European Dressage Championships

Keep up to date with all the news from the European Dressage Championships and the European Para Dressage Championships, right here.

Our expert reporters will be bringing you all the headlines in the run up to the championships (4-10 September), as well as big name interviews, analysis of the action, videos and beautiful photography throughout every day of competition in Riesenbeck, Germany. A Horse & Hound website subscription gives you instant access, wherever you are, to all of our coverage with no limit on how much you can read, from as little as £1 a week. Sign up now

Horse & Hound’s full preview of the dressage Europeans will be in Thursday 31 August issue of the magazine.

Latest European Dressage Championships news

Latest European Para Dressage Championships news

European Dressage Championships dates

The 2023 European Dressage Championships will take place on 4-10 September at Riesenbeck in Germany, alongside the European Para Dressage Championships

Where are the 2023 European Dressage Championships?

The 2023 dressage Europeans will take place at Riesenbeck International in Germany, alongside the para dressage European Championships.

Riesenbeck International is the base of former Olympic showjumping champion Ludger Beerbaum and hosted the European Showjumping Championships in 2021.

European Dressage Championships format

The dressage Europeans include competitions at grand prix, grand prix special and grand prix freestyle to music. Both European teams and individual riders will compete for medals, with three sets available. The team medals are awarded after the grand prix, with the first set of individual medals after the grand prix special, and a second set of medals after the grand prix freestyle.

European Para Dressage Championships format

The European Para Dressage Championships is split into three tests. On day one, every rider will complete the grand prix A test in their respective grade, with individual medals awarded in each grade. Next comes the grand prix B test, which will be ridden by all members of the team, with the best three scores from this test only to determine the team medals. The best eight riders from the individual grand prix A test in each grade will then go on to contest the freestyle competition, which has its own set of medals. There are 11 sets of medals up for grabs in total.

Each nation can enter either a maximum of two individuals, or one team of three or four. Every para rider is classified according to their disability and the degree to which it affects their riding. Grade I is for the most severely impaired athletes, and grade V is for the least. Every team must field at least one rider from grade I, II or III, and no more than two from the same grade.

2021 European Dressage Championship medal winners

Team: grand prix

Gold: Germany
Silver: Great Britain
Bronze: Denmark

Individual: grand prix special

Gold: Jessica von Bredow-Werndl on TSF Dalera BB (GER)
Silver: Isabell Werth on Weihegold OLD (GER)
Bronze: Cathrine Dufour on Bohemian (DEN)

Individual: grand prix freestyle

Gold: Jessica von Bredow-Werndl on TSF Dalera BB (GER)
Silver: Cathrine Dufour on Bohemian (DEN)
Bronze: Charlotte Dujardin on Gio (GBR)