Calls for a ‘clear definition of harmony’ as dressage undergoes full rules revision
Dressage is undergoing its first full rules revision since 2022.
Judges’ positions and scoring, the definition of harmony and compulsory video monitoring of warm-ups are under discussion in dressage.
The first draft of the 2027 FEI rule change proposals have been published, as dressage undergoes its first full revision since 2022. National federations, the International Dressage Riders Club (IDRC), International Dressage Officials Club (IDOC), the European Equestrian Federation (EEF) and the FEI have submitted suggestions covering a broad range of topics.
The IDOC and EEF proposed that at championships, of the seven judges, four are placed on the long side, at V, P R and S – instead of the current two. The organisations said this would give judges “a much clearer picture” of particular movements, and an EEF spokesperson added that this is important owing to “the recent focus on harmony”.
“Most importantly, judges would have a much clearer indication of any contact issues, which are now very much under public focus and discussion,” said the EEF and IDOC.
“This would show that dressage is prepared to take a positive action in seriously addressing this issue. It would be a positive move for the sport.”
The FEI dressage technical committee (DTC) “agreed in principle” and said a test event will take place this year. The committee highlighted that having four judges on the long side would "significantly impact” spectators’ view, but could “assist spectators to better understand the sport as the four judges will have a similar viewpoint”.
British Equestrian (BEF) called for “a clear definition of harmony” to show how this applies to the general impression mark.
Never miss out on the latest happenings in the equestrian world
“We need to be able to articulate exactly what judges are looking for, in order to encourage riders to ride accordingly,” said a BEF spokesperson. “We should also be considering how to embed harmony within the score for each individual movement, rather than relying on a single collective mark.”
There could be a shake-up around collective marks; seven organisations put forward submissions – most favouring the introduction of a second mark.
The IDRC and German federation suggested having one collective mark to evaluate the horse’s “quality and demonstration of the level of training”, including rhythm, relaxation, mouth activity and head-neck position. The other would evaluate the rider’s performance, including seat and influence, aids and accuracy.
The EEF and Swiss federation suggested having one collective mark for scale of training and another for harmony of horse and rider.
But the DTC has proposed to remove collective marks entirely. A committee spokesperson said adding a second mark was considered in 2018, but research from Nottingham Trent University provided evidence that this was not favourable.
“The DTC is particularly sensitive to the issue of evaluating harmony and the scale of training as the core objectives,” said a DTC spokesperson.
“It is therefore recommended to remove all collective marks and instead focus on evaluating harmony and the demonstration of the training scale when evaluating each technical movement in the test, thus aligning with the object of dressage and further reducing subjectivity.”
The spokesperson added that the dressage judging guidelines and handbook are being reviewed and a definition of harmony and how this applies to scoring will be considered as part of this.
The EEF suggested the appointment of “welfare supervisors” at championships and major events to supervise the warm-up, including monitoring excessive work, the riders' hands, and use of spurs and whips.
The DTC rejected this, stating that stewards and veterinary delegates work together to oversee horse welfare and wellbeing in warm-ups. The spokesperson said a new “observation protocol” is being developed to assist officials on warm-up procedures.
“The possibility of introducing compulsory video monitoring/recording of the warm-up is also being explored,” he said.
- To stay up to date with the latest equestrian news, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website
Since joining H&H in 2018, Becky has covered a broad range of equestrian news including welfare matters, veterinary studies, FEI Tribunal hearings and road safety campaigns. She has also interviewed top riders including Scott Brash, John Whitaker and Ian Stark, to name just a few. Becky’s reporting has taken her to Canada for Spruce Meadows and France for Pau five-star, as well as the Royal Highland and Blair Castle International Horse Trials closer to home. She was also a key part of the remote reporting team for the Tokyo Olympics and the Europeans.