OMG OMG OMG . . .This will go down as the year that Christmas came early for this little Aussie!

When you have grown up every Christmas waiting with anticipation to open your presents knowing that the latest Olympia video of all the worlds best riders and horses is somewhere in there . . . . .it really makes being here in person something that takes your breath away.

Not only was I lucky enough to be here in London but also I was lucky enough that the jumpingaround.com crew were home in Australia, as that meant they needed someone to cover this amazing event for them!

The graceful discipline of dressage dominated the first two days of the show and Dutch dressage goddess Anky Van Grunsven, World No.1 and her supremely successful Keltec Salinero - pictured below - , the horse on which she won the individual Gold in Athens, as well as the World Cup Final and the European Championships this year, topped the line-up.

The dressage entry list, which is kept to 22 starters, also included World No.2 Edward Gal (NED), World No.4 Isabell Werth (GER) and British National Champion Laura Bechtolsheimer. Joining this impressive line-up are other well-known names including Kyra Kyrkland (FIN), Richard Davison (GBR) and Emile Faurie (GBR). All were in town to win the FEI World Cup Dressage Qualifier - the only one to be held in the UK and which is supported by The Berkeley Group and Horse & Hound.

Now although I do not profess to be a dressage guru I can tell you that these horse and rider combinations were nothing short of exquisite. The connection between the horse and rider was like nothing I had seen before, such grace and power together as one.

Edward Gal and Group 4 - pictured left - and also pictured below left.

FEI Grand Prix - Tuesday the 13th Dec

Emma Hindle (GBR) riding Lancet had a striking test finishing the highest placed rider from the host county in equal 6th with Lone Jorgensen (DEN) on Hardtof's Ludewig G. Fifth place to Germany's Isabell Werth riding Warum Nicht FRH (the enormous chestnut gelding that dwarfs her!). Equal third went to one of the crowd favourites Kyra Kyrklund (FIN) on Max and Imke Schellekens-Bartels (NED) on her spectacular mare Sunrise. Second placing to the dashing Edward Gal (NED), who is trained by Anky Van Grunsven, riding Group 4 Securicor Lingh-KWPN. To the delight of the crowd the winner - Anky Van Grunsven (NED) riding the first-class gelding Keltec Salinero.

FEI Grand Prix Kur - Wednesday the 14th Dec

After the night before I was really looking forward to the Kur. Put quite simply this is a dressage test that is ridden to music. My expectations were well founded as the horse and rider combinations really put on a show for the lively crowd. Most notable was a certain young Russian, Elena Kalinina riding Royal Black Label, who dazzled and entertained us with a bopping test to a Rock around the clock medley that took them into 7th place.

Russian rider, Elena Kalinina and Black Label shows a big smile at the completion of her test - pictured left

and pictured below - during her Kur.