World Dressage Masters features the world’s leading dressage shows  offering  riders an unprecedented prize money of 425.000 EURO ($ 550.000)

Dressage is the oldest of equestrian disciplines and the basis for true harmony between rider and horse. Greek philosopher Xenophon wrote the 1st recorded book on horsemanship in 350 BC. At that time and long after horses were trained for warfare. During the Renaissance the riding schools of Vienna and Saumur contributed a lot in sophisticating dressage.

However only in the 20th century the public discovered the beauty of the ‘dancing horses’. 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm were the 1st to stage dressage on an Olympic level. Dressage has never left the Olympic podium since and with the introduction of the Grand Prix Freestyle to Music in 1996 in Atlanta, dressage quickly gained popularity all over the world. Grand Prix Dressage, the highest expression of horse training, is considered to be the art of equestrian sport.

To compliment this fantastic sport and to contribute to its further internationalization and growth, sports marketing agency SportBizz and equestrian innovator Exquis have launched the World Dressage Masters (WDM) initiative in 2008. World Dressage Masters is today the world’s premier dressage sponsor, offering unprecedented prize money of 425.000 Euro ($ 585.000) featuring the globe’s top dressage riders.