One of my wife's high school and college friends did English riding (and Dressage). That was my first exposure, IRL, to both. This young woman had a complete outfit for Dressage, and a more "broken in"/worn set for jumping. I believe she only used one saddle for both events, and she always scored near the top in Dressage.
She was given the use of a thoroughbred former racehorse mare to train it for the owner (and for other 'considerations' later). She was once featured on the cover of HORSE AND RIDER magazine with her Morgan horse, so she knew what she was doing. Still, she was taking lessons with that horse, to help improving the horse.
As far as eventing and films is concerned, films need to draw an audience to make money, and that makes getting such a film funded pretty unlikely these days. *IMHO*
I had seen at least parts of NATIONAL VELVET (Elizabeth Taylor, 1944), so I was curious about the "real competitions". The jumping was easy enough to watch and understand, and SYLVESTER showed the riders on the course, measuring the jumps and strides they wanted for their rides. I suspect most people never knew that was part of the process.
As for Dressage, scoring on that is about like watching the Olympic Diving event, and trying to figure out how the top divers got their scores. It is easy to see why the lower scores are that way, but not at all easy to even guess why the top scores differ from one to the other. My wife's friend did try to explain (after seeing the events) that even a scuff in the polish of the rider's boots would be a deduction. The horse's hooves are even "painted"! I watched the friend pull the mare's mane to get her ready for the event... That can get counted too - no "hippie" horses with long or uneven manes. Attention to detail is required!
To a casual observer, it is about as exciting as watching paint dry. That does not easily transfer to a popular film. The jumping draws the crowds.
just sayin...
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