Carl Hester says: ‘We may not all agree, but we can be kind, respectful and curious’

British dressage legend Carl Hester shares his thoughts on the winter championships and the power of words...

Like many people nowadays, I enjoy being able to watch competitions online when I’m not riding or teaching. I had several pupils competing at the recent NAF Five Star Winter Dressage Championships, and it was a real luxury to sit down and follow their performances remotely.

I’m not going to name names – there are too many to mention – but I have to say how genuinely impressive the next generation of riders is looking. So many exciting combinations came to the fore, and with champions crowned across the board, the future of British dressage looks bright.

I’m old enough to remember when elementary was the top level at the winters – and yet this year, we saw young riders holding their own right up to inter I.

There seems to be a trend towards lower scores at the moment, but like most things in life, things change eventually when change is needed. I can remember when getting a 70% score was regarded as hitting the jackpot – and it’s still certainly not a shameful mark at all. A seven is “fairly good” by definition. Riders will have to adapt and grow with the sport.

Perspective

I feel incredibly lucky to wake up each day grateful for the people, horses and experiences in my life. Material things can be earned with hard work, but health, happiness and perspective are never guaranteed.

The important thing is to keep a positive attitude. It’s essential to be able to learn to cope with stuff as it comes up, because without doubt, it will. The news is a depressing watch these days, with so much conflict in the world.

Of course, it’s concerning, but I still hold out hope for progress, for reason and for harmony, both globally and within our own sport.

I won’t wade into politics, but I find it fascinating that people who align on big-picture world issues can still strongly disagree when it comes to dressage.

As my friend, six-time US Olympian Robert Dover, wrote recently: “Words are so powerful, and those like ‘progressive’, ‘liberal’, ‘conservative’, ‘right’, and ‘welfare’ are used to attack people every single day. These words and others like them, when looked up in the dictionary, have nothing to do with how they are perverted by people to vilify those who differ from them.”

I’m with Robert in hoping that instead of the “us or them” attitude that is so pervasive in our sport and the wider world these days, we should keep looking for the positives in both.

As Robert says, “If you look, with open arms, you will see there are way more reasons to embrace ideas that bring us together than those that split us apart.”

I’d add: look with open eyes, too. We don’t all have to agree, but we can choose to be kind, respectful and curious.

Look at horses in a field – they’re different personalities, but more often than not, they learn to get along.

Let’s also not forget how far we’ve come in prioritising both horse and rider wellbeing, physical and mental.

The sun is shining. Spring has sprung. Let’s enjoy our horses, support our people, and stay focused on the good.

● Have you experienced division or a disagreement in the equestrian world, and how do you stay positive? 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

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