U21 Area Festival classes to return to the Winter Championships

After much consideration and feedback from members, British Dressage is pleased to confirm there will be Petplan Equine Winter Area Festival Under 21 Championship classes at this year’s NAF Five Star Winter Championships, 13 – 17 April.

Following a review of the data on qualified riders and a review of the entries for the first few Petplan Equine Area Festivals, dedicated Under 21 (U21) championship classes with run from Prelim to Medium level with Bronze and Silver sections at each and qualification will be via the Petplan Equine Winter Area Festivals, which got underway last week.

How it works

• Under 21 riders (those in the calendar year of their 21st birthday or younger) will be identified when entering a Winter Area Festival by the organisers and BDHQ. If you can, help us out by informing the organiser if you’ve not made your entry yet and checking the date of birth we hold for you via the members’ portal.
• Riders will compete in the Area Festival class at their chosen level/section as normal. The highest placed U21 rider in each class and section will then qualify for the corresponding U21 Area Festival championship class at Hartpury providing the minimum 63% has been achieved.
• Full Area Festival classes/sections will effectively have three qualification places available for the equivalent class/section:

       - 2 x for the ‘open’  
       - 1 x for the U21

• Split Area Festival classes/sections will effectively have two qualification places available for the equivalent class/section:

       - 1 x for the ‘open’
       - 1 x for the U21

• An U21 rider who is placed second in a direct qualification place at an Area Festival in a full section will still be able to go to the championship and compete in the open class.

Championship qualification routes

Full sections at Area Festivals

Rule states: the top two qualify for the Championships.

U21 clarification:

• The highest placed U21 rider will qualify for the corresponding dedicated U21 championship class and section.
• If the highest placed U21 rider is in the top two, the second qualification place in the open section (regardless of age) will roll down to the third placed competitor (providing they have scored 63%).
• Where U21 riders finish in the top two placings, the winner will qualify for the dedicated U21 section and the runner up will qualify for the open section. In this scenario, the second qualification place for the open section will roll down to the rider in third.

Split sections at Area Festivals

Rule states: the winner qualifies for the championships.

U21 clarification:

• The winner will qualify for the corresponding dedicated championship class and section.
• The highest placed U21 rider will qualify for the corresponding dedicated U21 championship class and section.
• If the winner is an U21 rider, the direct qualification place for the main section will roll down to the rider in second position.

General points

• In order to be eligible for any championship qualification gained, the combination must have scored 63% or above in their Area Festival.
• Where qualification places roll down, it will be to the corresponding open class/section.
• If championship class sizes permit, wild cards will be offered in all classes/sections for open and U21s.
• If there are wild card places available in U21 classes/sections, U21 riders who qualified in the open classes/sections, will be offered wild card places first. If they take up the offer, their place in the open section is forfeit and will be offered to another rider on the open wild card list.

BD Sport Operations Manager Lou Jones commented; “It’s great to be able to offer these sections for our youth competitors and give them an additional championship opportunity to ride against their peers at Hartpury. To ride at the NAF Five Star Championships is a highlight in any career so we’re grateful to the team at Show Direct and Petplan Equine for helping open up this chance for our talented young riders. The dedicated U21 classes will feature annually now at the championships but we’ll continue to review the data and numbers regularly.”