Freestyle to Music

In October 1980, Olympic rider Jennie Loriston-Clarke met Gaynor Colbourn who, at the age of 17, was already an established classical and session musician, composer and multi-instrumentalist in the recording and TV/film industry. Their first collaboration was a demonstration of dressage to music at Wellington Riding in Heckfield, UK, in which Colbourn played keyboards live in the arena to match every single movement of Loriston-Clarke riding Dutch Courage and Benjamin Bunny. The demonstration also featured a pas de deux with Jeremy Michaels and Neirede Goodman, the co-owner of Wellington Riding who rode Wellington Oliver. This event marked the beginnings of dressage to music and Colbourn's trademark style of playing keyboards live in order to match every movement, tempo, change and nuance, wherefore she was awarded the Merle Park Rose Bowl Award at the Goodwood International Dressage Festival. Freestyle to Music was officially recognised by British Dressage in 1980 and the FEI after its official debut at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta and has since grown. Not only is it compulsory in equestrian Olympic competitions, but it has spread beyond the grand prix circuit to freestyle classes at local riding club competitions around the world and at all levels. Gaynor Colbourn remains the only person to have performed live music alongside the horses, which allowed her to tailor music to each individual rider and horse. == Levels ==

International Freestyle Dressage tests, organised by the FEI, include Pony Riders, Juniors, Young Riders, Intermediate I, Intermediate A/B and Grand Prix. Most National Federations (i.e. USDF, British Dressage) have their own freestyle levels which usually correspond to their established levels of training. Each floorplan must consist of several mandatory movements and paces, depending on the level and federation, however their order and timing is free to the rider's discretion within certain margins. Additionally, movements of the same or lower level which are not listed as compulsory but are permitted may be included to increase the degree of difficulty, but are classed as "calculated risks" by the FEI due to the risk of losing points if not properly executed. Incorporating movements of a higher level than the intended level is forbidden, with penalties varying from elimination in lower levels to specific deductions and limits in FEI events. For example, an Intermediare I rider is not permitted to include passage, piaffe, or a pirouette greater than 360 degrees, and a Grand Prix rider may not do a pirouette that exceeds 720 degrees or advanced airs above the ground. If a rider does so, he or she receives a zero for the element, and in addition the score for Choreography and Degree of Difficulty will not receive a score higher than a 5. ==Scoring components==

The scoring of the freestyle is divided up into two major sections, known as Technical Execution, and Artistic Presentation. ==References==