There has been no stopping the popularity of the freestyle dressage to music test, also known as a kür, since Goodwood CDI hosted the first one at international level in 1979. This crowd-pleasing form of the sport is now the deciding test for the individual medals at the Olympics, World and European Championships.

Many riders and horses perform better than in standard tests as the music has a relaxing effect and anyone with a flair for showmanship can gain extra marks. If you want to have a go at competing freestyle, it is worth watching a few kürs, either recorded or at shows to give you an idea of what works and what doesn’t.

Marks are awarded in a different way to ordinary tests. There are two categories: technical and artistic. Therefore choreography and music are vital aspects.

The freestyle test sheets tell you the compulsory movements required at the different levels and these are available from British Dressage (BD). The skill lies in creating a test to show off your horse’s talents and hide any weaknesses as much as possible, combined with choosing music that suits your horse, matches his stride and is catchy.

To play copied music in public, you must have a music licence. You can arrange this by completing and returning both a music sub-licence agreement and a music licence record form to Melanie Craven, British Dressage, Stoneleigh Park, Kenilworth, Warwickshire CV8 2RJ. Melanie will then send you stickers, which you need to put on your freestyle tapes/CDs to fulfil the licence agreement. This allows you to use any music from the record labels listed on the Phonographic Performance Ltd (PPL) repertoire list.

There is no charge for this service if you are a BD member. If you are not a member, you can become a BD music member for £25 per year or £15 if you are a riding club member. Contact Melanie Craven (tel: 024 76 698846) for more information.

You can put your own test and music together. This can be fun but takes time. You will need to use the best possible equipment to make your recording, as it will be heavily amplified at the show. It is also important the music for the different paces joins together well.

Alternatively, you can pay a professional to help you. The cost of using a specialist company can be as little as £55 if you do your own choreography. The companies usually ask you to send them a video of you riding your freestyle. They will send you a selection of music to choose from for each of your horse’s paces. Once you have made your choice, they will send you a CD or cassette ready for use in competition. CLICK HERE for Experts in Composing Dressage Music.

It is a good idea to take two CDs or tapes with you to shows in case there is a problem with one. Check with the organiser whether they have any requirements; at international shows, organisers like two different mediums, such as a mini disc and CD.

You need to give the organiser one CD or tape marked with your name and that of your horse. It needs to be ready to start at the right place with a note as to whether this is at the halt or at the position outside the arena where you will give a signal.

Then it is a matter of knowing your music and choreography well and making any adjustments to your test, so that your horse’s changes of pace coincide to the changes in the music.

Have fun and good luck.

The booklet entitled Dressage to Music by Jane Kidd, pictured above, is available from British Dressage at a cost of £5.50 and contains everything you need to know about going freestyle.