Dressage dress 'code' for tweed wearers...

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I have decided (been persuaded?!) to do a little BD this winter to try and improve our stressage marks. However, I only have tweed and am not inclined to shell out on a smart blue jacket just at the moment.

I've been told by seasoned BD campaigners that I should be ok to soldier on in my hacking jacket but that some judges 'probably won't like it very much' and that I should, on no account wear a spotty stock. Now this all seems a bit bonkers to me. Growing up I was always told never on any account to wear a plain stock with a tweed jacket so consequently have always combined spotty stock with tweed. Can it be right that a dressage judge will prefer me to pair a plain stock with a tweed jacket for dressage? (OK I appreciate that plain stock and blue jacket would be even better but the budget does not allow for that in the next couple of months!)

(Why do they care so much?!! All of this dress stuff does drive me a little round the bend... I'm always smart and make sure my horse is turned out nicely but light gloves/dark gloves, plain stock/spotty stock etc etc, won't make us perform any better after all!!)
 
Not sure who you have been talking to but tweed is entirely correct for low level affiliated dressage and you should not be penalised for wearing it.

I've never heard that about spotty stocks, but do know that white with tweed is incorrect. What about a check stock? I doubt the judge would be able to see the design on your stock from where they sit though! Nevermind whether they would care!
 
or to add another one into the mix you could go for the "showing" look and wear a shirt and tie!

If you want to look like an eventer I dont see why a tweed and coloured stock would be a problem. But if you want to look like a dressage rider with a tweed on then a cream stock would be preferred!

You dont see many tweeds in BD these days anyway so you will be different just because your in a tweed!

TBH that hasnt really answered your question apart from to say its just a matter of personal preference. Im sure the judge should be looking at your horses way of going and your riding more than what you have tied around your neck :p
 
BYR said:
Im sure the judge should be looking at your horses way of going and your riding more than what you have tied around your neck :p
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Ditto this! I have written for many dressage judges over the years and none have ever remarked upon disliking tweed or spotty stocks!
 
I always wear a shirt and tie for everything. I bought a yellow shirt from Asda for £5 and it has been great and with a smart blue tie which I pinched off my father. All my kit is well fitting and smart which I think is more important.

I find it more comfortable than a stock. Personally I do not think judges care what you wear as long as your horse is going properly.
 
I've written for a little while and have never heard a comment from the judge regarding the turnout - despite some showing a real lack of effort!!
If you abide by the rules (which you will be doing) then there isn't a problem at all.
Have seen people out in tweed with a navy stock which looks really smart (and certainly much smarter than those in badly fitting jackets which do no favours to the overall impression tbh) - no idea if they were spotted or not as I'd have to really stare up close to notice!!
Carry on and enjoy!
 
Ok, this is comforting stuff. The conversation I had about kit really made me wonder what on earth the dressage judge was going to be looking at most - our trot or our stock!! I'll be going in my standard combo then (which I have used - or a variant thereof - for eventing for yonks). You never know, if I get the BD bug I may find myself in blue jacket, white breeches, blingy bridle etc before too long.... you never know!
 
The judge will really not give a flying **** what you are wearing, providing it is within the rules and you are smartly presented ;)!!!!

I competed at prelim and novice in my tweed with navy stock (white spots on it too ;)), and have now moved onto a navy jacket for ele and medium.

Have fun :)!!!!
 
Sneedy said:
The judge will really not give a flying **** what you are wearing, providing it is within the rules and you are smartly presented ;)!!!!

I competed at prelim and novice in my tweed with navy stock (white spots on it too ;)), and have now moved onto a navy jacket for ele and medium.

Have fun :)!!!!
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Fab thanks ! It is just for prelim at this stage (he is 4!) and we will be smart, so now all I've got to worry about is the riding bit.....(!)
 
Ditto what others have said, no judge is going to mark you down because you wear a tweed with a spotty stock! You can wear a tweed up to elementary level btw, so no need to shell out for a blue jacket :)
 
I've worn tweed with a pale blue stock (with butterfies on it!) for dressage for the last 2 years and never once had a comment regarding my turnout :)
 
I wear Tweed with velvet collar, plus a blue stock with small white spots on it - never had a comment about it. I ride up to Elem BD.

I do have a navy jacket that I wear on occasion. The first time I wore it, I realised that I only had the blue spots stock, so wore that with it, and actually a collecter did mention that I should have a light stock, but the judge never made a comment.
 
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I've worn tweed with my burgundy stock before - never been a problem. I also have a plain navy and plain green stock (can you tell I like to accessorize?!) and never had a comment about either and think i may even have used my navy jacket with burgundy stock! Def have for sj anyway. I'm sure it makes no difference at all tbh at the lower levels!
 
I do a lot of writing for affliated competitions and lots of people still wear tweed in my area (down south). No judge has ever commented on it or marked anyone down for it. They are looking at how you ride and the horses way of going not what you are wearing!!

I do think a darker stock looks nice with tweed though, not a light coloured one but thats personal preference!
 
Tweed is perfectly correct for lower levels and should not be worn with a plain white/cream stock - it should be coloured (be it spots, checks, dark colour, or whatever). If a judge marks you down for being in tweed then they are not doing their job and shouldn't be on the lists.
 
oldvic said:
Tweed is perfectly correct for lower levels and should not be worn with a plain white/cream stock - it should be coloured (be it spots, checks, dark colour, or whatever). If a judge marks you down for being in tweed then they are not doing their job and shouldn't be on the lists.
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I wear a tweed with cream stock... never had a mention at either BD or BE... why is it incorrect? I have never heard of it? I used to have a black jkt with the cream and bought a tweed never replaced stock.

Have Petplan area in couple weeks and I have been debating whether to ditch the tweed and borrow a black... but i have 4 bays geldings competing... I need to stand out somehow. And all mine do perfectly well at nov and ele- espes considering 3 are eventers...
 
To be correct navy is worn with white/cream and tweed should have a coloured stock. It is to do with hunting dress which is what the dress code is based on.
 
I only do unaff, but I wear my tweed with a cream stock. The stock has got spots, but seeing as the spots are also cream it's pretty difficult to tell! Never had a comment on it, but I do go all in for the pony-club-eventer look (skull hat with purple and yellow tags, PC badge, general pony-clubberish-ness, lack of dead sheep, no bling etc etc :p) so maybe they just think 'lost cause' when I come into the ring :p That's been up to elementary level.
 
oldvic said:
To be correct navy is worn with white/cream and tweed should have a coloured stock. It is to do with hunting dress which is what the dress code is based on.
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Makes complete sense! so trip to tack shop in order. I wear brown tweed with tiny about of a sky blue line through. If I went navy stock (for example) would I be ok with black velvet hat?! Or do I have to go Navy hat?! not that I mind spending money but if im gona get it right I mayas well do it in one hit!!
 
oldvic said:
To be correct navy is worn with white/cream and tweed should have a coloured stock. It is to do with hunting dress which is what the dress code is based on.
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OldVic is right but I just wanted to clarify that this is a general dress code and NOT a BD rule. BD just specify a 'correctly tied stock' or 'shirt and tie' and don't specify colour so you won't be penalised in any way or have a comment on your sheet if you wear a white tie with a tweed jacket, for example.
 
Not all that long ago it was considered correct and proper to wear tweed for all novice levels be it BD, BSJA or BE.

fwiw I wear a green checked tweed, navy hs1 and a blue spotty stock for all of the above and no one has ever commented they are not right? I do have a pale blue mrs candy showing shirt which I wear with a blue spotty tie that I dig out sometimes....is actually more comfortable than my stock so may well be switching to that more - i also think it looks very smart!
 
I wear tweed with shirt and tie for everything (bar of course hunting past opening meet!) as I personally think the "blue jacket/white stock" look is far too much for a walk and trot dressage - what next, riding club clear round in a red SJ jacket?!

The only thing I think that matters about turnout for dressage, SJ etc, is that it is important to be neat, clean, and to have put in the effort - the judge has made the effort to judge for many hours, the least you can do is spent 5 minutes cleaning tack and presenting horse and rider neatly. Aside from that, my mother always drilled into me that if I was on something that was likely to be naughty (quite common!) its better to be known as "that smart horse that is being naughty" as opposed to "that scruffy beggar who is being naughty"!
 
Green tweed jacket, pale yellow shirt, one of an assortment of ties (all silk, bought from charity shops) depending upon my mood - what is there not to like? It's smart, well-fitting and functional.
I've only got a tweed jacket, apart from an ancient hunting coat, and I'd rather drop the cash on one good quality jacket that's correct for just about anything we want to do.
 
smac said:
Makes complete sense! so trip to tack shop in order. I wear brown tweed with tiny about of a sky blue line through. If I went navy stock (for example) would I be ok with black velvet hat?! Or do I have to go Navy hat?! not that I mind spending money but if im gona get it right I mayas well do it in one hit!!
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Black velvet hat would be perfectly correct.
 
Have to say that alltho I would wear a coloured stock with tweed or shirt and tie, I don't think that cream looks to bad with tweed, white looks worse IMO, alltho if you fancy a trip to the tack shop SMAC there is now quite a range of coulored stocks, not just spotty ones, my mum has a mustard coloured one with birds and leaves on it, which often gets compliements :)
 
How about cut-away tweeds with navy velvet collars?? what do you wear underneath them - a white shirt and colored stock or does it need to be a colored shirt also?
Are stocks only for dressage and hunting then? i do get confused!! i think a sticky is needed for HT/dressage/sj/inhand and hunting attire would be really useful...........
 
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