20 Years in the Making – Dressage Comes to the Forefront in AQHA
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By Susan Winslow
It’s a long way from Greece in 400 BC to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in 2020, but the sport of Dressage has arrived in AQHA World Show competition, much to the delight of horsemen of all ages and abilities. Classical Dressage traces its roots to the Greek military, as recorded by the legendary Greek Military Commander, philosopher, and writer, Xenophon, who led the battalion of mercenaries known as the ‘Ten Thousand’ in 400 BC. His treatise, “On Horsemanship” is still considered a primary document in the art of horse training today.
The sport of Dressage has grown in popularity worldwide in the past fifty years, because it’s a sport that welcomes everyone, and the fundamentals of Dressage translate well into many other disciplines. The United States Dressage Federation (USDF) has 130 affiliated clubs and the Western Dressage Association of America (WDAA), founded in 2010, has grown steadily. Professional Horseman and multiple World and Reserve World Champion Lynn Palm was thrilled to be asked to introduce competitors, trainers, and spectators to the new Western Dressage Division at the 2020 AQHA World Show. Palm is an internationally acclaimed competitor, trainer, judge, author, clinician, and the owner and founder of Palm Equestrian Academy at Fox Grove Farm in Ocala, Florida.
Palm’s demonstration, “Ride the Pattern – Ride the Test,” was followed by competition in both the Classical Dressage and Western Dressage divisions at the World Show. During the demonstration, Palm gave commentary, while Marie-Frances Davis rode Adelaide Pickett’s AQHA mare WTR Herestoyourhonor through the USDF Training Level Test 3, followed by the Western Dressage version, USEF/WDAA Basic Level Test 4. Palm says, “I felt it was truly important to explain how, being a new discipline, we presented it as Western Dressage 101. I wanted to introduce people to information about the arena, the movements, and the scoring system. With Marie-Frances giving the visual by riding the tests, I explained each element. It’s a dynamic that newcomers are going to love, because each element has a score, and you get a comment on each score, with your final score being an average. We were able to showcase how the Western horse can find a place in this discipline.”
The demonstration was well received, with close to 20,000 views from five countries on the internet. Palm explains, “This new division is a natural for so many horses and riders in AQHA competition, and it’s a great way for people who want to get into competition because there is a place for horses and riders of every age, experience, and ability. The sport of Dressage is well suited to the American Quarter Horse, because of the breed’s natural athleticism and versatility. Dressage focuses on the biomechanics of the horse, freedom of movement, and a happy, willing attitude while executing the movements in a test.”
