Ready to enter at A for the very first time? Here’s what you need to know about the dressage-competition options and entry process.
By Patti Schofler
You’ve done all the hard work in your training, and now you are ready to enter your very first dressage show. Follow a few suggestions from those in the know to help simplify the task and pave the road to your dressage future.
Before you go too far in the process, you have some decisions to make.
What are your competition goals? To accustom yourself and your horse to the dressage-show environment? To get a judge’s opinion of your training progress? To vie for year-end awards from your local USDF group-member organization (GMO)? Or possibly loftier aims, such as qualifying for a Great American/USDF Regional Championships? Discuss with your instructor.
With an attainable goal in your sights, you’ll select the appropriate type of show to enter. In a nutshell, you’ll choose among unrecognized shows (“schooling shows”), US Equestrian (USEF)-licensed/US Dressage Federation (USDF)-recognized dressage competitions (“recognized shows”), and shows for specific horse breeds (“breed shows”) that offer dressage classes.
Here’s a quick rundown on each type of show.
Schooling shows are fairly informal. No special show attire is required, and horses don’t need to be braided. Though they are usually run as closely as possible to the USEF dressage rules (find the USEF rule book at usef.org), they can be more lenient in their application—but tack, including bits, is expected to adhere to what’s allowed in dressage by USEF. Riders must wear protective equestrian headgear. Dressage schooling-show judges are typically graduates of the USDF L Education Program.
Good sources for finding schooling shows in your area are local facility websites, tack stores, equestrian clubs, dressage shows, and GMOs. Most schooling shows are low-key, one-ring, one-day events with competitors showing out of their trailers. They’re typically less expensive to attend than recognized shows because you don’t have the cost of the national-organization memberships and other related fees. Schooling shows are a great way to dip your toe in the competitive waters, and they serve as a valuable a step up the ladder of competition.
Some GMOs offer their own series of shows that are recognized by the GMO but are not recognized national-level shows. You’ll need to be member of the GMO in order to participate. Many GMOs offer year-end awards to recognize accomplishments at their shows.
Breed shows are put on by breed organizations, and your horse must be registered with that organization to be eligible. Several larger registries, such as those for Arabians, Morgans, and Quarter Horses, produce their own regional and national shows, some of which may also be USEF-licensed and offer USEF/USDF dressage classes. The owner and rider may need to be members of the breed organizations in order for the horse to be eligible to compete.
Recognized dressage shows are national-level, meaning that they are licensed and recognized by the national organizations, USEF and USDF. These shows are more costly to enter than schooling shows, with strict USEF rules adherence and generally a higher caliber of competition. Certain classes at these shows may serve as qualifiers for various national-level awards and championships, such as the Great American/USDF Regional Championships.
To find recognized shows in your area, consult the USEF and USDF competition calendars (on usef.org and usdf.org, respectively). Your USDF region’s website also publishes a competition calendar, and most USDF GMOs also list local recognized shows—especially ones hosted by the GMO—on their websites.
Membership and Horse-Registration Requirements
We’ve already mentioned that schooling shows are easy to enter because little red tape is required. The entry process and requirements for recognized shows, however, are a little more complicated.
To enter shows licensed and recognized by USEF and USDF, you will need to become a member of both organizations. You’ll be given a membership number that will be part and parcel of your entry into the show. The person(s) designated as coach, trainer, and horse owner on your entry form (more about those in a minute) must also be current members.
In addition, your horse must possess an identification or registration number with USEF and USDF in order to participate in a recognized dressage show. All horses entered in USEF-licensed/USDF-recognized dressage competitions must have at least the lowest tier of numbers, the USEF Horse Identification number (HID) and the USDF HID. To be eligible for certain award and championship programs, the horse must have the upgraded USDF lifetime registration and USEF horse recording.
SafeSport training (and annual refreshers to maintain currency) are required of USEF members who are adult amateurs, professionals, juniors aged 18 and up, and owners with annual, three-year, or lifetime memberships.
Realizing that first-time competitors may not want to shell out for multiple memberships just to test the waters, the national organizations offer lower-cost, no-commitment alternatives. If you are stepping into the arena with an Introductory Level class at a USDF show, your horse doesn’t need an HID. If you want to do just one USEF-licensed show a year, you don’t have to join USEF: You can obtain a USEF Show Pass for that one show (but you can buy only one Show Pass a year).
I’m Confused! Can Someone Help?
Yes! After you decide which show you want to enter, reach out to the show secretary. That person’s name and contact information appears on the front page of the show’s prize list, which we’ll discuss in a moment.
“We are here to help, especially the ‘newbies,’ so they get it right,” says Meaghan Mallory, who’s now in her eighth year as secretary for such prestigious competitions as the California Dressage Society Annual Championships and the Great American/USDF Region 7 Championships.
“Show secretaries are a really important resource and your friend,” Mallory says. “We want the show to be a great experience for you. Even people who haven’t shown for several years, when they return to the show world, often their entries are messy. They make mistakes in joining the organizations. They will say they are trying to qualify but without the full knowledge of what that means. We can help.”
Mallory urges even the most seasoned competitors to read the show’s prize list carefully. This document lists all of the the important details about the show: date and location, recognition level, classes offered and their entry fees, prizes offered, arena and footing descriptions, appointed judges and other officials, and the opening and closing dates for entries, among others. Shows offering stabling will specify the stall sizes, types, and fees. The prize list will also spell out what additional documentation must accompany each entry, such as a current negative Coggins test and proof of required vaccinations for horses.
The Entry Process
The prize list also designates the show’s entry system. A few shows still accept mailed paper entries, but most today accept only online entries. Some online entry forms are fillable, and you can upload documents—such as Coggins certificates and signed liability waivers—directly to the entry portal.
The changeover from paper to electronic has been successful for several reasons. For one, online entries are often more accurate. “And if I can’t read your handwriting, you will get an incomplete-entry charge,” Mallory says.
Another reason is that show managers have embraced the change, in large part because of the vast time savings—no more painstaking data entry from paper forms.
“Today, if you need two weeks to put together your show, you make closing two weeks before. Before, you made it three weeks to be sure there wasn’t stray mail,” says Kevin Bradbury, president of HorseShowOffice.com, a show-management company that has provided online-entry and scoring services for the US Dressage Finals since their inception in 2013.
HorseShowOffice.com is a popular entry platform. Others commonly used in dressage are Show Secretary, Fox Village, and Equestrian Entries.
When you are ready to fill out your entry for a licensed show, advance preparation will make for a smoother, time-saving, more accurate effort. Make sure that Coggins and vaccination documents, in addition to all required memberships, are current. Scan or photograph any paper documents, including signed waivers, so that they’re ready to upload to online entry portals.
“Have your federation numbers ready when you sit down to enter,” Bradbury advises. “If we get an entry without the federation numbers, it will take a lot more time. It’s my job, but it’s nice when all I have to do is push a button to get verification [of memberships] by the software.”
We asked Bradbury to name the most common entry mistakes. Incorrect signature pages are a big one, he says: “The federation [USEF] has state-specific USEF waivers because the states have their own equine-activities statutes. Just today, I got a waiver for Florida for a show in North Carolina.”
Other common mistakes, he says, are missing membership numbers, the wrong horse number(s), and incomplete forms. Missing numbers can cost you money: Without proof of membership, you’ll be assessed a nonmember fee. And “even if they get it back because they came up with the number,” Mallory points out, “they will have to pay five percent of the credit-card fee. And often multiple numbers are missing.” So when you’re filling out the entry form, be sure to specify not only the rider and the horse owner, but also the trainer. For entry purposes, the trainer is not your instructor; it is the adult legally responsible for the horse’s welfare while it is on the show grounds (you, the rider, may well also be the trainer). You are not required to designate a coach, who is the person instructing the rider on the grounds; but if you do, be sure to include that person’s membership numbers, just as you did for rider, owner, and trainer.
List your classes carefully, specify the desired division (such as adult amateur or junior/young rider), request a stall if you plan to stable overnight, sign all releases, upload all required documents, and pay for your entry online.
Our experts advise entering early. Some popular shows fill quickly—even on the opening date. If you submit an entry after a show has filled, you’ll typically be placed on a waiting list and will be notified if a spot opens up following a scratch.
In fact, Mallory’s biggest pet peeve is when competitors wait until the last minute to enter a show. The reasoning may be understandable, but she points out that a show may be canceled if not enough entries have been received shortly before the closing date.
Read the USEF rule book and the show’s prize list carefully, and don’t be shy about contacting the show secretary with any questions. Remember, they want to help you have the best experience possible. Have fun, and good luck at your first dressage show!
