News
Preview: NAF Five Star Winter Dressage Championships 2026
- Written By: Maddie Hinchliff
- Published: Tue, 14 Apr 2026 14:09
The NAF Five Star Winter Championships, incorporating the Petplan Winter Area Festival Championships kicks off this week (15 - 19 April 2026) at Addington Equestrian in Buckinghamshire.
This year’s NAF Five Star Winter Championships will showcase an exciting array of competitions, with dozens of prestigious titles up for grabs. Riders of every level, from Prelim through to Intermediate I, will have the chance to shine throughout the week as we celebrate talent and achievement across the board.
What to expect
Running from Wednesday 15 April to Sunday 19 April 2026, this year’s NAF Five Star Winter Championships is set to show our top talents compete to win the Winter Championship titles, from the established combinations we know and love, to exciting grassroot competitors and rising names among our sport. This year, there is also the exciting new edition of the Addington Lounge, located above the café in the international indoor arena, that will be serving drinks in the evenings and creating a new social space for everyone to unwind at the end of the day.
The NAF Five Star Winter Championships will feature an exciting line up of competitors and horses, spanning from Petplan Under 21 Prelim and Novice classes, through to Silver and Gold riders contesting the Intermediate I and Intermediate I Freestyle to Music titles. Dannie Morgan, a familiar face at the Championships describes it as “It’s my favourite show, I love bringing the young horses here and the atmosphere in the arena is great,”.
Last year showcased some of this exciting talent in the form of Emma Dunkey, winner of the Petplan Advanced Medium Bronze Championship. Emma gave a heartfelt reflection of her experience with the championships: “It's unbelievable, it really really is, it's all the early mornings and the late nights. It's something to aspire to, something to achieve...and an achievement to get here and actually do this. It gives you a nice warm, fuzzy feeling”.
The Petplan Winter Area Festival Championships run alongside the NAF action, presenting a long-standing favourite that continues to provide a platform for grassroots riders to shine on a national stage.
We wish all the best of luck to all competitors who are making the trip to Addington this year and look forward to welcoming you.
Follow the action
To help you make the most of the event, our Championship Hub has everything you need in one place, including timetables, results, spectator information and live stream details.
We’ll also be sharing daily show reports from the event on our news feed, alongside live social media coverage and highlights as the competition unfolds.
VISIT THE WINTER CHAMPIONSHIPS HUB
What’s on outside of the white boards?
Away from the arena, the Winters Shopping Village will be open throughout the show, offering shopping opportunities to stock up on all your must-have equestrian products.
The British Dressage trade stand will be located next to the indoor warm-up arena. Members of our team on hand to answer any member queries you might have, and to answer any questions about our new BD app.
During your time at the Championships, the on-site Addington Bistro will offer a range of food and drink from 4pm – 9pm on Tuesday 14 April, and from 7am on competition days, with the new addition of the Addington Lounge.
The lounge, located on the floor above the main café, will be open in the evenings for drinks and a space to socialise with your fellow competitors.
Find the competition timetable and programme
The class start times and prize giving times for each day are now available.
Times and results
The starting times are now available on Equipe and live results will be published on the day of the competition.
Watch
If you can’t make it to the Championships in person, Horse & Country will be live streaming the competition in all three arenas. You can keep up with the action, support your friends and family and enjoy the competition live or on demand.
Don't forget that if you are a BD member you have an exclusive discount on an H&C TV annual subscription.
Share your stories!
We’d love to hear how you got on and how much fun you had at the Championships, so please do share and tag us in your social posts and stories.
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Our sponsors
NAF Five Star are our longstanding title sponsors of the Winter Championships. If you've qualified for the NAF Five Star Winter Dressage Championships, NAF always love to hear the experiences and stories of riders like you! Share your journey with NAF and your thanks for their sponsorship by sending them your story on their website.
Petplan have been the proud sponsor of the Area Festival series for over 26 years. The series has continued to grow and inspire every year and Petplan would love to hear your stories! Please get in touch to share your area Festival stories and thank Petplan for their incredible support.
