Possible Ratings and Levels for USEF-licensed Dressage Competitions are Being Developed
In 2006, the USEF Board of Directors approved a rule change requiring "levels and ratings" for Dressage Competitions. The effective date has been delayed until 12/1/09 to allow time for development of criteria and standards. The purpose of this rule change was to evaluate competitions for re-licensing using appropriate and fair criteria for each level and rating. [In other words, a small regional competition shouldn't have to meet the same criteria as a regional championship or a high performance qualifying competition.] As the Dressage affiliate organization of USEF, USDF was directed to propose criteria for Dressage Competitions. Early in 2008, USDF appointed a working group to develop a system for dressage levels/ratings. The attached chart located at the link below, recommending five levels of Dressage Competitions, was approved in principle by both the USDF Executive Board and USEF Dressage Committee at the recent USDF annual convention. Now we are asking for your feedback in order to further refine the proposal.
The chart lists five levels of Dressage Competitions. Levels Three through Five are already in existence and already require separate applications and criteria from USEF and/or USDF. Level Two includes most of the current USEF-licensed/USDF-recognized Dressage Competitions. Level One would be a new lower level of competition which we hope will encourage new competitions in areas which cannot currently afford to hold licensed competitions. The big incentive for Levels One and Two would be the introduction of Dressage "Opportunity" classes. Such classes would not require either USEF or USDF horse IDs or rider/owner memberships, however scores from these classes couldn't be used for national awards.
We look forward to your questions and suggestions in order to improve our recommendations. Please respond by February 5, 2009.
The Competition Ratings and Standards Working Group members are Janine Malone, Chair, George Williams, Kathie Moffitt, Veronica Holt, Janet Foy, Anneliese Vogt-Harber, Sally Chionsini, Lendon Gray, Mary Anne McPhail, and Debra Reinhardt.
Founded in 1973, the United States Dressage Federation is a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to education, recognition of achievement, and promotion of dressage. For more information about USDF membership or programs, visit www.usdf.org, email [email protected], or call (859) 971-2277.
