Frills and spills of dressage

All smiles after an eventful dressage finale

Watching dressage is not everyone's idea of fun. However, the BBC's Lee McKenzie reveals that it can be considerably more exciting than even the participants had bargained for.

To the uninitiated, dressage consists of a series of almost identical tests in which it is impossible to distinguish one performance from another.

On the contrary - this year's Olympic competition showed how easy it is for something to go wrong.

Satisfactory test

One Swedish rider, having nearly completed a thoroughly satisfactory test, suddenly found the horse developing a mind of its own as she entered the final three movements.

As they approached the judges for the final salute, she appeared to be riding something that would have been more at home in the Wild West than a dressage arena.

Then there was the rider from the United States who forgot his way round the course.

Having stopped in mid-test to consider his predicament, he took what seemed like hours to get back on track, as the crowd began to murmur with embarrassment on his behalf.

And, finally, during Saturday's Grand Prix Kur - the grand finale, choreographed to music - there was a problem with one of the compact discs providing the musical accompaniment. German rider Ulla Salzgeber, riding Rusty, was left stranded in the middle of the arena with nothing to perform to.

Technical hitch

Having left the stage after six or seven minutes of standing around doing nothing as technical staff rushed to fix the problem, she eventually returned to complete the test at the end of the afternoon.

With the sympathetic crowd willing her on, she heroically resumed her routine from the point at which she had been interrupted - and was rewarded with the bronze medal.

Dressage may look a relatively trouble-free activity - but moments like these make it seem positively dangerous!