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Consultation and feedback

British Dressage Strategic Plan 2007-2013

Planning for the future
The Board of Directors of British Dressage met on 7-8 August 2007 to review the strategic plan for British Dressage. The strategic plan outlines the purpose of BD, our goals for the future and the key initiatives that will help us achieve them.  The Board discussed the main issues around the current state of the sport and looked at the purpose, values and vision for British Dressage for 2013 which are:
 
Purpose
 
  • To increase harmony between horse and rider by improving the standard of riding, training and horsemanship in Great Britain
  • To promote, foster and regulate the sport of dressage
  • To manage the representation of Great Britain in international dressage competition and advise the British Equestrian Federation (BEF) on all dressage matters
Values     
 
  • Putting the welfare of the horse as a ‘happy athlete’ at the heart of everything we do
  • Promoting equality of opportunity and access for all people irrespective of background and ability
  • Valuing the contribution of everyone involved in the sport
  • Enabling and supporting volunteers and staff to meet the needs of the sport
  • Acting with responsibility and accountability throughout the sport
  • Promoting and acting with integrity, honesty, transparency, fairness and moral courage
  • Ensuring a drug free sport
Vision
 
By 2013 British Dressage is the most respected international dressage federation with:
  • High-quality leadership, management, communications and relationships
  • More people: its ability to sustain a growing and increasingly fulfilled membership (target of 50,000); to be actively encouraging and developing greater participation in the sport.
  • More medals: consistently winning medals at European, World, Olympic and Paralympic Championships.
  • More horses: Improved availability and management of horses for team and potential team riders; improved knowledge and understanding of the welfare and training of all horses within the sport.
  • More places: improved quality and spread of competition and training venues at both national and international level.
 
Note: More people, More horses, etc are headings which reflect the BEF mission statement; BD is working closely with the BEF as part of an over all strategy for the equestrian disciplines in GB.
Following this, 11 key initiatives were developed to help BD achieve its vision.
 
1 Develop international performance
2 Upgrade IT and support systems
3 Develop membership structure
4 Review and refine the competition structure
5 Review and develop BD brand
6 Develop regional structure
7 Review judge development programme
8 Develop show franchise programmes
9 Develop training and education focus
10 Identify and develop funding opportunities
11 Develop communications strategy
 
The Board are now developing the different aspects of each initiative, and are considering the resources (including structural) needs for each aspect. Using this information, the Board will allocate a priority level to each part of the key initiatives.
 
Each key initiative will be the responsibility of one or two members of the Board, and they will work with the relevant committees or working groups to create action plans for each strand of the key initiatives.
 
The progress of the key initiatives will be reviewed at each bi-monthly Board meeting and reported here on the BD website. Where there is a need for consultation about the initiatives then this will take place through the website, as well as by other means.
 
The next stage will be for each Board member to set up working groups to create action plans for each aspect of their initiative.
 
Some of the issues identified in the strategic planning process have either already been actioned or are in the process of being actioned.

Have your voice heard

In 2006, a new group of volunteers joined British Dressage's Regional Committees with the task of representing members' views.

If you have a query about something BD is doing, the members reps are there to answer your questions and are an easy way to let us know what you think about your sport.

Who's my local rep?
Scotland: Jackie Gray (tel: 01506 884560)
North West: Helen Bradley (tel: 01995 640712)
Northern: Melanie Allen (tel: 07714 523979)
Wales: Carolyn Evans (tel: 01446 781498)
Central: Debi Leech (tel: 01869 350300)
South West: Alison Somerville (tel: 01761 490418)
Southern: Sharon Edwards (tel: 01732 864755)
Eastern: Hayley Liddiard (tel: 01277 890420)

Help us keep our standards high

We value your feedback and need your help to keep our competition standards high.

Problems with venues
If you have any concerns about a venue, such as poor organisation, dangerous surfaces or health and safety, please download and complete our Dressage Show Report Form and send it to your local Regional Development Officer (RDO).

Please click here to view BD's minimum criteria for running affiliated competitions.

We will keep your name confidential if we can. If we investigate a complaint about your entry, for example, this would be impossible. In most cases your RDO will visit the show, put things straight if possible and report back.

Horse welfare
If you have any concerns about how a horse is being treated at a competition, please contact BD Sport & Technical Officer Ruth Tyler (tel: 024 76 698833) for a complaint form.

We need as much information as possible about the incident: the time, place, names, etc, as well as names of any other witnesses. Please also inform the steward, organiser or senior judge at the show and let us know whether the horse has been marked in any way.

The chief executive and the disciplinary sub-committee will deal with the problem and you may be asked to give evidence if a decision is taken to prosecute.

If you would like more information about the British Dressage Strategy for the Welfare of the horse in the sport of dressage, please contact Ruth Tyler (tel: 024 76 698833).

Judging
If you are not happy with the way you have been judged, please let us know in writing, preferably with your score sheet enclosed and a video of the test if this is available. Send this to judges officer Lisa Jenkins or the chief executive David Holmes at British Dressage, Stoneleigh Park, Kenilworth, Warwickshire CV8 2RJ.

Your comments will be passed on to the judges complaints committee for further investigation. If the committee feels you have a case, they will inform the judge in question that a complaint has been made against them and will work together to resolve the issue.