Tallinn International Horse Show 2010 – the gathering point for Europe's best equestrians

TALLINN - Equestrian sport, especially show jumping and dressage, has always been considered to be an elite pursuit, which is accompanied by festiveness and faultless cognition of style. Show jumping, also known as “stadium jumping” or “jumpers,” is a part of English riding equestrian events that also includes dressage, hunters and equitation. Jumping classes are commonly seen at horse shows throughout the world, including the Summer Olympic Games. Sometimes shows are limited exclusively to jumpers; sometimes jumper classes are offered in conjunction with other English-style events, but sometimes show jumping is one division of very large, all-breed competitions that include a very wide variety of disciplines. Jumping classes might be governed by various national horse show sanctioning organizations, for example such as the United States Equestrian Federation. However, international competitions are governed by the rules of the Federation Equestre Internationale.

Horse riders everywhere have been enjoying a slew of equestrian sports and events for hundreds of years. The three-day event, which includes the riding disciplines of dressage, endurance and show jumping have actually been a part of Summer Olympics history since 1912. Horses and specific equine breeds, learn from specialized training to successfully compete in events such as jumping, vaulting, dressage and more. Dressage is the oldest equestrian sport, dating back to the Renaissance and having its foundation in classical Greek horsemanship. Originally trained for use in war, horses were a vital combination of transport and weaponry. They carried supplies and fighters: they could also be trained for the battlefield, where warriors on horseback were much more effective than those on foot.

Dressage, which is now an elite Olympic sport discipline, was once a series of important training maneuvers that made the horse more useful and valuable than less fully-trained animals. Dressage horses and riders learn a variety of movements based on those once used for war: movements designed to protect the rider while allowing him to fight with a sword; movements to evade the enemy, to circle, back and stop, and the most famous and ballet-like moves called “airs above ground.” Dressage is very popular with British and French horse aficionados, and is also an important equestrian sport in the U.S. The United States Dressage Federation oversees the rules and standards for competitions, which are held at all levels of training. Riders and horses, who are just learning dressage, compete in smaller events until they gain experience, at which time they advance in the competitions. Events are called tests, where riders and horses execute a pattern of movements, on which they are judged. The individual movements of each pattern are scored from zero to ten. Grand Prix and the Summer Olympic Games are the highest expressions of dressage competition.

The Traditional Tallinn International Horse Show is an exclusive horse show in the Baltics, which combines grandiose and spectacular entertainment with beautiful and spectacular sports. Tallinn Horse Show assures its exclusivity by representing the only large-scale show in the Baltic States, which brings together many international top riders to an indoor Central European League Final World Cup competition.

This year Tallinn International Horse Show will be held on March 18 – 21 at Saku Suurhall. The unique equestrian show combines exciting entertainment with fine sport. The event will be even more grandiose than ever before, as it will host the World Cup final of Central European League in show jumping, as well as an international dressage competition – first time in Estonia in indoor conditions.

According to Siim Nommoja, the Secretary-General of the Equestrian Federation of Estonia, Tallinn International Horse Show 2010 is a great event for all equestrian sport fans. “We’re proud to host the Central European World Cup final in Tallinn this year,” said Nommoja. “We kindly invite people from all our neighboring countries to come and watch the world class performances of our best equestrians. The audience can enjoy top performances in both the show program and the competitions. So, I’d recommend everyone who likes professional sports and gorgeous horses to reserve places for these days,” he continued.

Moreover, the professional equestrians from Estonia, Finland and Sweden, 70 equestrians of the Central European League with over 160 horses from 14 countries will participate in the World Cup final in Tallinn.
“This is the 7th time that Tallinn hosts an International Horse Show,” Mailis Timmi, the press officer of Estonian Equestrian Federation told The Baltic Times. “This year it is organized on the highest level as we haven’t had the jumping finals here before. The show is taking place only in Estonia, but there are many horse shows held every year around the world,” Timmi added.