Dressage affiliating an import

[Birker2020]

I have an 11 year old Belgian papered warmblood gelding who I have owned for over four years. I would like to affiliate him for British Dressage in the spring. However I have been told that I will not be able to affiliate the horse at Novice level unless he has a ridden assessment as to whereabouts in his training he is - I currently compete unaffiliated at Novice/Elementary level. I had a similiar problem when I wanted to affiliate him BSJA when I first owned him and had to fax Germany, Holland and Belgium to ask the jumping bodies in the different countries if the horse had any winnings to avoid him automatically being graded as a Grade B. Can the governing bodies in other countries not be faxed like they were in the BSJA situation I encountered?? Anyone been in a similiar situation?? What is to stop you riding like pants when the horse is assessed therefore making a very good horse look very poor??

 

[mattilda]

I imported my Hanoverian from Germany as a 9 yesr old and he should have been competing at advanced level (I think). I could have done the ridden assessment but also had the option of paying to downgrade him which is what I did. There are stipulations on what you can compete in but it works.

 

[seche]

When I imported my NZ bred polo pony as a 5yr old they gave him lots of points - cant remember how many he has now but he is nearly out of Novice.

 

[Booboos]

For BD points are allocated depending on the age of the horse at the time he/she was imported and regardless of their competition record (or lack thereof) abroad. You would need proof that the horse was in the UK at the age stated, e.g. a vaccination card signed by a UK vet. Points are allocated as follows:
4 years old 0 points
5 45
6 160
7 260
8 400
9 435
10 450

You then have two options:
Downgrading: this depends on the level of the rider. For a fee of £50 you and re-grade the horse, how low will depend on your level (i.e. the rider's level):

Group 8 75 points
7 100
6 175
5 275
4 325
3 400
If downgraded you would have to wait 6 months before qualifying, and would have to be ridden in the Open section until they reach the level at which they were down-graded.


Assessment
For a fee of £75 you can have your horse assessed, which involves an assessor watching you ride and perhaps even riding the horse themselves. You have to get this done after first registration but before the first competition.

My general impression is that assessor are, on the whole, likely to assess horses correctly at low levels corresponding to their new rider's abilities, so I would go with this.

 

[Divasmum]

We had a horse assessed last year and it is really painless! It is well worth a go or you will end up having to start at a higher level than you would probably like.

 

[Mbronze]

I had mine assessed last year when she was five, and it was really easy. like a half hour lesson, and i was downgraded to Novice so i could work my way up with her.

Worth doing as like Divasmum says it is painless!!

 

[Alibear]

Had my little 8y ear old assesed and it was painless dropped down to 20 points.

Not bad when we couldn't even canter a circle

 

[sillygillyhorse]

I have just had a 7 yo assessed, never done any dressage but as an import would have been given 260 points, I felt he was a true prelim horse so downgrading would not have been appropriate.

The assessment was fine, discussed my hopes regarding points, worked the horse and discussed what the assessor was seeing. We came away with 40 points which still allows me, just, to ride him at prelim.

You could go and ride the horse really badly on purpose though I really dont think you would get away with it as the trainer is quite entitled to get on the horse themselves or put someone else on it if they think this is what you are doing. The people BD have chosen as assessors are very very good horsemen/women who know their stuff and are able to assess the horse correctly. It was emphasised to me at the beginning of the assessment that it is purely the horse they are looking at, not the partnership or the rider.

It was not at all an intimidating experience and I would say go for it.

 

[keysoe]

[ QUOTE ]
My general impression is that assessor are, on the whole, likely to assess horses correctly at low levels corresponding to their new rider's abilities, so I would go with this.

[/ QUOTE ]

Not our experience, they are lokely to grade the horse to the level that they see it going, not necessarily the ability of the rider. It would NOT be advisavble to put your trainer on the horse for the assessment, as they may get a better tune out of it though!

 

[Booboos]

Sorry, I expressed that badly. I didn't mean to suggest that they would assess the rider and give low points even if the horse is very good, rather than they would see what happened on the day with the rider rather than getting on, trying to get the absolute best out of the horse and then giving it loads of points.