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2005 FEI/PSI Freestyle
Forum
Incipient FEI Freestyle Forum, Good Start to Open
Discussion about the Kur
February 6, 2005
 "It
is a dream come true. My hopes have been fulfilled,"
said FEI Dressage Committee chairwoman Mariette Withages
in her closing speech at the first FEI Freestyle
Forum hosted by Performance Sales International (PSI)
in Ankum, Germany, February 1-2, 2005.
The 2005 FEI/PSI
Freestyle Forum was the first ever international
conference on the rules, regulations and
dimensions of the dressage freestyle. During this
two-day meeting, trainers, riders, judges,
and attendants discussed a wide range of aspects
concerning the kur to music. To provide illustration
for the
debate, several renowned dressage riders gave a
demonstration and 'sacrificed' themselves for
public criticism
on their technical riding skills
as well as their choice
in music
and
choreography.
The FEI Freestyle Forum is the brain child of O-judge
Mariette Withages who has been striving towards "globalization"
and "transparency" in dressage ever since
she became the FEI Dressage committee chairwoman. "The
freestyle has
given
a new dimension to dressage and has done much to secure
its Olympic status," Withages
said, "most
spectators are not dressage experts, but they are interested
in the movements. The audience goes wild when the music
is to the beat of the rhythm of the horse."
Judge Christoph Hess, who spoke in behalf of the German
Equestrian Federation, said that the concept of
this FEI Freestyle
Forum was based on Joep Bartels' Global Dressage Forum.
The international eventing riders held a similar gathering
about the current standing of their discipline in
Addington (GBR) last
year, and, according to Hess, the time
was
ripe for
the dressage
experts
"to
decide
in what way we want to continue," as the freestyle
has been part of the dressage competition sport for
10 years. Hess
quoted the legendary Dr. Reiner Klimke, who used to
be a fervent detractor of the kur, but who changed
his mind after having seen the kur at the 1996 Olympic
Games.
Klimke said that, "the Freestyle is the real highlight
of the Olympics."
 Mariette
Withages stated that a good freestyle should show a
horse that is "lightfooted, willingly and
in partnership with the rider. Like a ballerina performing
a classical
ballet. It is a combination of art and sport. In the
freestyle, discipline becomes art and art becomes discipline."
The
2005 FEI/PSI Freestyle Forum was a forum for experts
and not for mere dressage aficionado's who were sitting
in the stands as well. Sometimes the discussions were
so much focused on the fine print of the rules and
regulations
on freestyle riding, that on the one hand they narrowed
down the debate for the ears
of
a
niche
audience
of
judges only, but, on
the other, they were highly interesting
analyzing the boundaries of technical and choreographic
difficulty in a freestyle ride.
With a registry fee
of more than 500 euro, the 2005 FEI/PSI Freestyle
Forum discouraged the "average" dressage
fan to gather at this public seminar on freestyle
riding. Consequently
the stands were only filled with approximately 100
people, who did not receive sufficient
opportunity to interact
with
the
panel of
experts. Overall, the forum left a chilly feel with
the attendants, but, fortunately, the content
of the topics
heated up the arena
and, furthermore, the gala dinner in the evening added
much to the atmosphere
of
togetherness
and shared passion for the dressage freestyle at the
first FEI/PSI Freestyle Forum.
Text and Images Copyrighted Astrid
Appels/Eurodressage.com
- No Reproduction allowed without explicit permission
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