Dressage Ireland - Sportsman Class

Sportsman Class

Dressage Ireland is rolling out a new membership initiative for 2011, specifically aimed at our amateur members and supporters over the age of 21.

The ‘Sportsman’s’ membership allows horse and rider combinations to continue competing at the level at which they are comfortable for as long as they choose without gaining points.

Membership (*) will always run from January to December each year.

Riders and horses would compete in either the Sportsman A (preliminary) or Sportsman B (novice) sections at all affiliated shows.

Entries are to be made into the normal Preliminary / Novice classes and Sportsman members will be competing within the ordinary Preliminary / Novice tests, but the result will be taken separately into the Sportsman section.

It is therefore vital that the membership number and the letters SA or SB are included on all show entry forms, and the show secretaries check the cards at the show.

Sportsman members are entitled to the full benefits of Dressage Ireland membership, including regional training and competing at regional and national festivals and championships, and will even be able to compete to represent their regional teams at the National Championships.

Their results will be recorded, however, no points will be gained for their horses.

Sportsman membership applications and registrations must be made by post to the Dressage Ireland office.

Show secretaries will accept entries for Sportsman Classes in all Preliminary and Novice tests, and will sort these separately in the results afterwards.

It is to the discretion of the show organizers as to how far down the placings rosettes are awarded.

(*) Conditions of Sportsman membership:

Horses and riders intending to compete in a Sportsman’s class must not have competed in a class 2 grades higher than the one in which they intend to compete, within the last 3 years.

eg. For Sportsman’s A (prelim), they cannot have competed at Elementary in the past 3 years;

Sportsman’s B cannot have competed at Medium in the last 3 years.

(For administration purposes, every applicant must state the names of their competition horses of the last 3 years)

Horse and rider combinations cannot have scored 66% or above in registered competition in the previous year at a level higher than which they intend to compete. Any Sportsman combination membership application may be reviewed by the board at the next reapplication as per down-grading requests.