For nearly 400 years, four illustrious riding schools have striven for perfection in the equestrian art: the Spanish Riding School in Vienna; the Cadre Noir in Saumur, France; the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art in Jerez, Spain; and the Portuguese School of Equestrian Art in Lisbon. Each school is a guardian of traditions—ancient, technical, and artistic—and together they have preserved and enriched the long dressage tradition. This meticulously researched study reveals the inner workings of each of these schools, including details about their traditions, their systems for recruiting and training riders, and of course their horses. It also discusses the future of these prestigious yet seemingly anachronistic establishments.
About the Author
Alain Laurioux is general stage manager of the Cadre Noir equestrian troop and professional photographer. Guillaume Henry is a riding instructor trained in Saumur, a widely published author of technical and historical books and articles on equestrianism, and the founder of the Pegase Academy.
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars The Great Schools of Classical Dressage, July 14, 2010
By gussy7
This review is for: The Great European Schools of Classical Dressage: Vienna, Saumur, Jerez, Lisbon (Hardcover)
This book is a lovely, well-illustrated comparison of the four great European Schools of classical dressage. Not only are the individual histories of the schools, their riding style and their horses compared, there is a detailed description of each uniform. A must have for classical dressage enthusiasts!