BD - grassroots?!! newbie needs help please!!

[Drea16]

Can someone please explain the grassroots for me please? Can you do pure dressage i always thought it was to do with BE?! There is a prelim in september - NSEA Grassroots Qualifier? i have always competed unafilliated but planning to register with BD - the plan is to get 3 consistent over 65% unaffiliated prelim tests before i take the plunge!! at the moment i have cracked the intro with 68% and currently last prelim score was 66%
I have no idea and trying to learn more but the website doesn't explain much!
Also what is cricklands? do you have to be registered with BD? How does it work?

Our current dressage is about to finish for the summer - booo we have 2 more evenings left then its over.
Aim is to get him out competing over winter and have something to aim for? advice much appreciated!!

 

[spacefaer]

NSEA is the National Schools Equestrian Association - so nothing to do with BD or BE?

http://www.nsea.org.uk/competition-information/grass-roots-series

It appears to be 3 separate competitions in dressage, show jumping and arena eventing - but it doesn't sound what you are looking for?

 

[Drea16]

NSEA is the National Schools Equestrian Association - so nothing to do with BD or BE?

http://www.nsea.org.uk/competition-information/grass-roots-series

It appears to be 3 separate competitions in dressage, show jumping and arena eventing - but it doesn't sound what you are looking for?

Ah okay lol bit old for that one then!!

 

[spacefaer]

If you want to compete BD over the winter, you could take out the reduced rate "winter membership" for £47

http://www.britishdressage.co.uk/membership

 

[Pigeon]

There is also a Team Quest and My Quest membership which may be an option. It is also cheaper and there seem to be plenty of relevant competitions. It seems to be some sort of grassroots incentive. I can't say I fully understand it tho

http://www.britishdressage.co.uk/competitions/team_quest

http://www.britishdressage.co.uk/up...y Quest - Members Handbook 2016 Webfile-2.pdf

 

[j1ffy]

'Grassroots' isn't an official term in BD, it's a catch-all that usually refers to (in my mind, though I'm sure everyone would have a different definition!) amateur riders at Intro to Elementary level. BD is trying to appeal to more grassroots riders through things like Team Quest and My Quest, as per Pigeon's post, and tempt them away from cheaper unaffiliated competitions.

BE has the formal Grassroots eventing championship (though they're not called this now) for BE90 and BE100 competitors - that's probably where your confusion comes from!

If you're starting out at Prelim, you can either join BD (you and horse) as Associate members, which is free, and enter normal BD competitions - there's a Schedules page on the BD website that lists them all. Above Prelim you need full membership.

Or, you can get a Quest membership which costs a small amount and allows you to compete in both normal (at Prelim) and Quest competitions.

Through Quest competitions you can qualify for a Regional Quest championship, which is based on a league-type qualifying system.

Through normal competitions, you can qualify for PetPlan Area Festivals (aimed at amateurs) - at Prelim you need to get three tests at over 62%, or aim for Regionals (more complex system involving points earned over a minimum score of 66% at Prelim).

BD does have a very complex system but it's friendly, especially at the lower levels, and the judging is more consistent than unaffiliated. Give it a go!