In the first part of our mini-series on the history of equestrian show , we looked at the early years of when everyday , or nothing at all if you were Greek or Roman, was worn.
By the time of the Renaissance dedicated had been developed so that the nobility could wear the latest fashions even in the . Across the Atlantic Ocean the worn by cowboys was more practical, but still showed elements of its Spanish origins with the rowled spurs and wide-brimmed .
Now we're moving forward in history to look at how equestrian show as we know it today has developed:
MILITARY EQUESTRIANS
Much of the show seen today originates from the worn by military officers, who first invented or popularised equestrian sports. It was the military that developed as the art form we now know as "" as soldiers needed to be skilled riders to participate in combat.
As we said in our previous article it is the Spanish conquistadors that cowboys have to thank not only for their horses but for their and style of . Their and tack had been adapted both for battle and for spending many hours in the herding cattle and sheep.
In the 1860s this style of and became popular in Europe and so the became more elaborate and ornamental, much like the rhinestone shirts and worn by modern-day riders.
After around 1795 fashions began to simplify, although there was still a wide range of colours and styles available for fashionable equestrians. Both men and women's styles were more tailored and functional rather than elaborate.
In fact, waistcoats and pockets were often false in order to reduce the number of layers needing to be worn by riders. Fashionable equestrians favoured red, green, or navy for their , not unlike the majority of competition jackets available today.
Fabrics were usually wool or wool/silk blends, and although technology has moved on since then, with an array of normally associated with the for athletes making its way into equestrian fashion, the finest quality jackets found today are still made of wool.
EQUESTRIAN SHOW TODAY
Today, hunting is still the most traditional and conservative of all of the equestrian show styles available. and give riders the most opportunity to include some bling in their outfits. and providing the most creative licence for show .
Although equestrian fashions have clearly evolved over the years , particularly the , still retains a core look that shows its origins and traditional purpose.
In recent years there has also been more of a move to encourage safety when rather than just following tradition, this has been particularly noticeable with hats as more riders are choosing helmets over traditional headwear such as a top or Stetson.
Two notable examples are World Champion Charlotte Dujardin, who has won all of her titles wearing a rather than the traditional top , and Nicole Aichele, World Champion Barrel Racer, who campaigns for safety.
.jpg)
CHARLOTTE DUJARDIN 2012 OLYMPIC DRESSAGE-1.JPG
"CHARLOTTE DUJARDIN 2012 OLYMPIC DRESSAGE-1" BY CHARLOTTE_DUJARDIN_2012_OLYMPIC_DRESSAGE.JPG: EQUESTRIAN DERIVATIVE WORK: NORDLICHT8 - THIS FILE WAS DERIVED FROM: CHARLOTTE_DUJARDIN_2012_OLYMPIC_DRESSAGE.JPG . LICENSED UNDER CC BY-SA 3.0 VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS.
