More opportunity than ever with Quest in 2021

As announced in our March Operational Plan, we’ve been working on some changes to one of the sport’s greatest innovations in recent years, Quest, powered by Saracen Horse Feeds. We can now reveal our 2021 plans for the popular grassroots series which incorporates My Quest for solo competitors and Team Quest, featuring teams of three or four riders.

From 29 March, the regional structure across England changed from six to four regions with Scotland and Wales remaining the same. Therefore, Quest competitions, leaderboards and regional finals needed to reflect the new areas of North & West, North & East, South & West and South & East. The great news is that we’ve added more Quest Regional Finals, with 11 running over Great Britain meaning three new opportunities.

Of course, more Regionals means more Questers getting the chance to have a taste of the big occasion! We’ve increased the number who qualify from the six regional leaderboards to our regional finals so for 2021 it looks like:

• Team Quest: top 50 Open and top 50 Under 21 teams
• My Quest: top 60 My Quest Open and top 60 Under 21 in Intro, Prelim and Novice

Working with our regional teams, we’ve secured 11 great venues to host our Quest Regional Finals. Regions with two Regional Finals will have them labelled A and B. At the end of the qualification period (31 August) and once all the results are in, all those who’ve got a spot will get a qualification email which will request they select their preferred venue, A or B and shortly after, entries will open.

The 2021 Saracen Horse Feeds Quest Regional Final calendar looks like:

And geographically:

The Saracen Horse Feeds team will be on site at as many Regional Finals as they can to meet you all, have a chat and of course help with any feed advice competitors may need to keep their equine partners in tip top shape.

For those Questers who shine at the regionals, it’s a coveted place at the 2021 Saracen Horse Feeds Quest National Championships at Bury Farm in Buckinghamshire, 28 – 31 October. But how many qualify from each Quest Regional Final?

In My Quest, it’s the top two from each level in each category in the English and Scottish regions with the top four qualifying in Wales. Team Quest championship qualification is based on ratios relating to the teams who finish on the regional leaderboards.

In regions where there are up to ten teams on the leaderboard, the winning team from each Regional Final (both A and B) will go through to Bury Farm. Where there are 11 or more teams, the winning team from each regional (both A and B) plus the team with the highest combined score from the two regionals (A and B) will also earn a championship place.

In both My Quest and Team Quest, any remaining championship places will be decided by wild cards based on Regional Final scores.

We then head to the grand season finale, the Saracen Horse Feeds Quest National Championships at Bury Farm in Buckinghamshire for four days of top dressage, great fun and an amazing championship experience. A total of 32 combinations in the Intro, Prelim and Novice My Quest classes in the Open and under 21 sections and 24 Team Quest teams in both the Open and Under 21 sections will compete for the top honours, great prizes and a host of special awards. This is truly one of the highlights in the British Dressage calendar each year!

“We are so excited to finally start talking once again about BD Quest, the resumption of sport brings a real feel-good factor across the equestrian industry,” said Michael Bacon of Saracen Horse Feeds. “We can’t wait to follow the progress of the all the teams and individual Questers. As well as offering feed advice and product information we will be cheering everyone on from the sidelines. Let’s make this year the best ever!”

Quick Quest facts:

• Two options – My Quest where individuals compete or Team Quest where three or four nominated riders represent a team. Riders can compete in both, with separate tests for each.
• Levels are Intro, Prelim and Novice – and riders must be eligible to compete at Bronze level
• Sections for Open and Under 21
• At normal Quest competitions, riders and teams earn points which go towards a regional leaderboard placing.
• The best five results for an individual or team will count on the leaderboard – final placings on the leaderboard determine who qualifies for the regional finals.
• Do well at the Quest Regional Finals and individuals and teams earn a spot at the end of year celebration, The Saracen Horse Feeds Quest National Championships in October.