International fashion designer Reem Acra has signed a three-year sponsorship of the FEI Western European League and the FEI World Cup Dressage Final, announced FEI President HRH Princess Haya at a Champions Club party during the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.

Our columnist reflects on the birth of the FEI World Cup Final and the many changes happening in the sport today.

Light years ago, I was at a dinner hosted by the then top brass in the Fédération Equestre Internationale. The
subject of introducing music as an element of Olympic dressage competition was brought up at the table by Eric Lette, a prominent dressage judge and later the chairman of the FEI Dressage Committee.

Edward Gal and the super-stallion Moorlands Totilas overcame all the pressure and tension to claim the 25th anniversary FEI World Cup Dressage title in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands on March 27. (Video on page 3.)

Gal's stallion was heavily favored to take the honors throughout the entire 2009/2010 FEI World Cup Dressage season, during which he secured his third record-breaking score of 2009 at London Olympia (England) last December. 

The Netherlands’ Adelinde Cornelissen and Jerich Parzival made a great start to the FEI World Cup Dressage final at the Brabanthallen in 's-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands, on March 25 by winning the Grand Prix on a convincing margin of more than 2 percent.

It was a tense evening with nerves jangling, but she held her big strong gelding together to produce a powerful test that left her with a clear advantage over the firm favorites to take the title —Edward Gal and Moorlands Totilas.

The FEI World Cup™ Dressage final begins today in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands, and you can follow along with FEI TV's live coverage from the Brabanthalle Arena. 

Following the withdrawal of Hungary's Acs Robert, Austrian rider Peter Gmoser has taken his place amongst the 15 world-class competitors.  The full list of starters is now as follows: