Graceful start for The Event at Rebecca Farm

The eyes of the equestrian world gazed upon Kalispell for the first day of competition at The Event at Rebecca Farm on Thursday.

While a world-class, cross-country course surrounded competitors and spectators, just one division raced across the property.

The rest were perfecting their dressage routines.

Love it or hate it, dressage is the most important discipline in equestrian triathlons.

To the uninformed spectator, a horse methodically trotting around a tiny dirt arena may seem, frankly, boring. But before a mare or gelding can jump over obstacles and splash through water-landing zones, it must be trained to follow the instructions of the rider.

Dressage is a French word, which is most commonly translated to mean “training.” And that is exactly what mastering the event will do for a horse — train it to take on show-jumping and cross-country events.

Riders of each division are given the same predetermined routine consisting of trots, canters and walks ending with a halt facing the judges. Any rider can cruise through the routine forcing the horse into every maneuver, but to post a good score it must be done with grace and ease.

“It’s a bit like figure skating,” Tamra Smith of Temecula, California, said.

“You have to have a very precise and accurate test because they (the judges) are asking you to do different types of dimensions. But you always have to have a harmony about it. — very effortless looking, smooth and relaxed.

“It’s very tricky for these horses to be brave and have the stamina to gallop over big water jumps and ditches. Then they have to go in the arena and be … figure skaters. It’s really a true test of their overall ability.”

Smith, 40, who was short-listed for Team USA at this year’s Pan Am Games, posted a score of 46.4 score in the CCI* division atop Fleeceworks Royal, a 6-year-old Holsteiner mare, good enough for third-place in her respective division. Fleeceworks Royal is one of five horses Smith is riding at The Event, preparing the mare for future eventing success.

“I felt it was really good, but I’m a perfectionist. I always feel like I can improve,” Smith said of Fleeceworks Royal’s dressage performance. “She’s only 6, though. For her level of strength and how young she is, I think it was the best she could have done.”

Smith effortlessly took Fleeceworks Royal from a trot to a walk without any transgressions from the mare. The horse’s canter and counter-canter — trotting in the direction of the lead leg and the opposite direction of the lead leg — were nearly flawless.

It’s tension from the horse, forcing the rider to exhibit poor posture that can earn demerits from the judges.

“Her canter is her best gate. Her canter work is beautiful,” Smith said. “It’s actually hard to sit on it because it’s so big and has so much jump to it. I was really pleased with her.”

Smith, the head trainer for Next Leveling Eventing, notes her roots in dressage manifest her passion for the building blocks of training horses.

“I actually enjoy it. I did it as a young rider, and my trainer was a Grand Prix dressage rider, so I got to ride a lot of her Schoolmaster horses. I have a really fond love of it,” Smith said.

“A lot of people in eventing don’t particularly love the dressage, but I really enjoy the meticulousness of it. I think in dressage you never stop learning, really in training horses, you never stop learning.”

Kalispell resident Cindy Marvin may oppose Smith’s fondness for dressage, but knows how important it is to a horse’s future.

Marvin, competing in the Senior Open Novice A division, was the one of the first groups to take on the cross-country portion of the equestrian triathlon — but not until Digleigh, a 4-year-old thoroughbred gelding, participated in dressage.

“You go through the dressage to get to the cross country, but I know a lot of people love dressage. It makes sure the horse is trained. It makes sure your horse is listening to you before you go out there and do the crazy stuff,” Marvin said.

“I love being on the young horse. To me, a young horse at a low level is almost as exciting as being on a going horse at the upper level. They surprise you at how easy it is for them — how much they love this sport. You couldn’t make an animal this size do a sport if they didn’t want to do it. I’m pretty much exposing them and getting them prepared for someone else to ride them.”

Marvin and Digleigh were 14th after dressage. Cross-country results were not available.

Whether a rider is preparing to represent our nation or training a young horse for someone else to take up the ranks, the precision and poise needed to promenade around the dressage arena is no easy task. Before one can pick up speed, jump through keyholes or bound over hurdles she must earn the trust of her horse — an unprecedented partnership that takes years to fulfill. To command a beast with elegance, humbling its trot, is to become one with the animal.