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maltatoday | SUNDAY • 7 MARCH 2021
EYEWITNESS
26 riders participated in the
Malta Equestrian Federation
dressage competition held on
23 January, over two locations
in Maghtab and Montekristo Es-
tate. COVID restrictions created
a different scenario for horses
and riders to compete while
mitigating the risk of infection.
As the riding community in
Malta is relatively small it is
impossible to find an impartial
judge that has no affiliation with
riding clubs or groups of riders,
therefore judges are usually
flown in from Europe. With
travel restricted, each rider was
filmed performing a five-minute
dressage test and these were
sent over the UK to be judged by
E-Riders judges.
Dressage is defined as the art
of riding and training a horse
in a manner that develops obe-
dience, flexibility and balance.
Derived from the French verb
"dresseur", meaning "to train",
it was developed by the cavalry
in the 17th century, as having
an untrained, undisciplined
horse on the battlefield could
be the difference between
life and death. The Spanish
Riding School of Vienna, then
developed the sport to include
a variety of flamboyant move-
ments that are enjoyed as a
sport today.
Time to change:
Horses and
riders adapt to
COVID changes
in dressage
competition
Sabrina Demanuele on Whistkey
