last updated on January 13, 2010 15:01

World records shattered, Team gold and silver for GB, individual bronze for Laura, 50+ National titles for Carl, live dressage coverage for Olympia-the first time ever, not to mention the most exciting combination in the dressage world to date in the form of Edward Gal and wonder-horse Totilas, no one could deny 2009 has been one for the books!

The Europeans provided high drama with Carl, Laura, Emma and Maria capturing a dare-to-dream silver medal and edging out the Germans for the first time ever with the best medal position for 16 years. As if that wasn’t enough to shout about, Dressage’s golden girl Laura Bechtolsheimer broke the British record for an international grand prix special and captured the bronze medal in spectacular style.

The British Para riders did us proud in Norway at the European Para Equestrian Dressage Championships with their best ever medal haul while the National Championships saw records broken yet again with Carl Hester capturing his 51st National title and 6th National Championship.

Here’s a summary of the main events:

January

• GB claim team gold and individual honours at the Australian Youth Olympic Festival. Charlie Hutton, Jessica Dunn and Emily Cousins all contributed to the team’s success.

• Lee Pearson, Anne Dunham and Sophie Christiansen are recognised in the Queen’s 2009 New Years Honours list for their services to disabled sport receiving an OBE and MBE’s (respectively) for services to disabled sport.

February

• The British Young Rider Dressage Scheme (BYRDS) announce their launch of the British Dressage Young Professional Award which will identify and help committed professionals aged 18-25 who have decided to make dressage their career.

• Lara Griffith’s ride Warlock, known as “Wally”, is put down after the 17-year-old gelding fractured a hind leg in the field.

• BD announces Dressage Deluxe as the new title sponsors of the 2009 British Dressage National Championships.

March

• Laura Bechtolsheimer and Alf set two new British international record scores at Hertogenbosch CDI-W in Holland winning the grand prix with 76.553% and the CDI grand prix special with 75.25%.

• Brits Maria Eilberg and Richard Davison enjoy well earned success in the wet and windy Spanish Sunshine Tour.

• Sophie Wells tops the 2009 Para-Equestrian Winter Championships with a double one-two with first and second placings on Valerius and Pinocchio.

April

• Pat Manning, a British Horse Society Fellow (FBHS), list 1 dressage judge, internationally admired trainer and founding member of what is now the British International Dressage Trainers Foundation, dies at the age of 77.

• The 2009 Rolex FEI World Cup Final in Las Vegas saw an American - Steffen Peters and Ravel - lift the trophy on home soil the first time ever.

• Paralympian and World Champion Nicola Tustain announces her departure from international competition.

• Carl Hester and Movistar and Matt Frost and Flyaway Wish top the competition at the Event Insurance Services Winter Championships when they take the FEI Intermediate I Music Freestyle Championship.

May

• Hindle and Hester took top spots at Saumur where the British senior team came second to Germany with the Netherlands in third.

• Deb Criddle and Pavaroti proved their prowess taking the Grade III Individual Open at the Para Equestrian Dressage Spring Championships.

• BD launches onto social networking site Twitter, providing members with valuable live updates and reports throughout the day.

June

• A successful BD Senior Inter Regionals saw the eastern yellow team capture the championship at the College.

• Sophie Watson and Colour Coordinated were chosen as the “face of BD” after we asked members across the country for their submissions. The winning image was featured on a BD banner out and about all summer.

• Emma Hindle continues her winning ways with top marks at Wiesbaden and Rotterdam.

• At Lingen CDI, Laura B gained two PBs and smashed the British record by more than 3% in the GP Special with Mistral Hojris on 78.04%.

• The British team finish second in Rotterdam at the Nations’ Cup in an key team event leading to the Europeans.

• Para dressage’s star Lee Pearson OBE has a marble sculpture of his torso cast which will feature in the 2012 Avenue of Champions at the London Olympic and Paralympic Games.

July

• Team GBR comes third in the closely fought Grand Prix team competition at Aachen CDIO with Emma Hindle posting high scores in the Freestyle.

• BD announces the development of a para dressage horse database.

• Hickstead CDI5* saw Edward Gal and Totilas set a new world record score of 89.40% for first in the Freestyle.

• BD announce Laura Bechtolsheimer and Mistral Horjis, Carl Hester and Liebling II, Emma Hindle and Lancet, and Maria Eilberg and Two Sox as the dressage squad to represent Team GB at the European Championships.

• RoR, BD & SEIB Launch Dressage Performance Award as point scheme for former racehorses competing in dressage.

August

• The Para Equestrian Dressage European Championships saw GB take home team gold and a host of individual medals in their most successful Paralympics to date. The team consisted of Sophie Christiansen, Lee Pearson, Sophie Wells, Emma Sheardown and Simon Laurens.

• The dressage world goes Euro crazy as Britain takes team silver and Laura B individual bronze in the FEI Alltech Windsor Europeans.

• In the Freestyle the gold medal went to the sensational combination of Edward Gal and Moorlands Totilas who smashed their previous world record with an incredible score of 90.75%.
 

September

• Following swiftly on the heels of European success, The Dressage Deluxe National Championships enjoyed spectacular competition with Carl Hester making history by clinching his 6th National Championship and 51st national title.

• Fiona Bigwood and Wie Atlantico take a double win in the Grand Prix and Grand Prix Special at Saumur CDIO.

• In collaboration with British Riding Clubs, British Dressage announce the launch of a new membership category, the Riding Club British Dressage membership.

October

• The BEF launch Team GBR Ontrack to help gather support and raise much needed funds for the Equestrian Team in the run up to the Olympics.

• Biarritz CDI saw Britain finish 1-2-3 with Fiona Bigwood and Wie Atlantico, Steph Croxford and Mr. President and Richard Davison and Artemis.

• Scotland Tay team triumph on home soil in the Home International at Rowallan EC, Ayrshire.

•A stamp featuring Paralympic dressage goes on sale to promote Paralympics in 2012

November

• The KBIS National Convention with Jean Bemelmans enjoys a sellout crowd.

• Natalie Banks, Richard Black, Amy Blount, Rachel Finan, Laura Jarvis, and Theresa Smyth are selected as finalists in the Young Professional’s Award with the final to be held on February 15, 2010.

• Following the popularity of the dressage coverage at the Europeans, BBC confirms LIVE coverage of the Grand Prix Freestyle to Music at Olympia.

• BD’s facebook fan page reaches 2000 members and growing.

December
 

• British Dressage backs the BEF’s statement on clean sport in response to the FEI’s controversial decision to allow the use of certain painkillers. It was later decided by the FEI that the use of NSAIDs is to be put to a vote at 2010 General Assembly

• Respected feed supplement company NAF are announced as the title sponsors for the Winter Championships in April.

• British Dressage launches an exciting new range of branded merchandise featuring an exclusive selection of gifts with equestrian products set to come out in 2010.

• Dressage at Olympia, broadcast live on BBC, saw yet another record breaking effort from Edward Gal and Totilas as they took the freestyle on a massive 92.30%.

• Britain finished a respectable 3-4-5 with Carl Hester, Laura Bechtolsheimer and Richard Davison respectively.

• British Dressage launch into YouTube with the release a new TV advert set to be broadcast in the New Year on Horse and Country TV.