Competition rules
The rules are a great place to start for all the information you need to know to compete in affiliated dressage, including what you and your horse are allowed to wear, what the judges are looking for and how to qualify for all the different championships.
The rules are revised once a year and come into effect on 1 December. If you're not sure which level and section you should be competing in, our eligibility guides have been designed to direct you through a series of questions to provide you with the level and section for you. We also have an Approved Tack and Equipment Guide, which illustrates the tack, bits and equipment permitted under our rules.
Members' handbook
Our current rules can be found in the members' handbook, which contains all the information you need to know to compete in affiliated dressage. They are revised on an annual basis and come into effect from 1 December every year.
To skip to each section, visit the contents page and click on the section heading:
2020 rule changes/ amends
See below document for a synopsis of the 2020 rule changes, in particular please note change to bronze eligibility tables:
Eligibility tables
We've developed 'flow chart' tables to help with eligibility where you answer yes or no to a series of questions - answer yes at any stage and you need to move to the next section and/or level. They're printed in the Handbook but you can also download them as required below:
2020
| INTRO | PRELIMINARY | NOVICE | ELEMENTARY |
| MEDIUM | ADVANCED MEDIUM | PRIX ST GEORGES | INTERMEDIATE I |
| INTERMEDIATE II | MY QUEST | TEAM QUEST | ALL TESTS |
Approved tack and equipment
Alongside the Members' Handbook, there's a Approved Tack and Equipment Guide* for British Dressage competitions to provide you with a pictorial guide for clarification on permitted tack and equipment:
*Important updates published 23 January 2020. Please note the use of infrared products (warm up quarter rugs, saddle cloths and fly hoods) are now permitted.
New Middle Tour Festival
Launching for 2020, our brand new Middle Tour Festival gives more opportunity for riders competing at the FEI levels of Inter II, Inter A and Inter B. Each class/ section will follow the eligibility charts for Inter II Silver / Inter II Gold as outlined above. Please note there is an additional eligibility rule in that combinations who have competed in the National Championships at the same level or higher in the current year are not eligible.
