. Pandemic-related challenges weren’t the inspiration for the revamp to one of USDF Connection’s long-running columns, but dressage is all about challenges, so: Beginning with this issue, our back-page column, “My Dressage,” has a different focus. Freelance writer Katherine Walcott, who for many years has profiled dressage-community figures from grooms and farriers to photographers and tack manufacturers for our “Behind the Scenes” item, will be asking noteworthy trainers, riders, and others one question: What has been your greatest dressage-related challenge, and how did you overcome it? Kicking it off in this issue is California-based trainer and sporthorse expert Willy Arts, who explains how he struggled to…well, I won’t spoil the ending for you. Turn to page 72 to read Willy’s story. Hope you enjoy getting out there, whether “there” is across the pond or the best destination of all: the barn.
Jennifer O. Bryant, Editor @JenniferOBryant
MICHAEL BRYANT
I
n the summer of 2020, as we masked up and braced ourselves for the upcoming COVID winter, my usual USDF Connection editorial planning for the coming year—a bit of a leap of faith in the best of times— could really have used an assist from a crystal ball. Would the postponed 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games actually take place in 2021? Would there be a full slate of dressage competitions in 2021? And would a planned 2021 story on budget travel to “bucket list” dressage destinations end up being completely out of step with a locked-down world? Well, here I am one year later, and I’m thankful that the doomsday scenarios I’d imagined largely didn’t come to pass. As I write this, the Tokyo Olympics are half over, and although they may indeed be “the No-Fun Olympics,” as one wag dubbed them, the Games are happening and a spectacular dressage competition is in the history books. Veteran equestrian journalist Diana De Rosa is in Tokyo covering the dressage for USDF: Check out her multimedia “Postcard from Tokyo” on USDF’s YourDressage.org website, and in the next issue of USDF Connection we’ll bring you Diana’s full Olympic dressage report, exclusive photos and interviews, and more. On the home front, it’s been a “normal” year for dressage competitions, and both the Great American/ USDF Regional Dressage Championships and the US Dressage Finals presented by Adequan® are a go for 2021. (Which makes me wistful—I’d really hoped to be there, but my horse is currently sidelined with an injury. Maybe next year.) Finally, although the travel
