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Joining British Dressage

Who is British Dressage?

British Dressage (BD) was set up in January 1998 to take over as the governing body for the sport of dressage in Great Britain. It now has more than 14,000 members, 11,000 registered horses and runs over 2,000 days of competition per year, which makes dressage the fastest growing Olympic equestrian discipline.

BD selects teams to represent GB in international championships, as well as administering all aspects of affiliated dressage. BD is also one of only a handful of sports that fully incorporates disabled athletes into membership. The Para Equestrian dressage riders have the opportunity to train and compete from grass roots level all the way through to Paralympic Games.

Why join British Dressage? British Dressage has so much to offer for dressage enthusiasts at all levels. Whether you have great ambitions as a competitor or simply wish to improve your relationship with your horse, the wide range of learning opportunities and competitions gives invaluable direction towards your goals.

Affiliated competition is well within reach of all riders, with tests starting at Preliminary level. You can even have someone to help you through your test by calling out the movements leaving you to enjoy the whole experience rather than worry about forgetting the test. Last year saw the introduction of 'Introductory' walk and trot tests, which have made affiliated competition all the more accessible and a great way to have a taste of affiliated life. A huge benefit of competing in BD competitions is that you will always be assessed by judges who have passed exams and who receive ongoing training, giving you confidence to know that you're on the right path.

Whatever your level, you will also be assured of having great facilities, a range of refreshments and friendly, efficient organisation. What's more, you will be amongst many like-minded people, both at shows and training events, all with the same aim - to learn about dressage and have fun. With plenty of training and social activities such as clinics, workshops, talks and video evenings, there is ample opportunity to meet up with people within your area.

Every other month, members receive a copy of British Dressage magazine, which is packed full of news, training articles, features on top riders and the all-important fixtures and schedules. They also have access to the members-only areas of the BD website so can log on and peruse the results of all registered horses and riders, buy dressage tests and other merchandise and use the busy online forum which is a hub of social networking within the dressage community. Amongst the many other benefits, members also receive free Personal Liability and free Personal Accident insurance for all private equestrian activities; and BD membership is good value too - the competitive joining fees of £63 for competing membership and £54 to register your horse give you access to a full 12 months of BD activities.

Petplan Equine Area Festivals

BD members have the chance to qualify for championships and also the Petplan Equine Area Festivals - a series of prestigious shows held across the UK, which provide true championship conditions, beautifully presented arenas and mounted prize givings. Area Festivals prove that you don't have to be a professional rider to achieve great things.

They are more accessible than you might think too as the qualifying requirements are within reach of many. To qualify at Preliminary to Elementary level, two scores of 62% or above are required and to qualify at Medium to Prix St Georges, two scores of 60% and above are required. The top four combinations at Preliminary and Novice and the top two combinations from Elementary to Prix St Georges, then qualify for the Petplan Equine Area Festival Championships.

Angela Hamp, a winner of two Petplan Equine Area Festival Championships in 2008 was full of praise for the Area Festivals.

"The Area Festivals are great for people who want to compete at an amateur level but also want a real sense of achievement," Angela says. "They provide the setting and atmosphere of a major competition, but without the usual pressure. The environment is like no other I've experienced - everyone is so friendly and full of encouragement."

How to join

To join, simply visit www.britishdressage.co.uk or ring British Dressage on
024 76 698832