The 1997 International Dressage Championships in Hartpury/Gloucestershire England
5. September - 07. September 1997
Let me give you a brief idea of how it was in Hartpury / England. It is hard to find the right words. It was an amazing, interesting, nice,stressfull, great etc. event !!!
Amazing -how many people and especially competitors came, there were 8 countries , they competed internationally mainly on Friday. The competitors had ridden the horses during the week and were hosted by English families throughout the country, close to where their horses were. The families and/or the horseowners came sometimes all the way from Scotland with their horses to Hartpury for the competition. As far as I am concerned it was a good organized competition, I wish we could have more of those in different countries.
Interesting - on Sunday the English Nationals were also held at Hartpury and it was incredible how many good ponies and horses again came from all over the country. It is hard to belief, but they had 140 starts (only Sunday), they had 8 dressage arenas running at the same time... and it worked!!!
Nice - that the weather was still very good
stressfull - horseback riding, IPECmeeting (which took about 8 hours altogether)and I had to go back to work on Monday, but it was worth it...hope I have the possibility to do something like this again.
great - it was very, very nice to meet known and unknown friends and new friends from all over the world again and have something with them in common - the love to horses and horseback riding.
We want to say THANK YOU to:
Anne Cuttcliff
Kathrine Cook
and their great working TEAM
John
Dough
(sorry, I don't know their last names)
Jonquil Solt
especially to all the horses, their owners
the host famillies
and all „forgotten" people we can't list
