Grand Prix Dressage

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Grand Prix is the highest level of dressage.

Movements included in Grand Prix dressage tests are:

  • Piaffe: a calm, composed, elevated trot in place
  • Passage: a movement done at the trot, in which the horse has great elevation of stride and seems to pause between putting down its feet (it has a great amount of suspension in the stride). Described very well like a horse "trotting under water," it takes great strength and training to get a good passage.
  • Extended gaits: Usually done at the trot and canter, the horse lengthens its stride to the maximum length through great forward thrust and reach. Grand Prix horses show amazing trot extensions.
  • Collected gaits (trot and canter): A shortening of stride in which the horse brings its hindquarters more underneath himself and carries more weight on his hind end. Takes a great amount of strength. The tempo does not change, the horse simply shortens and elevates his stride.
  • Flying Changes (one and two tempis): The horse changes leads at the canter every stride (one tempi), two strides (two tempi), or three strides (three tempi). One tempis look like the horse is skipping.
  • Pirouette: usually done at the canter
  • Half-pass: A movement where the horse goes sideways and forward at the same time, while bent slightly in the direction of movement.

Germany is currently the dressage powerhouse of the world, along with the Netherlands and Denmark. Spain and the United States are also at the top of the sport.

A partial list of some of the top competitors in the sport is as follows:

  • Klaus Balkenhol (Germany)
  • Laura Bechtolsheimer (Great Britain)
  • Sue Blinks (United States)
  • Jan Brink (Sweden)
  • Nadine Capelmann (Germany)
  • Robert Dover (United States)
  • Beatriz Ferrer-Salat (Spain)
  • Edward Gal (The Netherlands)
  • Anky van Grunsven (The Netherlands)
  • Carl Hester (Great Britain)
  • Lone Jorgensen (Denmark)
  • Heike Kemmer (Germany)
  • Reiner Klimke (Germany)
  • Kyra Kyrklund (Finland)
  • Ann Kathrin Linsenhoff (Germany)
  • Debbie McDonald (United States)
  • Constance Menard (France)
  • Hans Peter Minderhoud (Netherlands)
  • Leslie Morse (United States)
  • Steffen Peters (United States)
  • Anja Plonzke (Germany)
  • Karin Rehbein (Germany)
  • Ulla Salzgeber (Germany)
  • Hubertus Schmidt (Germany)
  • Ellen Schulten-Baumer (Germany)
  • Guenter Seidel (United States)
  • Isabell Werth (Germany)
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