Loops are put in dressage tests so that riders can show their horses ability and willingness to adjust the bend of their body to the curvature of the line it follows. This should be without any resistance or change of pace, rhythm or speed.And as with any schooling movement, the devils in the detail it takes consistency, preparation and coordination to ride a good loop, whether its 5m or 10m. Dressage judge and trainer Alex Gingell shares how to correctly ride a 5m loop, as well as his top tips for ensuring you ride them as accurately as possible.How to ride it Riding a shallower 5m loop has all the same benefits of riding a 10m loop, but everything happens a bit quicker, so make sure youve mastered the 10m loop before moving onto the more challenging 5m loop.When youre ready to tackle a 5m loop, try it in walk first.Ride a 5m loop as if youre riding H to A. As you hit the quarter line, make a smooth turn back to the track just before K.Once you and your horse are happy, try it in trot. Youll find the changes of bend come up quickly, as youre only riding to the quarter line rather than the centre line.Top tips for accurate loopsThe corner before the loop is key. Riding a good corner as deep as you can using a half-halt to prepare and balance your horse before starting your loop will help to set you up for the rest of the movement.Ensure your horse is straight for one horses length on the two occasions where you ask for a change in bend.Show a clear and supple change of bend for the judge to see as the curvature of the loop changes.Be accurate a 10m loop touches the centre line at X, whilst a 5m loop only goes to the quarter line.Keep looking where youre going, riding your horse forwards with a good length of stride and ensuring their hindlegs are following the front ones.Return to the track slightly before the marker so that youre exactly straight and on the outer track as you pass it.Half-halt to rebalance your horse and then ride into the corner to complete your loop.Introducing counter canterOnce riding loops in trot feels easy, try riding them in canter. Riding this movement is a good introduction to counter-canter, as it only requires a few strides of gentle counter-canter. You just need to keep a check on your horses quarters they need to stay straight underneath their body and not fall out at the deepest part of your loop and when you return to the track.Meet the expert: Alex Gingell is a British Dressage list 4 judge and trainer.Related contentHow to improve a horses walk *VIDEO*Four types of trot explained *VIDEO*Try Dan Greenwoods straight line exercisesThe scales of training explainedComplete guide to the dressage arenaThe post Top tips for riding an accurate 5m loop in dressage appeared first on Your Horse.

Great Britain produced a championship masterclass at Aachen today, taking eventing World Championship team gold (pictured top) while Ros Canter and Laura Collett joined Germanys Michael Jung on the individual podium.It was a great conclusion to a week in which Britain had set out with two clear objectives to win the team title and secure qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Both boxes were emphatically ticked.The British team of Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo, Laura Collett and London 52, Tom McEwen and JL Dublin, and Gemma Stevens and Flash Cooley went into the final phase with a commanding advantage of 14.8 penalties. Stevens cross-country elimination meant Britain had only three scores counting, but those three combinations delivered under enormous pressure to finish on84 penaltiesand claim gold.Germany took silver on95.6, while the USA completed the podium on113.5. Ireland finished fourth on122.5, with Switzerland fifth on128.1. The top seven nations, excluding automatically qualified host nation USA, secured Olympic qualification for Los Angeles 2028, meaning New Zealand, Sweden and Belgium will also head to LA in two years time.For British chef dquipe Richard Waygood, the result was the culmination of an extraordinary collective effort.What a team! Unbelievable. I mean, my jobs really easy, he said. These guys are absolutely fantastic. Their horses are incredible and the way they ride makes you so proud. Its been a dream and quite a relief as well.Laura Collett, already a double Olympic team champion with London 52, added another major team title to an extraordinary partnership.Well, its one hell of a team, isnt it? I feel very lucky and privileged to be on a team with these guys, she said. We came here with one aim, and that was to win a gold medal and get Olympic qualification, and we ticked that box.Tom McEwen said: Its an amazing group of riders, group of staff, and the people that make it and obviously the horses too. Our horses are superstars and they love a big atmosphere.Ros Canter, who anchored the British team on Lordships Graffalo, described the feeling after crossing the finish line as relief, excitement with all the emotions wrapped up into one.She also paid tribute to the wider British set-up, saying: Its just been the most amazing week and praising the most fantastic team atmosphere not just the riders, but all the behind-the-scenes staff.Gemma Stevens was equally glowing about the environment.Honestly, unbelievable. These guys are just so professional in every way, she said. The horses are professional, and then the help and the support that we get behind the scenes is honestly like no other team in the world.Richard revealed just how comprehensive that teamwork was.What you wont know is that behind the scenes today, Gemma was reporting back on every round. She told me what to tell everyone, and it was absolute teamwork from top to bottom.There was added significance in achieving this result at Aachen. Its absolutely incredible being here, Richard said. It feels like the Olympic Games when were here.Michael Jung: A dream Michael Jung and fischerChipmunk At the head of the individual standings was Michael Jung and fischerChipmunk FRH.The German superstar delivered exactly what was required, jumping clear inside the time to remain on his dressage score of23and claim another world title he has never walked away from a World Championship with either a team or individual gold medal. Im speechless. FischerChipmunk is unbelievable. Hes doing great dressage, running fast cross-country, showjumping like a showjumper: careful, powerful and athletic, Michael said.Michael was visibly emotional after crossing the line, and understandably so given this was a home World Championship, with a huge Aachen crowd willing him and fischerChipmunk to victory.Its just a dream to ride him, he said. Aachen is always very special. The World Games was always our dream. Its a very big thing in the home country, and every day to have all the nations together, all the disciplines together makes it much more special.The final showjumping round was particularly tense, with Chipmunk tapping several rails but they kept everything in the cups.He is just a super horse, concluded Michael.Ros Canter: Hes the most wonderful horse Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo Ros Canter and the irrepressible Lordships Graffalo Walter finished the week as individual world silver medallists ontheir 23.4 dressage, just 0.4 behind Michael. They jumped a superb clear round today and it was another extraordinary championship performance from a partnership who have repeatedly delivered when the pressure is on. It feels very, very special, actually, Ros said.She admitted that the pressure surrounding Walter increases with every major championship.We know that Walters getting on for one of the best of all time, and every time I ride him, the pressure builds in an atmosphere like this. I know Ive won a lot but I get to know him better each time. Hes the most wonderful horse, were so lucky. Ros went on to explain that 2026 has already been full of highs and lows. This year has been quite up and down as a family. We lost my dad, Ive had a baby and its all come quite quickly. The start of the week was a blur and I struggled to get into the swing of it, but as it goes on you cant help but get excited by being part of Team GB.Laura Collett: another medal for London 52 Laura Collett and London 52. Laura Collett and London 52 added aworld individual bronze medalto a rsum that already includes Olympic and European golds. They were third after cross-country and added a pole down in the showjumping to complete on 28, which was enough to maintain their position. Laura spoke with enormous affection for the 17-year-old gelding.He is absolutely a horse of a lifetime, she said. Even just to go to the places that hes taken me. Hes now won team gold medal at Europeans, two Olympic Games, and three individual medals.With tears in her eyes, Laura said: I know Ill never ever have a horse like him again Im lucky that hes come around in my lifetime.Tom McEwen: Weve come what we came to achieve Tom McEwen and JL Dublin Tom McEwen and JL Dublin finishedseventh individually on 32.6 after lowering a rail in the final phase. Tom admitted there was some frustration.Its a shame, but it honestly hasnt cost us anything. Ive finished fourth so many times before, so Im rather pleased not have done it again.Most importantly, weve done what we came to achieve, which was team gold, and for everyone to go as well as possible.He added: Its awesome stuff and were delighted with all the horses, the whole team. This group of riders has been awesome, and everyone around us, so I couldnt be happier.Caroline Harris: Ive learnt loads Caroline Harris and D. DayCaroline Harris, competing as an individual with D. Day, dropped from 14th to 20th on 41.8after two fences down in the final phase. They lowered the first fence, followed by another rail at fence five. I should have got a bit more forward to the first, and then I think that threw me a little bit, she said.Despite the disappointment, Caroline was able to take enormous positives from her World Championship debut.Its been amazing, she said. Its just hugely disappointing to finish on that note, but its been absolutely incredible to be here on such a great team and with such great people. Ive learnt loads.Images: Tim WilkinsonRelated contentWhat an amazing horse: Ros Canter leads British charge as Aachen cross-country delivers a thrilling World Championship battle Britain holds team goldLaura Collett leads British charge after dressage as Germany mount pressure at eventing World Championships and its nip tuck in the individual standingsTom McEwen and Gemma Stevens provide a strong start for Britain at eventing World ChampionshipsHow to watch the 2026 FEI World Championships on TV and via livestreamWhats happening, when? The full 2026 FEI World Championships timetableThe post Brilliant Britain strike gold at eventing World Championships as Michael Jung takes individual title and Brits fill the rest of the podium appeared first on Your Horse.

Irelands eventers have secured Olympic qualification, as a result of an outstanding fourth-place finish at the FEI World Championships in Aachen today.Sam Griffiths squad of Ian Cassells with Millridge Atlantis (ISH), Pdraig McCarthy with MGH Zabaione (ISH), Austin OConnor with Colorado Blue, and Aoife Clark with Full Monty de Lacense (main pic above), were in contention for a superb bronze medal right to death but were denied by USA.Assuring that they would be in the line-up for the Los Angeles Games in 2028 was the primary target for last years European Championship silver medallists, however.Six places were on offer, though with USA guaranteed participation as hosts, seventh would have been enough.The quartet sat in seventh position, on 93.3 penalties, after the first dressage phase which took place over Thursday and Friday,After clear jumping rounds by all four team members, as well as individual competitor Georgie Goss (riding Kojak), in yesterdays cross-country, Ireland moved up to fourth position overnight.To only clock up time penalties was a tremendous collective effort, given the rate of attrition.This was evidenced by the fact that the other nations locked in a three-way battle for the bronze, Switzerland and USA, did not have the luxury of a discard score each of them had a combination eliminated.Ireland lay less than a fence behind the Swiss on 110.1 penalties, and just ahead of USA going into todays show jumping, with Britain and Germany occupying the top two berths.Crucially, Griffiths Green Jackets had put themselves in a very strong position with regard to Olympic qualification and they made no mistake in that regard.Cassells was first into the arena with the Sean OLoughlin-bred Millridge Atlantis (owned by Ber, Fiona and Gerry Leahy) but nine faults was a disappointing returnMcCarthy and his homebred MGH Zabaione (Peter Cattell and Diane Brunsden) posted 4.2 faults, while OConnor and his trusty 17-year-old Colorado Blue (The Salty Syndicate) had four faults. Salty jumped with exuberance and was almost perfect but got a bit tight to the fourth-last, flicking the rail off for four faults.Austin OConnor and the brilliant Colorado Blue got proceedings off to a brilliant start with 29 penalties in the dressageClark showed all her horsemanship on Full Monty de Lacense (The Ace Of Spades Syndicate) to post four faults. The 11-year-old gelding was full of vim and vigour and tanked around the track. His Kildare rider kept a lid on him expertly but Monty did not get his front end up high enough at the oxer three from home.That meant that Cassells nine could be discarded, leaving Ireland with a cumulative tally of 122.5 faults.USA and Switzerland swapped their overnight placings for the former to complete the podium, as Britain claimed gold from the hosts, Germany.All five Irish representatives finished inside the top 30 of the individual rankings, with Clark the highest in 11th.The dual Olympian, who finished seventh individually at the London Games in 2012, is optimistic about the future but admitted to feeling that this result was a little bittersweet.It has been a fantastic week, said Clark. The team spirit was great, the horses all jumped well and everyone rode well, and Georgie did really well in the individual too.Everyone was saying that the Olympic qualification was the priority, and it was, and it means a lot to have it, but we were a little disappointed not to get the medal. And I suppose that shows how far we have come, that we have that ambition.Fourth in the world is a bloody good result. And there is a lot to look forward to. Our horses are very young. Okay, you have Salty, who was brilliant again but the other three horses are 10, 11 and 12. If you look at the teams we were battling against for the medal, Switzerland and USA, and even Great Britain and Germany, they had horses that were far more experienced and some of those wont be around in two years.My horse is such an athlete and I was so proud. He used to be quite nervous and Aachen is one of the most atmospheric arenas around. He definitely got a bit lit up and didnt make the shape he can over his jumps but he is so young and would not have been in that sort of atmosphere before.He will learn, and in that respect, it was brilliant for the entire team. We would love to have had a medal and were disappointed not to get it, but we are in there among the best in the world now and thats where we want to be.Michael Jung gave the home crowd something to shout about with the individual gold on fischerChipmunk FRH, while silver went to Ros Canter (GBR) with Lordships Graffalo and her fellow Briton Laura Collett, with London 52, were third.BREEDINGMILLRIDGE ATLANTIS (ISH) 2014 gelding by Dinan Cascaletto (ISH) out of Kereen Sue (ISH) by Warrenstown You 2 (ISH). Breeder: Sean OLoughlin, Co Kilkenny. Owner: Ber, Fiona & Gerry Leahy. Rider: Ian Cassells (IRL)MGH ZABAIONE (ISH) 2016 brown stallion by Zavall VDL (KWPN) out of Vancara VDL (KWPN) by Acobat II (HOLST). Breeder: Pdraig McCarthy, Co Tipperary. Owner: Peter Cattell, Diane Brunsden. Rider: Pdraig McCarthy (IRL)The post Irish eventers seal Olympic qualification appeared first on .