Carl Hester: ‘Could money saved by not going abroad keep our home internationals alive?’

Carl Hester has been exploring breed shows abroad and has a possible way forward to help Britain retain our international dressage competitions

With the recent cold and snowy weather, I cast my mind back to late November having lunch in a T-shirt in Seville. Continuing my exploration of dressage around the world, I visited SICAB – the World Championships for Pura Raza Española (PRE) horses, the pure-bred Spanish horse known as the Andalusian.

It’s incredibly easy to find an Airbnb that doesn’t cost a fortune in the middle of Seville, which is crammed with bars and restaurants, again all affordable. A short taxi ride took us to Fibes, an exhibition centre rather like the NEC, where three indoor pavilions were packed full of delights and surprises.

Potentially scary moments

Like Portugal’s Golegã, which I was introduced to in 2023, this Spanish celebration of PRE horses showcases a vibrant cross-section of participants, from young children riding to Olympic-level riders.

Watching three-year-old stallions, barely beyond lunge training yet already so obedient, performing extended trots down the long side alongside their handlers was a sight to behold. It was, however, daunting watching them canter loose on a circle each way, which frequently accelerated to a gallop!

In the mares’ class, three mares were linked together by a neck strap – potentially scary. The aim is for them to look and move alike, but when one middle mare managed to turn around and drag her mates backwards until the handlers – who took it all in their stride – caught the three again, it was scary.

The grand prix class produced an outstanding win for Spanish Olympian José Daniel Martín Dockx and Malagueño LXXXIII. The farewell speech he made as he went into retirement from competition was emotional to watch. The atmosphere and passion in that crowded hall were spine-tingling.

It’s the strong family involvement and deep-rooted equestrian culture – something many other countries lack – that truly sets it apart. The families, breeders and international guests all coming together to celebrate the PRE breed – it was an incredible couple of days and in 25°C heat!

I was fortunate to have my friend Yvonne Losos de Muñiz, who competes for the Dominican Republic and is now based in Spain, as both a guide and an expert to explain the complexities of judging PRE horses. And there’s a lot to it.

Vital home internationals

Many of the people I teach are on the cusp of breaking onto the international scene and aspire to compete at that level. The days are long gone, however, when one could pop over to France and do a nice show at an affordable price.

You’re now looking at costs of up to £3,000 per horse just to get across the Channel, including diesel and entry fees – before even factoring in grooms’ wages, lorry wear and tear and other expenses. So my thought is, could people be prepared to put some of that cost into keeping home CDIs alive?

With that in mind, it is a tragedy to lose such an iconic venue as Hickstead. I know the Bunn family and Hickstead directors view it as a terrible shame but without sustainable, long-term support, it’s not viable, with exorbitant costs of over £50,000.

It won’t happen this year but if 40 riders contributed £2,000 each – less than the cost of taking a horse abroad – could the dressage community enable this magnificent show to return in 2026? We can’t afford to lose any more CDIs – not only because they provide vital opportunities for international competition, but also because they are crucial for qualifying our teams.

We have to acknowledge that foreign riders can’t afford, or don’t want to make the journey, to compete here in the UK unless the prize money is huge. The pot for sponsorship is small, so let’s try to make our first focus on getting these shows going for our own community.

● What do you think can be done to support more home internationals? Write to us at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and country, for the chance for your letter to appear in a forthcoming issue of the magazine

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major events throughout 2025, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You might also be interested in: