New challenge for disabled riders
British Dressage (BD) has introduced new initiatives to give more disabled dressage riders the chance to compete and so help develop paralympic stars of the future.
The Kentucky Para Trials will take place at selected BD Premier League shows and are open to disabled riders of all standards, aged 12 years or over. Riders must hold a RDA or IPEC classification and can compete using the BD Ticket system, or become BD members if they prefer.
Competitions will take place around the country, including an international competition at Hartpury College on 27-29 June, where British riders can compete against riders from invited countries, such as Germany and Holland.
Other Para Trials will take place at:
- 9 March – Solihull Riding Club, West Midlands
- 18 March – Osbaldeston Riding Club, Lancashire
- 27 April – The College EC, Bedfordshire
- 9 May – Addington Manor EC, Buckinghamshire
- 11-13 July – Sheepgate Dressage, Lincolnshire
RDA dressage chairman, Waveney Luke, says: “The new initiatives are giving RDA riders a chance to compete without having to attain IPEC classification first. Although we don’t expect huge numbers of new faces to come forward immediately, there is now an opening for riders who want to try for greater things.
“We are extremely grateful to British Dressage for providing these opportunities to disabled riders.”
The Strongid-P Disabled Dressage Rider Championships have been opened up to any RDA/IPEC riders aged 12 years or older. Previously these events were open to invited riders only.
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The Disabled Dressage Rider Championships will take place during the Mercedes-Benz National Dressage Championships in September. The top five overall scores in each grade from the three qualifying competitions will qualify to compete at the finals.
Qualifiers will take place at:
- 23 June – Patchetts Equestrian Centre, Herts
- 31 May – Bishop Burton College, East Yorks
- 5 July – Sparsholt, Hants
Entry forms, class tickets and full rules can be obtained from British Dressage. Schedules are available from the competitions section of the BD website: www.britishdressage.co.uk
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Carol is an experienced journalist and editor, who is also a passionate amateur rider and dedicated horse owner, having ridden since childhood. She has a particular interest in the emotional well-being and ethical training of horses, alongside veterinary matters, having garnered extensive first-hand experience of numerous equine health conditions through more than 30 years of horse ownership.