International competitions
Go for gold and compete with the best on the continent.
Many BD Youth riders go on to reach the very top levels of international success and balance their school life with travelling across Europe to compete with the very best.
FEI rider categories
Find out all about how you can represent your country Internationally across a range of sections based on age and riding ability.
Children on Horses/Under 14s
From the beginning of the calendar year of their 12th birthday to the end of the calendar year of their 14th birthday. Ponies or horses are eligible for CDI competitions but must be six-years-old or over. For FEI Championship events, riders must be on horses only.
Pony Rider/Under 16s
From the beginning of the calendar year of their 12th birthday to the end of the calendar year of their 16th birthday. Ponies must be 148cms or under (14.2hh) with FEI Pony Measuring Certificates in place and five-years-old or over. For FEI competitions ponies must be six-years-old and over.
Junior Rider/Under 18s
From the beginning of the calendar year of their 14th birthday to the end of the calendar year of their 18th birthday, riding horses only. Horses must be five-years-old or over. For FEI competitions horses must be six-years-old and over.
Young Rider/Under 21s
From the beginning of the calendar year of their 16th birthday to the end of the calendar year of their 21st birthday. Young Riders must ride horses who are six-years-old and over for national and over seven-years-old for FEI competitions.
Under 25s
This category is for riders up to the age of 25. Horses must be a minimum of eight-years-old for FEI competitions as the tests are Intermediate II, U25 Grand Prix and Grand Prix Freestyle. Find out more about U25s selection.
FEI tests and competitions
There are specific dressage tests that are ridden by each rider category, to view the FEI dressage tests for Children on Horses, Ponies, Juniors and Young Riders, visit the FEI website. Test standards are set by the FEI, take a look at what to expect:
Children on Horses - these tests are the equivalent of Elementary and include collected and medium trot/canter, shoulder in and simple changes of leg.
Ponies - these tests are the equivalent of Medium and include walk pirouettes, half passes and simple changes of leg.
Juniors - these tests are the equivalent of Advanced Medium and include single flying changes.
Young Riders - these tests are the equivalent of Prix St Georges and include canter half-pirouettes and flying changes of leg every third and fourth stride.
For ponies upwards CDI competitions for under 21s start with the FEI Team Test followed by the FEI Individual Test. The top 12 to 18 ranked combinations in the Individual go forward to the Freestyle to Music test. Some venues will run a consolation class which can either feature the Team/Individual Test or the Freestyle, run as a small final. Under 25 Grand Prix combinations competing at CDIOU25 or Championships will ride the Intermediate II followed by the Grand Prix 16-25 test. Qualified combinations then ride a Grand Prix Freestyle.
Children on horses CDI competition run a prelim class (A or B) followed by a FEI Team Test, you then qualify for the FEI Individual Test.
Youth Selector Nikki Herbert chats through international competing and aiming for selection:
International teams and selection
Find out more about how you can be selected for International competition and teams.
