News

New Middle Tour Festival launched for 2020

  • Written By: British Dressage
  • Published: Fri, 20 Dec 2019 11:43

British Dressage is delighted to launch a brand new Middle Tour Festival for 2020, giving more opportunity for riders competing at the FEI levels of Inter II, Inter A and Inter B.

Taking place at Keysoe High Profile Show in December 2020, and replacing the Small Tour Championships hosted there in recent years, the Middle Tour Festival will incorporate Intermediate II, Intermediate B and Intermediate A/B Freestyle classes with sections for both Gold and Silver combinations.

“We’re seeing increasing numbers of horses and riders coming up through the ranks to FEI levels, which is really exciting for the sport and testament to the rising standards of dressage competition within the UK,” commented Sports Operations Manager Lou Jones.

“More and more are training on to these levels, which has created a need to provide riders – who are perhaps not yet ready to qualify for the Nationals or compete internationally – with an opportunity to compete against their peers and gain that all-important experience in a championship environment,” she added.

“The Sports Operations Committee identified this gap in the competition structure following the removal of Inter II from the Area Festival series. We have therefore been working on an alternative solution for this group of rider and we’re thrilled to be able to announce the introduction of this Middle Tour Festival for next year. We’ll also be seeking additional sponsorship to support this new initiative, so if there are any interested parties out there we’d love to hear from you!”

Format overview

Day 1: Friday
Intermediate B – Gold and Silver

Day 2: Saturday
Intermediate II – Gold and Silver

Day 3: Sunday
Intermediate A/B Freestyle to Music – Gold and Silver

The Middle Tour Championship accolades will be awarded to the combination with the best combined score from two classes, with titles in both the Gold and Silver sections.

Read more here

For details of how to qualify please click here or see the ‘Competition’ section of the BD website.

Photo © Adam Fanthorpe