Down to Earth Dressage: How to Train Your Horse - and Enjoy it! Paperback – Illustrated, 31 May 1999

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Synopsis -------- For riders at all levels, Carl Hester and Bernadette Faurie to make dressage training accessible with step-by-step guides for improving the horse's paces, riding dressage movements, and competing. Essentially this book is about every rider making the most of his or her potential and, in the process, producing a horse that is more pleasing to ride and more athletic in its body. The book offers advice on training all types of horse and in everyday language, explains how to set about improving the horse's paces and suppleness, whilst keeping him happy and enthusiastic in his work. It describes how to ride dressage movements, from simple circles to flying changes, and pointing out common mistakes and how to correct them. Carl Hester is seen, in over more than 100 specially photographs, schooling his horses at home, bringing on youngsters and fine-tuning the more experienced animals. About the Author ---------------- Hester was raised on the Channel Island of Sark, educated at Elizabeth College Guernsey. Aged 19 he applied for a job with horses on the UK mainland at The Fortune Centre of Riding Therapy and on the centre s skewbald mare, Jolly Dolly, he won the 1985 Young Dressage Rider Championship. Moving to Bourton-on-the-Hill he competed at the first Blenheim Horse Trials and won the Spillers Dressage with Jumping Championship. He next rode for Dr Wilfried Bechtolsheimer (her of Laura Bechtolsheimer) and in 1990 went to the World Championships on Rubelit von Unkenriff, the European Championships in 1991 and in 1992 the Barcelona Olympics on Georgioni. Hester became the youngest British rider ever to compete in an Olympic Games. He next went into a business partnership with Kate Carter at her yard at Stow-on-the-Wold until Carter decided to move for more space. Hester too moved to buy his own yard at Oaklebrook Mill, near Newent, Gloucestershire. In 2011 Hester riding the horse Uthopia was part of the British team that won the team gold medal at the 2011 European Dressage Championship in Rotterdam. Hester also won individual silver medals in the Grand Prix Freestyle and Grand Prix Special.As of 8 August 2012 the (FEI) rank him 12th in the world riding Uthopia.In 2012, Hester was selected with three others to represent the United Kingdom at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London in the Individual and Team Dressage events.The UK dressage team won the gold medal with Hester riding Uthopia.