South and West BD Youth
If you're aged between six and 25 and want to get involved in dressage in your region, then BD South & West Youth is for you!
BD Youth offers not only competitions, teams, prizes and top training, but also the chance to make new friends and have fun! Wherever you live there's a BD Youth group near you - so taking part is easy, simple and enjoyable.
South & West Youth Regional Representative
If you want to find out more about competing for your region with BD Youth, your regional representatives are on hand to answer any questions you may have:
Regional training
Here in the South & West region, we host loads of training sessions and social activities throughout the year that you can get involved with! Have lessons with national and local coaches, meet fellow young riders with a passion for dressage and have great fun progressing towards your training goals. Sessions and camps run during the school holidays and over weekends and include everything from test riding and training to unmounted workshops, DVD sessions and social activities.
In the South & West we have County Ambassadors who are working hard to delivery a county by county programme for our members and any young rider interested in getting started with BD Youth South & West. You can get in touch with them here.
BD Youth Squads
When you start your BD Youth training journey within your region, you can attend assessment days to be allocated to a BD Youth Regional Squad. Being squadded opens up a whole bunch of opportunities for team competition, including the Home International, BD Youth U25s Championships and Inter Regionals.
Squadding and Horse Care Course
Our BD Horse Care course is designed to help you as a rider learn all of the fundamentals in caring for horses. If you’re a BD Youth rider who is looking to be eligible to compete our regional teams you’ll need to have begun working through the horse care online course.
A full series of face to face and virtual Rider Skill Assessment Test Days will be found on the BD Website. You must attend one of these if you wish to ride at the Inter Regionals or Home Internationals. If you're ready to be on a squad then you can book onto an assessment day within the region:
Youth Inter Regionals
Teams are made up of three or four riders with each competitor riding the Youth Rider Skills Test for their relevant squad. Teams must include riders from a minimum of three different levels! Each region is allowed up to eight teams so there is plenty of opportunity to have a go at making it onto a team for your home area.
Where: Kelsall Hill Equestrian Centre, Leicestershire
When: 27 - 28 June 2026
Applications to be submitted by 5 May 2026
Youth Home Nations
An opportunity for BD Youth riders to ride for their country within regions and get the chance to wear your national flag! Held annually for under 25s, the BD Youth Home International brings together Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales as each nation vies for prestigious top honours. Compete in BD tests from Novice to Medium or FEI Children on Horses to Young Riders and contribute your score towards team and individual titles. The exciting Home International format replicates CDI competitions with horse inspection vet checks and an opening ceremony before the action in the arena gets underway.
Where: Pickering Grange, Leicestershire
When: 2 & 3 August 2026
Applications to be submitted by 8 June 2026
How to qualify
Riders are required to have attended a Formal Squad Assessment annually either in-person or online between 1 December 2025 and May 2026. The rules and selection criteria should be read thoroughly and is slightly different for both events, but riders will be asked to submit their four best scores that meet the criteria for each competition at the level they are eligible. Riders must have attended three regional training events, of which two may be mounted in the 12 months prior to the submission date. A panel comprising the Regional Chair, a high listed judge and a third experienced person with no conflict of interest will consider applications. The South & West Development Officer (DO) will verify all information submitted.
