DSA National Young Dressage Horse Series

Mission Statement
In an effort to bring young horse classes in South Africa up to the level of the FEI young horse classes, H&R Dressage is running a Young Horse Dressage Series for 2016 and beyond. We recognise that the current FEI Young Horse tests are a level above the average young horse in this country. Through the exposure of horses and the education of riders by our local and international judges, we aim to uplift the standard of South Africa’s young horses parallel to that of the FEI standard. We further hope that this series will encourage greater participation in dressage and grow the sport as a whole.
Following on from the success of the 2016 series, we would like to propose the following format for 2017.

Format
Currently Gauteng, Kwazulu Natal and Western Cape are on board for the series for 2017. H&R Dressage (Simone Howarth and Mickey Vermeulen) will run the Gauteng Series and be responsible for the National Series. Leonie Botha has kindly offered to run the Kwazulu Natal Series and Linda Mohr has kindly offered to run the Western Cape Series. Each province will organise 3 qualifying shows throughout the calendar year, cumulating in a Provincial Championship show as well as National Championship. As a requirement for the Provincial Championship show, horse and rider combinations must compete in at least 2 of the qualifying shows. In 2016, concessions were made for the Western Cape because of strict movement restriction. This concession will not be made again in 2017. As the series runs well into the winter months during which the movement restrictions were not in place, it is possible to still qualify for the Provincial Championship. The top 5 horse and rider combinations of each age group at the Provincial Championships will be filmed. The top three of these will go forward to the National Championship. This series, recognised and approved by DSA as a National Series, will be run as affiliated classes, where points gained will be added to the horse’s current grade’s grading points. Horses and riders competing in the series must be fully registered with DSA, with the exception of the 4 year old classes that will be open to recreational riders as well.
There are 4 different age categories: 4 year old, 5 year old, 6 year old and 7 – 9 year old classes. Frequently at CDI shows overseas there is a Small Tour for 7 – 9 year olds. We appreciate that in South Africa, as with all the other age categories, PSG and Inter I is a level or two above what the average horse here, of that age, is capable of. We recognise that the FEI has added a 7 year old class for young horses in 2016, but we still feel that, in order to encourage progression of the horses that have entered the series, we will still offer the 7 – 9 year old class as it stood in 2016.
The 4, 5 and 6 year old classes will be judged like the FEI Young Horse classes, with marks being given for walk, trot, canter, submission and general impression. The 7 – 9 year olds will be judged and scored as a normal, complete test, as they are in the 7 – 9 year olds at CDI shows.

The test that will be ridden are:
4 Year Olds: DSA 4 Year Old Young Horse Test (2017)
5 Year Olds: DSA 5 Year Old Young Horse Test (2017)
6 Year Olds: DSA 6 Year Old Young Horse Test (2017)
7 – 9 Year Olds: DSA 7 – 9 Year Old Young Horse Test (2017)

Due to some confusion with regards to the age of horses eligible for the young horse classes at the 2015 South African Dressage Championships, the format used by the Jumping Young Horse Performance Series will be followed.
Each series will follow a Calendar year. The horse must be the required age on 30th June for the year of the series and will remain in that age category for the remainder of that calendar year. (i.e. a horse born any time from 1st July 2010 until 30th June 2011 will be eligible for the 6 year old series this year (2017)

This will mean for the 2017 series:
Between 1 July 2012 and 30 June 2013: 4 year old
Between 1 July 2011 and 30 June 2012: 5 year old
Between 1 July 2010 and 30 June 2011: 6 year old
Between 1 July 2007 and 30 June 2010: 7 – 9 year old

Judging of classes
As per the norm for young horse dressage classes, there will be three judges, all seated at C, all consulting on the mark given. In the interest of transparency and aligning this series to the FEI young horse classes, it is essential that the judges give feedback to the riders and public after each horse rider combination. This is both educational and increases interest from the spectators and other competitors. This will only apply to the 4, 5 and 6 year old classes. 7 – 9 year olds will be judged as a normal test and will not be required to remain in the arena after the completion of the test. At least one judge must be National A or B panel and the other two judges may be from either the National A or B panel or from Provincial A.

Provincial Championship
There will be a qualifying class on the first day of the Provincial Championships and the top 5 horses in each age group will compete on the second day in a Championship class. The qualifying classes as well as the Championship classes will be judged by three judges all seated at C as with all the qualifying shows. For each age group a Provincial Champion, 2nd and 3rd place will be awarded. Each province is required to provide and pay for transport for the videographer from and to a local airport.

National Championship
During the Championship class at each of the Provincial Championships, the tests will be filmed. The filming of the provincial Championship classes will be done by one person who will travel to each province and then submitted to DSA. The filming will be done from a set position next to C at a set distance away from the arena. No editing of the video will be permitted. The video of the top three horses from each Province in each age group will be submitted for judging to determine the National Champion, 2nd and 3rd place in each age group. Ideally the video will be judged by an FEI judge and one South African judge, sitting together, consulting with each other and giving a combined score for each horse in the 4, 5 and 6 year old age groups. For the 7 – 9 year old class, the same two judges will judge the horses independently of each other. If it is not possible to arrange for a South African judge to sit with the FEI judge (which was the case in 2016) the FEI judge will be the sole judge of the 4, 5 and 6 year old classes, and the 7 – 9 year old class will be judged by the FEI judge and by a South African judge at a later stage.

Sponsorship and Prizes
Western Shoppe, as the main sponsor for the 2017 series, is very generously sponsoring all the rosettes for the series, Provincial and National Championship, including medals, sashes and blankets for the National Championship. Each province is responsible for seeking trophies, prizes, etc. for their Provincial Championships.

General Rules and Regulations
All horses and riders entering the series must have a minimum of DSA recreational membership. For more details regarding registration of horses and riders, please refer to the DSA website, www.dressagesa.com

4, 5 and 6 year olds will be judges as per the FEI Directives for International Dressage Competitions for 5 and 6 year olds.

7 – 9 year olds will be judged as per a normal test.

4, 5 and 6 year olds may only compete in snaffle bridles.

7 – 9 year olds may compete in snaffle or simple double bridles.

Whips and/or spurs are permitted in all qualifying classes.

No whips shall be permitted in the Championship classes.

Qualifying tests may be ridden with a caller.

Championship classes shall be ridden from memory.

Trot work will be ridden as per the test specifications.

4, 5 and 6 year olds must remain in the arena after completion of the test to receive feedback from the judges.

7 – 9 year olds may leave the arena after the completion of their test as no verbal feedback will be given.

No entry may be accepted without all documentation correctly submitted.

All DSA rules with regards to tack permitted, dress code of horse and rider and any other technical points must be strictly adhered to.