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- Illustration by Sandy Rabinowitz
The 2005 World Cup Finals in Las Vegas in April sparked much keyed-up conversation. It was an unusual event for many reasons: the hosting town is known for many things besides horses; jumping and dressage were paired in one venue; more than 90,000 tickets were sold for all events combined; a sold-out crowd of 12,000 spectators attended the dressage freestyle; competitors' scores were unprecedented; and the spectators showed a high level of enthusiasm and knowledge.
Here are some impressions from dressage insiders and key participants, those intimately involved in this energized display of sport and show.
On pairing jumping and dressage:
"It has worked in Europe for years. There is no question that it is very viable, and we will miss a wonderful opportunity if we don't consider this for future events. It provides a greater spectator base and makes it more viable for other sponsors. We need to think in the bigger picture."
--Glenda McElroy, dressage show manager for the World Cup
"It's wonderful for dressage because it brings a totally new spectator. In Europe, they always have jumping and dressage together. We want to have more [dressage] shows with jumpers. It is good for both sports."
--Axel Steiner, FEI dressage judge
"I felt instinctively that this would work, that each would pull the other along. The fact that we were doing something that had never been done before was a draw; it had the feeling of a happening."
--John Quirk, member of the organizing committee
"The vendors had a tremendous show. The organizers were ecstatic. This was a winning combination. It will happen again."
--Karin Reid Offield, president, Offield Farms, event presenting sponsor
"It was a fantastic marriage, having show jumping and dressage together. The competition completely exceeded everyone's expectations. It truly is one of the best equestrian events I've ever attended!"
--David O'Connor, president, U.S. Equestrian Federation
On the impact of the event's success on dressage:
"Getting scores which are close to the ideal is a booster for the sport. I have no idea how much more we can improve, but I do hope that one day we will get over 90%."
--Mariette Whitages, FEI judge and member of the FEI Dressage Committee
"The enthusiasm was beyond anything the sport has seen. It was like a rock concert! The event will certainly have an effect on where dressage is going at this level, making it more participatory, drawing spectators into the event. I think it will have the same kind of impact that Klimke had at the 1984 Olympic Games. It will be another burst forward in enthusiasm for the sport, attracting new riders and new spectators."
--John Quirk
"I think that we have seen here in Las Vegas a breakthrough for the sport not just in our country but in the world. I think dressage proved itself to be a sport worthy of being viewed by millions of people all over the world on television. And when they see it for what it is, they are going to realize that it is a lot of fun to watch. We will be in living rooms and family rooms all over the world. That is what is going to take our sport to the next level."
--Robert Dover, U.S. Olympic and World Cup competitor
"The public was fantastic! One can only dream of such an enthusiastic crowd. For the riders and the horses, it was quite an experience. I am sure that we made a big step forward and from now on the whole atmosphere during the freestyle to music will be different."
--Mariette Whitages
"This was huge for our sport."
--Debbie McDonald, U.S. Olympic and World Cup competitor
