British medallist joins top names to ‘review’ dressage and create a future plan

Medal-winning British rider Gareth Hughes has been named in a group tasked with reviewing the current state of dressage – and developing an action plan to take it forward.

Gareth, who was on the team that won European gold in 2023, and world silver in 2022, with Classic Briolinca, joins others with a “wealth of expertise, to address challenges and opportunities facing the sport today”.

“The FEI has created a dedicated working group tasked with developing a comprehensive strategic action plan for dressage, aimed at establishing a clear vision, realigning objectives, and creating actionable plans to enhance dressage at all levels,” an FEI spokesperson said.

The group will be chaired by George Williams, former president of the US Dressage Federation, US Equestrian youth dressage coach and high performance and pathway development advisor.

Joining George and Gareth will be former Olympic, world and European champion Monica Theodorescu, the first woman to be Germany’s national dressage coach, Raphael Saleh, who was president of the ground jury at the Paris Olympics, and six-time Olympian Kyra Kyrklund, who is vice-president of the International Dressage Riders Club.

The final two members are Klaus Roeser, chair of the German equestrian federation’s dressage committee and European Equestrian Federation board member, and Lise Berg, an associate professor at the University of Copenhagen’s department of veterinary clinical sciences.

“Dressage should be built on balanced, ethical training resulting in freedom of movement, ease in transitions and harmony between horse and rider, with no place for tension or resistance,” said FEI dressage director Ronan Murphy.

“Our focus now is to embed these principles in the FEI rule book and ensure they are applied consistently in training and competition, always putting horse welfare first. The working group’s task is to turn these ideals into everyday practices, prioritising the wellbeing of horses as we move forward with future proposals and format changes.”

Mr Murphy said the group members were carefully selected for their expertise, and “profound understanding of dressage”.

“This diverse group represents a cross-section of the community, ensuring a broad range of perspectives,” he said. “Their collective knowledge and vision will be instrumental in shaping a strategic plan that not only addresses the current challenges in the sport but also ensures the wellbeing of our horses, incorporates stakeholder feedback, and positions dressage for long-term success.”

One of the group’s first jobs will be to “carry out a comprehensive review of the current state of dressage”. Members will consider feedback from stakeholders ahead of and during a stakeholders’ meeting on 1 October last year, and sort suggestions into “well-defined focus areas for targeted action”.

“Central to their efforts will be prioritising equine ethics and wellbeing, with the equine ethics and wellbeing action plan serving as a guiding framework for key initiatives,” the spokesperson said.

“Additionally, the group will work on creating a repository of relevant scientific research, consulting with veterinary experts to create an accessible information resource for stakeholders. To further enhance the sport’s integrity, the working group will propose future rule revisions, with immediate attention on partial updates for 2025 and the 2026 full rules revision for dressage.”

The group will report “regularly” to the FEI board and dressage technical committee and stakeholder groups. Members will make a presentation to the FEI sports forum on 31 March.

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