Le cavalier prépare le cheval pour la compétition de dressage.

From Lesson 428:Exclamative inversion·French

Questions & Answers about Le cavalier prépare le cheval pour la compétition de dressage.

Is cavalier the general word for "rider" in French?
No, cavalier specifically means a "horseback rider" or "equestrian". For other types of riding, you need different words: a bicycle rider is a cycliste and a motorcycle rider is a motard. Also, be careful not to confuse cavalier with chevalier, which means "knight".
Could we use à instead of pour and say prépare le cheval à la compétition?
Yes, both are correct but they have a slight difference in nuance. Using pour simply points to the event as the objective or destination (preparing the horse for the event). Using à focuses a bit more on the conditioning process (getting the horse ready to handle or face the event).
Why is it compétition de dressage and not compétition du dressage?
We drop the definite article (leaving just de) because dressage acts as a modifier here to classify the type of competition. When a second noun tells you what kind or category the first noun belongs to, you just link them with de (similar to une salle de bain or un cours de français).
Does dressage mean exactly the same thing in French as it does in English?
It is much broader in French! While English borrowed the word specifically for this highly stylized equestrian sport, in French, le dressage refers to the taming or training of any animal. For example, training a dog for obedience is also called le dressage.

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