Hinckley and District Dressage Group was created during the late 1970’s by a group of dressage enthusiasts interested in developing new opportunities for riders wishing to compete in pure dressage.

At that time the national Dressage Group was a small department run under the umbrella of the British Horse Society so in order to compete in affiliated competitions riders had to join both organisations to be eligible. Competitions were much fewer than today with very little choice of venues. H&DDG was formed to give a more regular opportunity for people to compete against like minded people at less expense.

The club quickly developed and by the 1980’s was permanently based at Hall Farm, Sutton Cheney with our keen hosts, Mr and Mrs Wynne, also regular competitors.

Towards the end of the 1980’s membership was full with a waiting list for new members and the club went from strength to strength. Club shows were nearly always over-subscribed with balloting used on a regular basis. At that time we also ran affiliated shows open to all BHS members. One was held in the winter at Hall Farm and one in the summer along the gated road between Sutton Cheney and Market Bosworth on a large flat grass field. This was a huge undertaking involving the setting out of 6 arenas, long and short and usually ran for the whole day with classes from prelim to advanced. The arenas were also used for the club show on the same weekend. All of the committee at that time worked tirelessly transporting arena boards, setting out arenas, mowing the centre lines, arranging delivery of mobile loos , booking judges and of course stewarding on the day.

During the 1990’s improved standards and market forces meant that members demanded surfaces to compete on, especially in the winter and H&DDG became more mobile using venues such as Sketchley Grange Riding School, County Arena in Blaby (both now redeveloped), Saxon Fields and latterly Brooksby College.

We also continued to run social evenings and an annual meeting for prize giving which continues to this day.

Over the last few years membership numbers have dwindled despite the use of excellent facilities at Blaby Mill. This is due to the proliferation of other venues also running unaffiliated dressage, either in association with riding clubs or alongside affiliated shows.

This gives today’s riders a huge choice and should they choose to do so, the opportunity to compete every week, a far cry from the situation in the 1970’s when Hinckley Dressage was born.