Someone shared this lovely video on Facebook, and in my estimation it has not had enough views – so I’m doing my little part to spread it around. The video is of the top two rides from the 1976 Olympics. You can find lots of vintage Dressage videos on YouTube – but what makes this one so interesting is that it has vintage commentary on the rides themselves.
These rides are from a time when Grand Prix dressage was a long journey, generally with the same partnership from beginning (or very nearly). The results show the communication, trust, strength and quality that come from such partnerships. These rides also more closely fit the FEI directives than anything you see today: polls are the highest point, noses in front of vertical, extensions actually cover ground.
Note also that half-pass looks the way half-pass should look; it is a collecting exercise, and the horse staying over his legs is key, whereas today it’s all about just how far the legs can reach. The mistaken idea that half-pass is about extreme reach actually leads to wear and tear on the horse’s joints.
One last thing to watch for – the horses’ behavior during the awards ceremony. Although the crowds are cheering, the horses still focus calmly on their riders, and reins are still relaxed – a far cry from today, when there is a call to remove the horses from the ceremony for being too dangerous. Back then, a properly developed Dressage horse was just assumed to be calm and obedient – or they weren’t Grand Prix horses!
Watching this was a relaxing, enjoyable, pure delight – I hope you feel the same! It is a bit long, so pull out the popcorn. (Note of caution: someone felt the necessity to overdub hoofbeats, which is a bit distracting. Hopefully that won’t spoil it for you!)
Be good to your horses!
Lia
Horse Crazy Once Again 
Oh I enjoyed watching this! !
And it’s in Bromont, how cool!
But the footsteps noise. Argh. Especially the canter. I wanted to hear her comments though.
Noticing, not just the horses, but the riders seat and aids have really changed. ..
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Yes, the “hoofbeats” were very distracting! In fact, on the YouTube page it’s called out by many. Reminded me of a documentary on making documentaries I once saw, where they showed how they added the munching sounds to a Koala eating leaves, and I thought it probably sounded NOTHING like the actual sound! But I’m glad you enjoyed it, in spite of that! 🙂
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What hit me the most, is that there is little to NO flash in the gaits. It looks more relaxed, and I wonder where we’ll all end up with this sport in the end…
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I’ve watched various layers of flash added to Dressage over the decades since this was filmed. Humans tend to move to more rather than less flash. It rather reminds me of the trajectory of the American Saddlebred – though a few decades behind. I just hope we don’t let it go that far. My personal taste is toward the Zen-like quiet power rather than flash … but then, I’m an introvert … 😉
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Making a quadrille mandatory for the top eight horses competing at each level might bring the focus back where it belongs.
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Agreed! It would be great to at least see a team ride as part of the top level competitions! And encourage more quadrille work through all the levels.
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