Submission Guidelines28/07/2010 - Advance Warning for 2011 New BD Tests
British Dressage will be changing some senior tests for affiliated competition from the beginning of next year. Advanced 104 and 106 will be withdrawn. They will also introduce four "new" tests - in fact existing FEI tests with BD numbers added. The new tests are:
25/08/2009 - New British Dressage tests for 2010
British Dressage have announced changes to the tests used in affiliated competitions with effect from 1 January 2010.
30/01/2009 - Leinster Dressage Training Clinic with Marion Greene "Stepping Up"
Marion Greene, of Kilkea Dressage Centre, Kilkea Lodge Farm, Castledermot, Co Kildare, is a BHSII, is included on list 2 of the Judges Panel for both Dressage Ireland and British Dressage and has acted as an International Three Day Event Judge listed in the FEI Directory, serving as a member of the Ground Jury at such venues as Punchestown, Blarney and Chepstow International Horse Trials. In addition, she was Dressage Team Trainer to the International Pony 3 Day Event Riders in Ireland from 1999 - 2002 and travelled with them to Stromsholm Sweden where the Team received Bronze Medal placings.
24/12/2008 - Leinster Dressage Winter Schedule Amendments
In class 4, the Preliminary test has been changed from BD 17 to BD 1 (2006). This has been necessary as British Dressage have deleted test 17 with effect from 1 January 2009. This has also given us the opportunity to respond to requests from members to include a short arena test for preliminary riders (Test BD 1 is performed in a 20m X 40m arena).
In class 5, the Novice test has been changed from BD 33 to BD 38 (2005). This has been necessary as British Dressage have deleted test 33 with effect from 1 January 2009.
03/10/2008 - British Dressage Tests - Changes for 2009
Click here to see the changes to British Dressage tests for 2009.
22/09/2008 - Irish Para Riders Success at BD Nationals
Our two UK-based Irish para dressage riders, Gerry Savage and Kathryn Wheelock have just taken part in the Blue Waters British Dressage National Championships at Stoneleigh (18 – 21st September).
22/08/2008 - Stepping up from Novice to Elementary?
In an effort to encourage British Dressage members, particularly amateur riders, to step up from Novice to Elementary, Stretch and Flex ®, sponsors of the elementary class at the BD national championships, have asked British dressage trainer Judy Harvey to produce two videos going through the movements of elementary tests BD 48 and BD 58. These videos, which are just as relevant to Dressage Ireland members competing and/or planning to compete at elementary level, can be viewed at:
27/05/2008 - Training with Jennie Loriston Clark, South Munster Dressage
Maryville Stables, Carrigaline was host to the chairman of British Dressage Jennie Loriston-Clarke as she conducted two days of training for the South Munster Dressage Club on Monday the 19th and Tuesday the 20th of May. This training was funded in part by generous sponsorship from Sports Photography company, SportingIreland.com.
14/05/2008 - Changes to British Dressage tests
With immediate effect, British Dressage have decided to standardise the wording for the number of walk steps in Introductory, Prelim and Novice tests. Where a test calls for a number of walk steps it will always be expressed as for one horses length. Up to now it has been expressed in a variety of ways, usually 2-5 steps or similar.
14/04/2008 - Katy Price in Action in England
Lambourn-based Irish International rider Katy Price competed at the British Dressage Premier League show held at the College Equestrian Centre in Bedfordshire from 11 to 13 April, where she and her eleven year old chestnut gelding Don Kasparov achieved a score of 61.35% to finish 8th in the Intermediaire II class. Her young horse Korenbloem Ulster recorded a score of 68.58% to place 2nd in the medium class during his most recent outing under
02/04/2008 - Young Irish Riders Win In Scotland
Congratulations are due to young rider Bill Delahoyde and junior rider Josephine Delahoyde, just returned from a successful trip to Scotland. The pair competed at the British Dressage competition held from 28 to 30 March at the Rowallan Activity Centre just outside Fenwick, south of Glasgow. Bill won the Advanced Medium Freestyle to Music (67.5%) and the Prix St. Georges (61.75%) while Josephine and Springer Bob won the Novice Freestyle to Music (71%) and also placed 4th and 6th in Novice Open qualifiers. She then went on to win one Elementary class with Blue Valentine (60.6%) and place second in another on 65%.
12/03/2008 - Friendly International at Myerscough International Arena, Lancashire Friday 25th to Sunday 27th July 2008
An invitation has been received from British Dressage for our pony, junior and young riders to participate in a 'Home International' to be run at Myerscough International Arena, Lancashire from Friday 25th to Sunday 27th July 2008.
29/02/2008 - Para Riders Success in England
Three Irish Para riders were in England recently as part of the Para Equestrian Ireland (PEI) senior squad advanced training and competition programme, competing in British Dressage Para competitions at Richmond Equestrian Centre, North Yorkshire and at Vale View Equestrian Centre, in Leicestershire.
On the following day, at the same venue, riding in the British Dressage Para Winter Qualifier, Eilish scored 66.66% to win the Grade II team test class and also competed in the Elementary class scoring 62% and placing third, while Breda scored in excess of 67% while winning the two grade IB competitions and Kathryn won the Grade III team test class, posting a score of 65.38%.
The trio continued their strong, consistent performances at Vale View Equestrian Centre, riding in the British Dressage Para Winter Qualifier on 17 February. Here Kathryn scored 63.08% and 66% in the Grade III classes, Eilish recorded a morning score of 63%, winning the restricted section and taking third overall in the Elementary class, then delivered an impressive 74.28%, taking 2nd place in the afternoon Grade II class, while Breda achieved a personal best of 75.29% in the Grade IB Team Test, taking 3rd place and 71.76% in Grade IB test 10, placing 2nd.
19/12/2007 - Anky’s Devotion to Dressage is a Winner
Carl Hester was the highest placed British competitor on Anne Cory's Donnerhall sired 13 year old chestnut gelding Dolendo on who Spencer Wilton won the British national championship in September. First into the arena after the interval he placed fourth with a 73.10% score from the five judges total rewarding a swinging test set to an eclectic soundtrack ranging from Melanie Safra to Madonna to the London Symphony Orchestra's version of the Eve of the War from Jeff Wayne's musical version of 'The War of the Worlds'. Having not ridden the horse competitively at this level despite training him for seven years a clearly delighted Hester said "I came with no expectations so to finish like that is a great Christmas present". After an astonishing performance in the Grand Prix on the opening day all eyes were on Laura Bechtolsheimer and the 12 year old Danish bred chestnut gelding Mistral Horjis. The 22 year old who has just graduated from Bristol University with a degree in Politics and Philosophy put in an outstanding display to record the highest score ever by a British rider in a Grand Prix when placing second to Anky van Grunsven on a score of 75.33%. Speaking afterwards to ground jury member Andrew Gardiner said "I have never seen Laura ride better". Carl Hester was hugely impressed by her Grand Prix test "to have a British rider gain that score can only be good for British Dressage, to finally have somebody who is scoring at that level is the best thing that has happened to us in a long time". Unfortunately there was a sting in the tail for Laura with Mistral Horjis bolting straight down the arena as soon as the crowd applauded after the final halt. It was one thing to perform in the arena about two thirds full during daylight hours but it is another thing entirely to be the penultimate combination drawn straight after Anky van Grunsven in front of a packed and expectant house during the evening performance for the Grand Prix Kur. Laura used all her skill to complete with a clearly unsettled Mistral Horjis. They were slightly behind the music from the start and with the tension resulting in a break on the first movement across the diagonal from M another British record score never looked a possibility. Indeed a by now very hot and sweaty Mistral Horjis ended up resisting at A and going into reverse which was in direct contrast to the previous day when everything they did was so spectacular. Laura did well to finish in fifth place with a score of 72.45%.