Thank you...

We would like to thanks all of you, FEI members, International members of the jury, Competitors and their teams, Partners, Sponsors, Journalists and Visitors for your participation to this International Dressage Competition*** of Biarritz 2009. Thanks to you, we have spent four beautiful days of very high level competition and marvellous moments. Thank you for your coming and your kindness. We will miss you all and we hope to see you next year for a new edition of the Biarritz CDI***.

Welcome

This web space is dedicated to the forthcoming International Dressage Competition*** of Biarritz. It will provide you the most complete information about this event which will take place October 16th to 18th 2009 within the Horse Riding Club of Biarritz.

You will find here:

• Useful information such as location, opportunities for restaurants and accommodation, etc ...
• The program of events and list of participants
• The news of competition with photo and video and we will try live a few!
• Informations on the partners of the competition

International and 3 stars level

Well known for its expertise in organizing big equestrian events, the Horse Riding Club of Biarritz has been approved by the FEI (International Equestrian Federation) to conduct a 3 star level International Dressage Competition with the participation of some of the best worldwide riders and horses.

October 16th-18th 2009, more than 30 countries invited will compete in top level tests including “Grand Prix”, “Grand Prix Special” and the most appreciated one, the “Musical Freestyle”. Three days of international competition with about 20 tests that will distinguish competitors for this 3 star level contest open to “seniors”, “ponies”, “juniors and young riders”, and “5-6 year old young horses”.

About Dressage

Dressage is the first activity in which human beings teaches horse behavior (forward, stop, turn ...) he wants to ask and signs by which he calls (voice, call language, body movements, hands, legs, spurs ...). The dressage is an Olympic equestrian sports. It is often regarded as the parent discipline of other equestrian disciplines. Indeed, no other discipline is possible without a prior dressage horse. Dressage is an art as the aesthetic movement takes a prominent place, and principles such as lightness, relaxation, impulse and love are essential to the achievement of "the beautiful horseback" to raise the level of art. This is the stylized representation of the graceful movements of the horse.

In competition, the dressage is used to test the quality of communication between the horse and its rider.

The couple move on a rectangular field 60 m by 20 m (66x197 ft) and perform a series of figures belonging to a program called "reprises". This program can be imposed, or free with the music. The free program is also called "Kür" or "reprise libre en musique": RLM (free "reprise" with music). The rider uses orders as discreet as possible so as to seem almost telepathically communicate with his mount. Paradoxically, in the eyes of an uninformed public, a performance gives the impression that the subject is easy. However, a good "reprise" in that competition is the result of years of intense work.

The jury, composed of two to five judges evaluates the ease and fluidity in the movements of the couple. Each figure is scored from zero (figure not executed) to ten (excellent performance). The jury also allocate notes together to judge a number of parameters, depending on the technical level of the test, such as the precision of the execution, submission of the horse, the quality of gaits, lead, the position of the rider, etc.. A note is given when art of the recovery free music, it takes particular account of the harmony of the "reprise", of the choreography and music.

The total score is expressed as a percentage. An average of 65 to 70% is a good mark in national competition. In international competitions, the biggest races are won between 75 and 80%, but riders can exceed 80% in some tests. The record for a "reprise libre en musique" is 90.70%. It was established this year by Edward Gal riding Moorlands Totilas with the European Championship in Windsor (UK).

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