Anky Swaps Square Halts for Sliding Stops!

[h=1] Three-time Olympic dressage gold medalist, Anky van Grunsven will compete at the 2010 WEG for the Dutch Reining Team. [/h]
Are we in an alternative universe that a dressage rider has been chosen for a reining team? Apparently not! Originally Anky announced she wouldn't be seeking a spot on the Dutch dressage team for WEG as her champion horse Salinero was unfit due to an injury. However, it seems lack of a dressage horse hasn't kept Anky from WEG this year.

She became involved in this traditionally American sport whilst competing in dressage in Florida, making her international reining competition debut in 2009. Anky was named reserve for the team and after her teammate withdrew due to an injury she and horse Whizashiningwalla (aka Whiz) are now set for their WEG reining debut. Whizashiningwalla is a very well bred reining horse, who she has competed on successfuly at international level in Europe.

It would seem that dressage and reining are like chalk and cheese, or is it just trading the tophat and tails for a western hat and chaps? Both disciplines require a high level of training for the horse, the position in the saddle is similar (even though the saddles themselves are completely different!), reining and dressage both require the use of a lot of leg and there has to be perfect communication and harmony between horse and rider for a great performance.

The movements are different, spins instead of pirouettes, sliding stops instead of square halts and there is no trot in reining, however, in both disciplines, horses have to perform flying changes, exhibit balanced, consistent gaits, possess good manners and carry out specified movements as dictated by a pattern. Maybe the most difficut transition for someone going from dressage to reining would be riding one handed, as all western horses ages six years and over, must be ridden with only one hand on the reins at all times. Good reining horses are trained to go one handed and are mainly ridden from the legs and seat, with minimal need for neck reining, however, when you're used to riding two handed, sometimes it's an automatic reaction to put two hands on the reins if a minor adjustment is required. Of course, do this in a competition and it's instant disqualification.

Reining starts off the competitions at WEG with the team competition on 25 and 26 September and individual competition on 28 and 30 September. There is sure to be plenty of excitement during the reining events in Kentucky and without doubt our Aussie reiners will do us proud, however, it will be interesting to see whether dressage queen, Anky, will have the opportunity to 'reign' supreme for the Dutch!