You know thanks to Rmoney Dressage has gotten a bad rap lately and it does in fact

[Justice wanted]

is a sport.

Maybe I am bias but I do have a friend who does dressage as a hobby. Never had the chance to be in the Olympics but she teaches it to young kids for fun and she performs it herself.

It is like a pair figure skating event because you need horse and rider to work in harmony. Rider giving the right signals at the right time. Horse to respond and trust rider.

Just had to get that off my chest.

[Animal Chin]

1. it may be a sport

but it is a very, very, very rich man's sport.

[Justice wanted]

2. Not really.

[uponit7771]

9. rented horses don't go to the olympics

[Bluerthanblue]

4. no not really- Olympian level perhaps

but I know several people who are FAR from rich who have ridden dressage. Horses are expensive 'pets'. Not something my family could afford, but my children have friends who do have horses and who have competed in local dressage trials. They are families who make less than 100k (which is a hell of a lot of money imo) but who ride for pleasure and sport. 4-H in our area offers Dressage, and even kids who can't afford thier own horse can participate.

The Romney's are not a good example of the average horse loving family, or of how Equine Therapy really works. They have given an impression that is far from the real life ones I've witnessed.

[slampoet]

3. 20 year horseback rider in a family of riders and I don't think it's a sport.

[B2G]

5. Neither is ping pong

[snooper2]

6. when know we have seen 587 posts from you on it..

along with some mystical person LOL...

And now that it is over, this may, just may be the last thread we ever have on dressage. It may pop up in the next three months but that is doubtful. And after that the chance of dressage ever coming up in the news or relevant to some topic on DU whatsoever is slim to non-existent.

So, lets enjoy one more dancing horse thread!

My personal opinion is that you would have a lot more interest in it if you got to dress up your horse. However you want, put some bling and fake wheels or something! Make your horse pimp!

You might even get an MTV show!

[Auntie Bush]

7. Howis Rumney's horse doing in the Olympics?

I've never seen it in competition. Does anyone know when it will compete? Is it unpatriotic of me not to wish it luck?

[snooper2]

10. looks like it failed..

you know what that means (Elmers)

[orwell]

8. The horses are amazing...n/t