Bibliothèque mondiale du cheval

« The appeal of dressage, the most disciplined and demanding of all equestrian sports, is not difficult to understand. It combines athletic grace with the fascination of the horse-and-rider relationship at its most highly developed. The rapport between the top-level dressage riders and their mounts might be described as little short of telepathic, and is sheer joy to watch. Yet how, and at what cost, are such standards achieved? In A Festival of Dressage, Jane Kidd not only answers this question but also re-creates the atmosphere of the dressage arena during a major festival. She takes us from the competitors’ arrival and preparations to the off-stage warm-up, then through each movement of the competition itself. As a writer who competes and judges, she is able to explain the physical and aesthetic requirements of each movement in terms that will inform the interested spectator as much as the dressage rider, aided by generous numbers of photographs taken at a top international event. Each movement is analysed, its good and bad features listed, and the judges’ requirements noted. Jane Kidd also explains the judges’ marking system, describes the history and development of dressage and provides a useful glossary of terms. » Présentation de l’éditeur (1981)