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Dressage Anywhere Rules

Dressage Anywhere Rules

Find out everything you need to know before you ride your dressage test

Click on the title text below to open each section. We've opened the first one for you. Recent updates are highlighted to help you find them quickly.
  1. Gloves must be worn
  2. No martingales or non-permitted tack including bit guards
  3. Film from C, the judges position
  4. Your horse or pony must wear boots or bandages if you wear competition clothing
  5. If filming on a smartphone, hold the device in the landscape orientation
  6. Zooming - you must include some zoom when the rider is at the A end of the arena

Tests should be ridden and will be judged under the rules of the relevant governing body. These can be seen online:

Some modifications have been made to suit judging online and these are listed below. Every eventuality may not be provided for in the following but in any unforeseen or exceptional circumstance, Dressage Anywhere will make decisions in the sporting spirit in which this company is run. Dressage Anywhere reserves the right to amend these rules at short notice and it is advisable to check them on a regular basis.

Videos of tests must not be entered if they have already been judged in another competition. Any video which is suspected of having been filmed during another competition will not be accepted. In these circumstances no refund will be offered. For this reason if competition clothing is worn, then the horse or pony must wear boots or bandages (no knee boots). For RDA Competitions only: it may not be possible for horses or ponies to wear boots, therefore we ask that the rider or coach/person filming briefly announce the rider and horse at the start of the video.

The person filming must stand behind C (so far as it is possible). The rider enters the arena at the far end at A riding towards the camera, the judge's viewpoint. It may be necessary to move the letters or display temporary ones if space or sun dictates it. See our help page for more video hints and tips.

Videos can be uploaded directly to www.dressageanywhere.com or YouTube. Videos can also be posted on a CD, DVD or memory stick. Please contact Dressage Anywhere to request postal information.

Judges decisions are final. No communication or discussion will be entered into by Dressage Anywhere, any of its representatives or the judge involved. Any objection or appeal regarding a score must be made in writing within 24 hours of the test being judged.

Copyright laws must be adhered to when submitting any video footage or photographs or printed material. Dressage Anywhere will not be liable for any costs incurred as a result of infringement of copyright laws by any competitor or 3rd party.

Any rider is free to register and enter a Dressage Anywhere competition and does not need to be a member of the relevant body but juniors aged under 18 years must have parental permission.

Junior riders are classed as those aged 16 or below in the current calendar year. Those whose 17th birthday is in the current calendar year must enter the Seniors class. We understand that mistakes can happen and entries in the incorrect class will only be moved if a video has not already been judged. Where a rider has entered the wrong class and their video has been judged, the test will be moved but marked as hors concours (HC).

Acceptance: Making an entry for a Dressage Anywhere competition constitutes acceptance of the Rules and Terms & Conditions of Dressage Anywhere.

Horses and ponies can be ridden by more than one rider.

Horse and rider combinations may not enter a class more than one level below their highest entry in any competition class, regardless of where the competition is held, up to Medium, e.g. a horse and rider combination competing at Elementary level may not enter a Preliminary competition class.

Sections: Introductory to Novice classes include restricted and open sections. Riders in the restricted section can now compete against similar riders and more experienced riders must now compete in the open section.

Horse and rider combinations who have achieved the following will be automatically entered into the open section:

  • Five scores of 70% and above at Introductory level
  • Five scores of 68% and above at Preliminary level
  • Five scores of 66% and above at Novice level

This does not apply to the Practice Test Classes where any combination may 'practice' any level.

Horse and rider combinations already riding in any Open section, must enter the Open section of a lower level test, for example, if a Preliminary Open horse and rider combination enters the Introductory class, they must enter the Open section.

Riders entering classes two levels below their highest level on a different horse, must enter the Open section of that class. For instance, a rider who has entered Elementary on horse 1 must enter the Open section of Preliminary on Horse 2.

Sound must be recorded to ensure competitors are not receiving coaching during their test.

Entry fees will not be refunded once an entry has been accepted.

Further entries and videos may be submitted in a class once an entry has been judged and the score displayed. This will be at a further entry fee. In those cases, only the highest scoring entry will be shown and counted for a prize or rosette. Each entry must be a different video of the test being ridden. Entries into training classes and competition classes must be different videos, we will not judge the same video more than once.

Dressage Anywhere reserves the right to refuse an entry without stating a reason.

Entry fees: Entry fees and prize money for classes are shown in the schedule. Pricing may be subject to change from month to month. Please refer to the schedule for details.

Video quality: If the quality of a video is considered too poor to be judged, the competitor will be given the opportunity to submit a further video without charge.

Refunds will not be made except in exceptional circumstances at the discretion of the management. Such cases will be dealt with on an individual basis.

Late entries: The closing date for each competition is indicated on the schedule page. After the closing date entries and videos cannot be received and no refunds will be made.

Rosettes and prize money will be generally awarded as per the British Dressage rules. These state that: Rosettes will be awarded to placed riders based on the number of starters for a given class and based on the scale below. One placing for each four starters. For example, if a class has 1 to 4 entries then a 1st place rosette will be given and so on. Rosettes will be awarded per section.

# of entries Highest placing
1-4 1st
5-8 2nd
9-12 3rd
13-16 4th
17-20 5th
21-24 6th

Prizes will be stated in the schedule. In the event of entries falling below the minimal scale (as shown in the table below) the number of prizes will be reduced. Prizes will be awarded to overall placed riders.

# of entries Prizes
5-8 entries 1st
9-12 entries 2nd
13-16 entries 3rd

Prizes and rosettes will be sent to prize winners by post following completion of judging and the publication of results. When the prizes are in cash (or a third party gift voucher cannot be used in the winner's country) the prize winner has the option of choosing a voucher to go towards a future Dressage Anywhere entry.

For international competitors, cash prizes will be issued as a Dressage Anywhere voucher.

Dressage Anywhere reserves the right to change stated prizes to similar alternatives where necessary.

Dress can be informal but tidy, if a show jacket or hacking jacket is worn, then the horse or pony must wear boots or bandages to clearly demonstrate that the test has not already been judged.

Riding hats must be worn. BSI Standard hats or other such protective headwear is strongly advised and compulsory for those under 18 years of age. Suitable footwear with a heel and gloves must be worn for safety reasons.

Gloves must be worn.

Bridles should be used as follows: For British Dressage Walk and Trot (Introductory) and Preliminary to Novice tests - ordinary snaffle; Elementary and above - ordinary snaffle or double bridle. Nosebands must be worn, a drop, cavesson, flash or grackle with a snaffle or a cavesson with a double bridle.

Other tack: martingales, side, running or elasticised reins may not be used in any competition class.

Neck straps or balancing straps (a loop on the front of the saddle) may be used at all levels in British Dressage tests. Cruppers are also allowed in British Dressage tests.

Boots or bandages are allowed to be worn.

Spurs and a whip may also be used. Whips may not be used for British Eventing tests.

Commanders or callers may be used except for British Eventing or FEI Eventing tests.

Salutes should be made with reins and whip (if carried) in one hand and the free hand lowered to the rider's side and the rider should nod their head. Gentlemen may remove and lower their hat with their free hand before nodding.

Trot sitting or rising (or a mixture of both) may be ridden in all British Dressage tests up to and including Elementary and all Pony Club tests. Rising trot is allowed at Medium level from both medium and extended trot. Sitting trot should be ridden in FEI unless stated otherwise on the test sheet.

Errors: When a competitor makes an error of course - takes the wrong turn, omits a movement, etc. 2 marks will be deducted. If the movement is not performed then a mark equal to the average of the collectives marks is given as well as deducting 2 for the error. If the competitor makes an error of test - trots rising instead of sitting or at the salute does not take the reins in one hand - he must be penalised for error. If 3 errors of course are made the competitor will be eliminated.

Also, see Principles of Dressage for further definitions of paces and movements.

BD Para-Equestrian competitions will be run under British Dressage rules (https://www.britishdressage.co.uk/rules) with one exception.

Riders must ride in their classified grade as per BD rules, however, these tests are normally only open to Bronze riders. On Dressage Anywhere, these tests can be ridden by any rider holidng a national (RDA or BEF) classification or an FEI classification; simply put, Bronze, Silver and Gold riders can enter these tests on Dressage Anywhere.

Overseas competitors holding a national classification (awarded by their own governing body) will need to forward a copy to Dressage Anywhere.

The following rules also apply.

Rider League
There are two Dressage Anywhere Rider Leagues: one for Introductory to Novice riders and one for Elementary and above. The Dressage Anywhere Rider League Champions will be the rider and horse combinations who have gained the most points in British Dressage run from January to December.

Go to the Leagues page for more information on how the Rider League is scored.

During the course of the year The Pony Club, the Riding for the Disabled and Jim Boyle's Ex-Racehorses competition series have separate Championships, which do not count toward the Rider League.

Team Challenge

  • Teams must be made up of three competitors or more, but only the top three scores will count. There is no maximum number of team members.
  • Groups may enter more than one team, which must be administered separately and riders must remain in their original team for the duration of the challenge.
  • Horses and ponies can be ridden by more than one rider.
  • Horse and rider combinations may not enter a class more than one level below their highest entry in a competition class up to Medium. For instance an Elementary combination may not enter a Preliminary class.
  • During the course of the year The Pony Club, the Riding for the Disabled and Jim Boyle's Ex-Racehorses competition series have separate Championships which do not count for the Team Challenge.
  • Every team member does not need to enter every month, although by doing so you'll maximise your chances of improving your score.
  • See the Leagues page for information about how the Team Challenge is scored.

BD Online Championships, hosted by Dressage Anywhere

Run at Intro to Advanced Medium levels, this series is for riders competing via Dressage Anywhere www.dressageanywhere.com. See British Dressage Online Championships for more details.

Jim Boyle's Ex-Racehorse League

The ex-racehorses league runs from February to November each year. Horse and rider combinations who have achieved the following in this series must progress to the next level above:

  • Five scores of 70% and above at Introductory level
  • Five scores of 68% and above at Preliminary level.

Riding for the Disabled Online Dressage Championships

The qualifiers for the RDA Online Dressage Championships run every year. See Riding for the Disabled Online Dressage Championships for more details.

All Dressage Anywhere rules above on general rules, entries, pricing, rosettes and prizes apply, plus:

Errors of course will result in the loss of points:

  • 1st Error – minus 2 penalty points
  • 2nd Error – minus 4 penalty points
  • 3rd Error – minus 4 penalty points
  • 4th Error – elimination

Incorrect tack will result in the loss of 10 points. See the Dressage Circle Protocols for acceptable tack.