British Dressage is excited to announce changes to the current format of the National Championships, alongside the introduction of a brand new concept, the British Masters.
Summer Championships
From 2027 the National Championships will be relocated to Hartpury University and College (subject to contract). In doing so, it will evolve from a paid spectator event to a competitor focused show. The fixture will be brought forward by two weeks in the calendar to the end of August and be rebranded as the Summer Championships.
Mirroring the successful model used for the Winter Championships, admission will be free for spectators and live streaming will be available for all classes. This will ensure that the event continues to thrive long term, encouraging greater attendance, enhancing media coverage and providing an increased profile for our competitors, partners and sponsors.
The Summer Championships will retain the current competition pathway, with the same qualification structure from Premier League fixtures and Regionals, to align the summer and winter seasons and provide consistency for those members targeting Regional qualification.
The event will continue to provide a fantastic championship experience for everyone in attendance, including trade stands, food and drink concessions, hospitality for sponsors, officials and guests, and much more.
Jason Brautigam, Chief Executive of British Dressage commented: “Against a difficult economic backdrop, the BD Board agreed that it was necessary to review the commercial viability and format of our National Championships. Escalating costs have made it a challenging event to run on a green field site, where we need to bring in temporary infrastructure and facilities.
“Hartpury has a lot of the permanent structures that a show like this requires and is based in an easily accessible central location. Our members have also been requesting access to live streaming for a long time, so along with free admission these changes will enable us to bring the championships to a much wider audience.
“Somerford Park has provided a wonderful home to the Nationals over the past six years, and we are enormously grateful for the generous support of the King family since we moved to Cheshire. I would also like to take this opportunity to extend our sincere thanks and appreciation to Kelvin Bywater and his team at Show Direct, who have worked tirelessly to make the National Championships such a success over the last 25 years.”
British Masters
Next year will also see the introduction of a brand new concept, the British Masters, to celebrate the best of British dressage at international level.
One of the drawbacks of staging the National Championships in September has been that it always falls after the international season is complete, so spectators rarely get a chance to see the top British combinations compete.
The British Masters will be hosted at Wellington Riding in June, overlayed on top of the existing CDI / CPEDI fixture. It will be open to all FEI registered athletes who are members of British Dressage, with qualification by way of selection for international competition.
A points system will apply, awarded to the top five placing in each category, based on results achieved at the CDI / CPEDI, so no additional tests will be ridden. At the end of competition, we will see a British Masters Champion crowned at Grand Prix, Small Tour, Under 25s, Under 21s (all age groups) and Para (all grades).
This event will have a strong British heritage feel, and will be a spectator friendly show, with trade stands, hospitality, and public viewing to watch the top combinations competing for selection for the major international championships.
Lou Jones, Head of Sport at British Dressage, commented: “We are very excited to add an additional element to one of our popular CDI fixtures and the overall championship calendar, celebrating the very best of British dressage. The British Masters will provide an opportunity to showcase British talent at the highest level, before some of those combinations head off to represent Britain on the international stage across the summer months.”
Further information about the British Masters and Summer Championships, including dates, timetable and spectator arrangements, will be announced in due course.
