Significant 2016 rule changes in addition to the revised competition structure
In addition to the major overhaul of the competition structure there are a number of other changes to the
st
rules that will be coming into effect on the 1 December 2015.
The below is designed to assist you to identify where rules have changed. When your new Members
Handbook arrives please do take the time to read through it carefully and familiarise yourself with all the
changes.
The Member handbook has also had a re-shuffle of the sections in a bid to assist members in understanding
the rules more clearly. The rule numbers below are reflective of the 2016 Members Handbook and not the
2015 one.
3. British Dressage membership
Team Quest Membership has been renamed Quest Club membership.
5. Class tickets
To compete on a class ticket, both the rider and horse must hold associate BD registration which is
free of charge.
Class tickets will no longer enable a horse and rider to qualify for Area Festivals.
7. Verification of names and breeding of horses and ponies
In order to enhance BDs ability to record and track the breeding of horses in a more effective way, for
new horses, upon registration a copy of the pages of a horse’s passport containing particulars set out
below must be submitted;
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The Passport Issuing Organisation (PIO)
The horse's name
Unique Equine Life Number (UELN) if applicable
PIO registration number (if different from the UELN)
Date of birth
Pedigree/breeding, or a statement that it is not known; and
The breeder's name, or a statement that it is not known.
11. Grouping of riders
For the purpose of calculating rider groups, only results recorded in the current and ten preceding
years will be taken into account.
15. Grading points
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Full grading points will be allocated for results gained in Preliminary classes from the 1 December
onwards. They will not be allocated retrospectively.
For My Quest classes “Quest points” will be allocated to the same scale as all other classes. Quest
points are for qualification/ranking purposes within Quest competitions only and do not count
towards the upgrading of a horse.
Horses competing in International CDI competitions from PSG to Grand Prix and CDI YJP, will be
awarded points based on the below scale. Points are awarded against the percentage achieved in the
competition to the new scale. Points for CDI will be allocated retrospectively against competitions
already recorded on the BD database.
20 to 35. Eligibility to compete
Please read this section carefully as this is where the most significant changes have occurred.
37. Acceptance of entries, balloting and waiting lists
The opening date for entries for affiliated competitions is six weeks prior to the date of the
competition. Entries may only be made on or after the opening date. All entries received by the close
of entry date will be accepted and treated as below.
Competitions which are not oversubscribed at close of entries;
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Will accept all entries already received at this stage.
May continue to accept entries beyond the close of entries date for all or some classes;
however, reserves the right to close a class once it becomes full.
For Regionals and Area Festivals may only accept entries up to 10 days prior to the
competition, after which no further entries may be accepted.
Will run a waiting list for oversubscribed classes which reach their limit
If a competition is oversubscribed at the close of entry date, the Entries Secretary will close classes to
further entries and will ballot out and wait-list surplus entries. The organiser should conduct the
ballot in a fair and transparent manner. Balloted entries which are not wait-listed will receive full
refunds. Riders who wish to be removed from the wait list will receive a full refund. Riders on the
wait list who are accepted before the times publication date in the schedule must pay for their
accepted entry if they have not requested to be removed from the waitlist.
Regular BD competitions
Championships, Regionals, Area
Festivals, Premier Leagues and High
Profile shows
Closing Date
Two weeks before the date of the competition date
of the competition unless otherwise stated in the
schedule.
Three weeks before the date of the competition.
Late entries may be accepted in classes that are not oversubscribed and may be subject to a late
entry charge.
In the case of oversubscription;
At Premier Leagues, Regionals and Area Festivals if the competition is oversubscribed at the close of
entry organisers must give priority to classes which hold qualification for the National, Winter or Area
Festival Championships, plus Pony, Junior and Young Rider classes, and if necessary cancel nonqualifying/warm up classes.
Once non-qualifying/warm up classes have been removed, if numbers in classes still have to be
limited this should be done first in consultation with the Chairman of Selectors via the BD office and
then by conducting a ballot. The organiser should conduct the ballot in a fair and transparent
manner. Regional Championship and Area Festival classes may not be balloted.
In all cases, where there is oversubscription, a waiting list must be held and competitive entries must
be accepted over HC entries.
At Premier Leagues, Regionals and Area Festivals, allowing for multiple riders, the starting order for
the competitions will be drawn and if necessary in multiple sections.
42. Pick Your Own classes (PYO)
Certain classes may be designated as PYO by an organiser. They will only be open to members of BD
riding registered horses or to those with class tickets. With the exception of FEI tests they may only
cover one level (i.e. Medium) with the schedule stipulating the tests to be ridden. A PYO may only
have a maximum of five tests to be ridden.
49. Qualification cut off dates for Regional Championships
01 Dec – 15 June
16 June – 30 Nov
Qualification for the Summer Regional Championships
Qualification for Winter Regional Championships
50 to 52 Regionals and Championship qualification
Please read this section carefully as there are a number of changes to eligibility.
53. Qualification requirements for Winter/National Regional Championships
The qualifying percentage for Novice Silver is now 66%
54. Direct Qualification for the National Championships
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A Young Rider achieving 70% or more in the individual test at that year’s European
Championships will earn direct qualification for the PSG at the National Championships.
A Junior Rider achieving 70% or more in the individual test at that year’s European
Championships will earn direct qualification for the Advanced Medium Gold at the National
Championships.
A Pony Rider achieving 70% or more in the Individual test at that year’s European
Championships will earn direct qualification for the Medium Gold at the National
Championships.
Grand Prix
U25 Grand Prix will now allow part qualification to the National Championships.
59 to 61 Area Festivals
Please read this section carefully as there are a number of changes to eligibility.
61. Qualifying for the Area Festival Championships
a) Combinations qualify from Area Festivals to the Area Festival Championships on a proportional
basis, depending on the total number qualified at each level and the number of starters at each Area
Festival Championship. A table showing the ratio of qualifiers to starters and any variation on the
proportional qualification basis for a specific class will be displayed at each Area Festival.
64. Eligibility for Music Qualifiers and Regional Championships
Please read this section carefully as there are a number of changes to eligibility.
65 to 69. Young Horse Championships
There have been major changes to how BD’s YH horse series takes place. To create better
understanding and a more streamlined structure the Potential International Classes and the BD
Young Dressage horse series has been merged together to create one BD Young Horse
Championships.
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20 initial qualifying competitions will take place in March through to mid-June for 4, 5 and 6
year olds. These qualifiers will be in the format of the old Potential International classes
where horses go into the arena in pairs and are assessed using a template floorplan.
The above competitions will qualify for two semi-finals which will take place in July. Here
horses will perform a dressage test.
The top horses in each age group from each semi-final will qualify for the final held at the
National Championships. At the championships horses will perform a dressage test on the
first day and then the top horses will be presented on day two where they will be ridden by a
foreign rider judge. There will be individual 4, 5 and 6 year old champions.
Please read this section carefully to familiarise yourself with the changes
70. British Dressage Young Pony Championship Qualifying classes
There is a new Young Pony Championships with four qualifying competitions and a final which will
take place at one of the semi-finals in July.
80 to 85. Associated Championships
There is a new section detail the qualifying procedure for BD’s associated championships
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Retraining of Racehorses
Veteran Horse and Rider Championship
Traditional Gypsy Cob Championship
Spanish Horse Championship
Forces Equine Championship
89. Eligibility to compete in Team Quest
The eligibility for Team Quest has been revised to allow only those eligible for the Bronze section at a
given level may compete.
Team Quest will now include elementary level competitions.
95 to 102. My Quest
BD has launched a new competition series called My Quest for individual riders to run alongside
Team Quest. A new section for rules and eligibility has been added.
109.KBIS Gold Para Championships
There have been major changes to BD’s Para Summer Open Championships. To create a more
streamlined competition pathway the KBIS Championship and the BD Summer Open Championship
have been merged together to create one Summer Gold Championship.
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20 initial qualifying competitions will take place in the early part of the year through to midMay.
The above competitions will qualify for a semi-final which will take place in June at
Wellington Premier League.
The top combinations in each grade from the semi-final will qualify for the Championship
held at the National Championships.
Please read this section carefully to familiarise yourself with the changes
113.Para Equestrian Bronze Intro Championships
New rules have been added for the Para Intro show Championships
114.Coats/Jackets
New word for the colour of Jackets
Tail coats and short jackets may be in any conservative colours in muted tones. Bright, florescent or
garish colours are not permitted. Jackets may not be multi-coloured or boldly striped. Jackets must
not be distracting for the Judge.
Amendment to the rules on wearing waistcoats
In regular competitions, competitors may choose to ride without jackets and wear a fitted, plain,
conservative-coloured waistcoat. If no jacket is worn a suitable long/short sleeved shirt that fastens
at the neck (white or cream and not bright or multi-coloured) with a tie, American collar or correctly
fastened stock must be worn.
In all Championships, Regionals, Area Festivals, Premier Leagues and High Profile shows a jacket
must be worn. At the discretion of the organiser in consultation with the judges, competitors may
ride without coats in excessively hot weather. A fitted, plain, conservative-coloured waistcoat may
be worn when permission has been granted not to wear coats.
116.Hats
New Wording for hat colour
Hats and hat covers may be in any conservative colour in muted tones. Hats must not be distracting
for the Judge.
Revised Standards
British – All PAS 015, VG1
European – VG1
Provided they are BSI Kitemarked
American –All SEI ASTM F1163 04a onwards and SNELL E2001
Australian & New Zealand – AS/NZS 3838 2003 onwards.
British - EN1384, BSEN1384 may be worn until 31 December 2016 but not thereafter.
162.Penalties for errors of course
Every error of the course, whether the bell is sounded or not, is to be penalised:
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the first time by two points
the second time by four points
the third time the competitor is eliminated, although he may continue his performance to
the end, marks being awarded in the ordinary way.
The writer is to put a star against the movement concerned and mark an error at the bottom of the
sheet. Competitors are not to repeat a movement of the test unless the Judge at C decides on an
error of course and sounds the bell. If, however, the rider has started the execution of a movement
and tries to do the same movement again, the Judges must consider only the first movement shown
and also penalise for an error of course. The penalty points are deducted on each Judge’s sheet from
the total points given to the competitor.
163.Errors of the test
If a competitor makes an error of the test (eg, trots rising instead of sitting, or carries a whip) he is to
be penalised according to the table in Rule 171 and although these penalties will be cumulative they
will not relate to penalties in Rule 162 and will not result in elimination. Judges should note them at
the bottom of the judges sheet.
171.Penalties for contravening rules
New Penalties
Rule
Rule
Penalty
Hats – bright or garish colour distracting for the Judge.
116
two mark deduction
Jacket – not worn at championships, regionals, area
festivals or high profile shows. Bright, florescent or garish
coloured jacket distracting for the Judge.
114
two mark deduction
Carrying a whip in a FEI Class at a Premier League (excluding
HC), Area Festivals, Regional Championships and
Championships (without dispensation).
121
Six mark deduction
from each judge and
rider made to drop the
whip.
Bandages or boots worn during the test
129
Six mark deduction
from each judge and
boots may remain on.
Annex 2
New tests for 2016
Introductory C (2016) Short
Prelim 2 (2016) Short*
Medium 76 (2016) Long*
Advanced Medium 91 (2016) Long*
In addition all the music frees style tests are having some minor amendments made to them and will have the
year updated on them to 2016. Please note that the compulsory movements in the tests have not changed.
Deleted Tests
Prelim 4 (2002)
Advanced Medium 94 (2002)