Own a traditional gypsy cob, draught or native? New dressage championships for you
Two new championships for natives and draughts have been added to the British Dressage (BD) calendar.
Native classes are open to 11 British breeds and run from intro to prix st georges.
There will be sections for full and part-bred natives, with qualifiers taking place up and down the country until 30 September.
The final will take place at Sollihull Riding Club, West Midlands on 30 October.
Draught championships are open to draught horses and crossbreds and run from intro to elementary.
The final will take place on 5 November at Keysoe, Bedfordshire.
Meanwhile, the traditional gypsy cob championships have been expanded.
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The classes were introduced last year and are run in conjunction with the Traditional Gypsy Cob Association (TGCA).
Due to popular demand, part-breds will now be included in the championships.
“We’re very excited to be working with BD to once again showcase the fantastic traditional gypsy cob and, with the inclusion of the part-bred classes, we’re able to really show just how versatile they are,” said Kellie Aldridge of the TGCA.
Riders wishing to take part in the native or draught classes up to prelim need to be a minimum of a Quest/BYRDS Club member, which costs £25 a year, on a horse registered as a BD associate, which is free of charge.
Those looking to compete at novice or higher require class tickets to compete unless they are full BD members.
BD will provide two free class tickets to anyone who is not a full member who would like to try and qualify.
Related articles:
- Riders urged to take on a ‘versatile’ and ‘underrated’ gypsy cob
- Gypsy cob dressage: Tiger Tim wows National Dressage Championships
- 17 reasons to be glad you own a native
The traditional gypsy cob championship is open to BD members, or non-members who have a horse registered with the TGCA.
Those taking part must be a minimum of a BD associate member on an associate registered horse. All horses taking part must also be associate-registered with the TGCA.
For full details on entry requirements and competition dates, click on the following links:
Traditional gypsy cob championships
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Rachael joined Horse & Hound in 2014, initially as a digital sub editor then became part of the news team as a writer in 2015. The philosophy graduate studied journalism at the Press Association before working as a local reporter at the Brentwood Gazette. Rachael is now a mum of two and still loves all things equestrian, including hacking, dressage and jumping with her cob Bert. Rachael left the H&H staff to go freelance in June 2019, but still contributes to our magazine and website, as well as our sister magazine Country Life, among others.