Dressage levels explained

[Scyamore]

Hi!
Would anyone be able to explain the dressage levels in the Uk for me? Also, do you have to compete at the lowest level (Is this novice or preliminary? Or neither?) before moving onto higher levels? Thanks

 

[ruth83]

The levels go
Intro (These are walk and trot only tests)
Preliminary (Commonly known here as Prelim)
Novice
Elementary
Medium
Advanced Medium
Advanced
Prix St Georges (commonly known as PSG)
Intermediare I
Intermediare II
Grand Prix

You do not have to start at the lowest level, you can go in at any level up to Advanced. To compete PSG you must score over 62% in an Advanced test. The levels you can compete at may be dictated by your or your horses previous competition records.

What system do you currently compete under or have knowledge on? Perhaps somebody more travelled than myself can compare levels directly for you?

 

[Scyamore]

I currently hunt and hack out, with a little bit of schooling, but I'd love to try dressage. We are working on leg yielding, rein back, simple changes and counter canter at the moment, because we have been having a few dressage lessons, but I've never done dressage before, or much schooling really! Just wondered what sort of level we could start competing at, and how dressage competitions work really! Thanks for your reply!

 

[Auslander]

I'd start at the beginning if I were you - to be in with a shot of being placed, you really need to be working a level or two above the level you are competing at, and the lower levels are very competitive due to the sheer volume of people taking part.

 

[RobinHood]

Some tests at Elementary include leg yields, simple changes and counter canter so if that's what you're working on you may want to start competing at Novice. The lowest numbered tests are generally easier, and at novice they may include serpentines, rein back, lengthened strides at trot and canter, trot walk trot transitions, give/retake the reins, stretching at trot and I think a few strides of counter canter if I remember correctly.

You can buy the tests on the British Dressage website, and you might like to look on YouTube for videos of people riding the various tests to give you an idea.

 

[PucciNPoni]

Sometimes BD holds "Have a Go" days for non members - if I were you I'd try to find one. They give you 30 minutes of private tuition and then have you ride a test and will mark and comment on it. Riding movements in schooling/hacking sessions is one thing - but doing them in a sequence in a test can be very much another thing. Most people would start out at Prelim/Novice. If they have a baby horse that is unbalanced and can't canter a 20 m circle, they might do Intro.

 

[kc100]

We are working on leg yielding, rein back, simple changes and counter canter at the moment

Sounds like you are schooling at Elementary level in the most part so I'd say for your first ever competition do one Prelim and one Novice and see how you get on. Prelim is very basic, just walk, trot and canter with a few circles, serpentines and transitions thrown in. Novice introduces some more movements, such as medium trot and medium canter (have you worked on this yet?). Trot at Prelim is conducted in working trot, but when you get to Novice in most tests you have to show some strides of medium trot (often across the diagonal). This isnt extended trot where you are showing a huge lengthening and elevation of the stride, medium trot just needs to show some lengthening of the stride (not going faster, just stride getting longer). Medium canter is the same - stride should lengthen not get faster.

Elementary also has medium strides and requires some collected work as well (so you have more variation in the paces at Elementary, showing working trot, medium trot, collected trot).

So I think to be safe for you, go with a prelim first as there are very few 'difficult' movements required, it is just showing 3 correct paces and being able to steer properly! Only when you get to Novice do you have to perform some harder movements like medium trot/canter, counter canter and changing the leg in canter through a trot transition (so you canter across the diagonal, trot at X and back into canter after about 4 strides of trot on the new leg). If you feel you can do most of the Novice movements I have mentioned then give a novice a try!