Young Horse and Pony Championships
Competition opportunities for young horses and ponies within British Dressage exist to produce and educate the future stars of the sport with the health, happiness and career longevity of each equine athlete in mind.
With opportunities for four, five, six and seven year old horses and four, five and six year old ponies, there’s a class to suit any young horse and pony at different stages of their development.
KBIS Young Horse Championships
Supported by BD Official Insurance Partner KBIS, the British Young Dressage Horse Championships are the annual aim for many young horse producers, breeders, owners and riders. Qualifiers take place from early spring through to mid-summer, before the top placed horses from these events head to two semi-final competitions to decide the entries for the Championship final, taking place at the LeMieux National Dressage Championships.
Format
The qualifiers are open to four, five and six year old horses and the tests are designed to give each age group maximum confidence and security in the arena. First round qualifiers see combinations ride the commanded route plan in pairs and there will be no final judging by the panel. The top two from each age group, with scores over 7.0, will go forward to the semi-final. Download the commanded floor plans below.
At the semi-finals, the BD National Tests for each age group are used to determine the National final places, with the top three horses given direct qualification. Wild cards are issued following the two semi-final competitions to complete the line-up. The KBIS Young Dressage Horse Championships follow the same format as the semi-finals, with the top placed combinations going forward to final judging where the popular rider judge testing contributes to the ultimate results. To purchase the BD National tests, please visit our shop below.
KBIS Seven Year Old Championship
The qualifiers will run a dedicated Seven Year Old class where the National Test for Seven Year Olds (2023) will be ridden and judged as a normal BD competition with two judges using the test sheet and the quality sheet. The top two horses with scores 63% or over will qualify for the semi finals. If either horse is already qualified, the qualification will pass down to the next horse, provided they have a score of 63% or over.
At the semi finals, the National Test for Seven Year Olds (2023) will be ridden. The top three horses at each semi-final will qualify for the KBIS Young Dressage Horse Championships providing they score 65% or over and any remaining championship places will be filled by wildcards.
KBIS Young Pony Championships
For four, five and six year old ponies not exceeding 149cm, this exciting championship concludes in a final held at The Hartpury Festival of Dressage. The rules and qualifying fixtures reflect the first round system of the KBIS Young Dressage Horse Championships, with the top three placed combinations earning over 7.0 achieving a place at the coveted final. Adults of the appropriate size and weight, and young riders from the start of the year of their 12th birthday are permitted to ride in these classes.
2024 dates for Young Horse and Pony Classes
| Venue | County | Date |
| Myerscough College | Lancashire | 5 - 10 March |
| Parwood Equestrian Centre | Surrey | 16 March |
| Hunters Equestrian | Gloucestershire | 31 March |
| Moreton Equestrian Centre | Dorset | 4 April |
| Kings Sedgemoor Equestrian Centre | Somerset | 19 April |
| Alnwick Ford Equestrian | Northumberland | 21 April |
| Addington Equestrian | Buckinghamshire | 26 - 28 April |
| Sheepgate Equestrian | Lincolnshire | 7 May |
| Hickstead | West Sussex | 10 - 12 May |
| Stourport Riding Centre | Worcestershire | 17 May |
| Rockrose Equestrian Sports Centre | East Lothian | 18 May |
| Sparsholt College | Hampshire | 19 May |
| Somerford Park | Cheshire | 25 - 26 May |
| Manor Grange Stud | West Yorkshire | 29 May |
| Beechwood Equestrian Centre | Essex | 2 June |
| Wellington Riding | Hampshire | 4 - 7 June |
| Kingswood Equestrian Centre | Staffordshire | 14 June |
| Young Horse Semi-Finals | ||
| Hartpury University & Hartpury College | Gloucestershire | 2 – 7 July |
| Northallerton Equestrian Centre | North Yorkshire | 26 - 29 July |
| KBIS Young Pony Championships | ||
| Hartpury University & Hartpury College | Gloucestershire | 1 – 7 July |
| KBIS Young Horse Championships | ||
| Somerford Park | Cheshire | 12 - 15 September |
Dressage Future Elite Championship at HOYS
Held annually at Horse of the Year Show in October (9 - 13 October 2024, National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham) this popular championship is designed to provide a platform for the UK's up-and-coming dressage horses to gain invaluable experience under the spotlight at a world-famous international event. For horses between the ages of eight and ten years old at the time of qualifying, in this championship each combination will showcase an Intermediate I freestyle.
Membership
A minimum of Club membership for both horse and rider is required to participate in KBIS Young Horse and Young Pony qualifiers. If a combination qualifies for a subsequent semi-final or championship, an upgrade to a Full (competing) membership and horse registration is necessary.
Riders can take part in young horse and pony classes from the start of the year of their 12th birthday. If you are an owner, you will need either Full (non-competing) or Full (competing) membership.
