International dressage rider Anna Ross, whose career highlights include finishing best of the Brits in 10th at the 2007 European Championships, heads up Elite Dressage in Devon, from where she produces and sells British-bred dressage stars.
Every horse I ride teaches me how little I know. They were all sent to make me a better person. Some teach you patience, some teach you to control your nerves. I like having ones we’ve bred as they come as they are and we have to work with who they are – each is a puzzle.
I was based with German Olympic champion Ulla Salzgeber for an intensive period of training, and she is an extraordinarily good trainer. It’s really worth investing in good training, because the best thing you can have is your skill – it is not a coincidence that certain riders have produced horse after horse to top level. Ulla taught me technique. The time I spent there was all about the German scales of training.
{"content":"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"}
H&H editor-in-chief
Sarah has worked at an equestrian journalist and editor since 2004 and has held the position of Horse & Hound Editor-in-Chief since 2014. She has reported for Horse & Hound from major championships including Europeans and World Equestrian Games. She has co-written books on horses and horse sport including The Complete Illustrated Encyclopedia of Horses & Ponies. She has owned and ridden horses since 1993, and worked for and trained with Olympic gold medallist event rider Leslie Law prior to going to university. While studying for a BSc at London School of Economics Sarah also worked for top British dressage rider Louise Spate.
