It has been quite a year on the competition front with Britain qualifying for next year’s Olympics, the para riders retaining their world title and the Pony riders winning team bronze at their European Championships.

 

There was much excitement when Carl Hester unveiled his new ride Lecantos at the start of the season. They were selected for the team, but had to withdraw just days before the European Championships. However, reserves Anna Ross-Davies and Liebling (pictured) came up trumps. On their championship team debut, they ended up being the only Brits to go through to the freestyle, finishing 10^th.

 

On the subject of the Europeans, for the first time in 42 years, Germany did not win team gold. The Netherlands finally broke the German stranglehold.

 

Reserve national champion in 2006, Dolendo, was out of action for the first half of the season with injury, but returned to form to win the 2007 National Championships ridden by Spencer Wilton. Part-owner Carl took back the ride on the 13-year-old gelding for the FEI World Cup qualifier at Olympia in December, achieving the best British placing in fourth with 73.1%.

 

At the same event, British team member Laura Bechtolsheimer rode Mistral Hojris to set a record British international grand prix score of 75.33%.

 

Britain hosted the World Para-Equestrian Dressage Championships at Hartpury College, Gloucestershire, in July amidst the worst flooding in living memory. Undeterred, the para riders won team gold as well as five gold, three silver and four bronze individual medals. Lee Pearson repeated his triple gold tally of the 2000 and 2004 Paralympic Games and also became the first chairman of the Fédération Equestre International’s (FEI) new athletes’ committee.

 

On the home front, British Dressage’s (BD) membership hit 13,000 and Jennie Loriston-Clarke took over as chairman at the AGM in June after nearly a decade of leadership by Desi Dillingham. The Duchess of Richmond became BD’s first president with Desi as vice-president.

 

Former international eventer Nick Burton joined the panel of senior selectors in the summer and will take over as chief selector next June.

 

BD also appointed its first deputy chief executive Jo Bagnall and Claire Booth took over as communications manager.

 

Our new website was launched on the day of the AGM, featuring display ads and classifieds for the first time. Further developments included the launch of a forum and judges panel in December.

 

The national dressage championships and the national convention were televised for the first time after Horse & Country TV launched on Sky channel 280 in July.

 

 

Argentille Gullit, who was a member of the British team ridden by Carl Hester at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, was retired due to a recurring tendon problem at the age of 19. Owned by Jenny Green since 1999, her daughter Gemma also competed the Dutch-bred stallion by Ulft and they enjoyed success at international level in young riders.

 

Paralympian Lee Pearson retired his Athens triple gold medallist, the 13-year-old Blue Circle Boy, from international para competitions in June.

 

Fellow para rider Debbie Criddle retired the 16-year-old Figaro after the World Para Championships. They won treble gold in 2002, 2003 and 2004 Paralympics as well as individual bronze and freestyle silver at the 2007 World Championships.

 

Fellow para rider Nicola Tustain also retired her own and her mum’s 20-year-old Hotstuff. The Irish Draught gelding by Rhett Butler won treble gold at the 1999 World Championships.

 

 

Germany’s Georg Theodorescu died aged 81 following a stroke in August. He coached his daughter Monica to three Olympic team gold medals and was considered one of the greatest trainers in the world.

 

Marcia Kelsey’s Legal Democrat died aged 22 following a bout of colic in August. Bought for just £2,500, he was 13^th with Carl Hester at 1999 European Championships and won the nationals three times in a row from 1997-1999.

 

 

World, Olympic and European gold medallist Anky van Grunsven gave birth to her second child, Ava, in March. She was back competing at the Europeans to win the freestyle gold medal, not to mention helping The Netherlands break Germany’s 42-year run of winning team gold.

 

Leading British amateur Steph Croxford gave birth to her first child, Annabelle, in June and returned to international competition within six weeks.

 

Prix St Georges and Intermediaire I National Champion Gareth Hughes and his wife Rebecca had a baby girl, Ruby, in December.

 

Hannah Esberger-Shepherd, who is on the Dressage Equine Pathway Programme with Vanito, had a baby girl on 1^st March called Molly.

 

 

British-based Finnish Olympian Kyra Kyrklund married her partner of 17 years, Richard White, in November.

 

December saw BD photographer Kevin Sparrow tie the knot with Jane Brewin, owner of the successful advanced dressage horse Nadonna.