U.S. Dressage Member Updates - February 2026
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US Equestrian Now Accepting 2026 Grant Applications for Licensed Official Development
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US Equestrian is pleased to announce the opening of the 2026 licensed official development grant application to reduce financial barriers for both national and FEI officials to complete application requirements related to a new license application, or a license promotion, by offsetting associated costs.
Grants will be offered in multiple categories: |
| • | | General grants will be considered based on the competition environment’s need for more officials or higher-level officials. |
| • | | U35 grants provide an opportunity to support individuals under the age of 35 to become a licensed official or apply for a promotion. |
| • | | Officiating abroad grant designed for FEI Officials to take advantage of an opportunity to officiate outside of the U.S. at a location where they would normally not be able to attend. We hope this encourages FEI officials that have the potential to officiate at FEI Championships, Games, and Finals to gain valuable experience officiating in a foreign country. |
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The application and complete list of grant requirements are available through the LO Grant Application tile on the LO Dashboard here. All 2026 applicants must apply online through the LO Grant Application tile on or before February 16, 2026; emailed and mailed hard copy applications will not be accepted. |
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USEF Dressage Training Series
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Open to all FEI levels (except for those limited to youth). Targeted for those not already a member of a USEF program. Program members may be accepted if space is available. Apply via the USEF athlete dashboard. |
| • | | March 7-9, 2026: Woodside, Calif.
| • | | Clinician: Guenter Seidel |
| • | | Application due February 5 at 11:59pm ET |
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| • | | May 9-10, 2026: Tucson, Ariz.
| • | | Clinician: George Williams |
| • | | Application due April 2 at 11:59pm ET . |
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| • | | October 10-11, 2026: Lexington, Ky.
| • | | Clinician: TBA |
| • | | Application due September 9 at 11:59pm ET |
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| • | | October 17-18, 2026: Gladstone, N.J.
| • | | Clinician: TBA |
| • | | Application due September 16 at 11:59pm ET |
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USEF Dressage Pathway Program Training & Evaluation Sessions
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| • | | February 23-24, 2026; Wellington, Fla. / Development & Young Horse Program
| • | | Clinicians: Olivia LaGoy-Weltz & Christine Traurig |
| • | | Application due February 13 at 5:00pm ET |
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| • | | March 30-31, 2026; Southern CA / Elite/Pre-Elite/Development/YH
| • | | Clinician: Guenter Seidel |
| • | | Application due March 13 at 5:00pm ET |
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Dressage Riding Standards Guidelines
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In the fall, US Equestrian released a series of Horse Welfare Guidelines to members, including those based on the familiar concept of a stoplight guidance recently published by USEF. In addition to this work, the USEF Dressage Equine Ethics and Wellbeing Task Force led by Betsy Juliano and Lisa Gorretta, has been meeting regularly to discuss changes needed nationally within the discipline of dressage.
As a result of the Task Force discussions, Riding Standard Guidelines have been drafted for the consideration of dressage athletes looking to progress up the levels in a harmonious way with their horses. We encourage athletes, trainers, and our dressage community to share these guidelines and implement them into their daily practice and review before competing. |
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In order to prepare for changes to the USEF Rulebook that will go into effect on December 1, 2025, we recommend reviewing the 2026 Rulebook here.
Notable Dressage Chapter changes effective 12/1/2025 include the following: |
| • | | DR119.5: Hors de Concours entries are not permitted in Federation/USDF Championship or NAYC qualifying and championship classes. |
| • | | DR121.13: Several brands of nose nets are now available in the market for use with head shaking syndrome. It is no longer necessary to list approved brands on the USEF website. |
| • | | DR121.19, Numbers: Each digit of a number must be a minimum of 1.5 inches in height and a minimum of 3/8 inches in width and cannot be obscured by the encasement/holder. |
| • | | DR125 (Compeititon Licensing and Officials) – At least one Dressage Technical Delegate, who is officiating at the competition as a Dressage Technical Delegate, must be present on the show grounds for the Jog at an FEI licensed Dressage Event. |
| • | | DR126 (Requirements for Dressage Compeititon Management) and the Levels Chart - Updates throughout this chapter have been included to identify current needs and trends in the sport and development of new best practices. |
| • | | DR128.2: Update to current wording of the 24-hour rule for USEF qualifying classes, selection trials and championships. This update makes it clear that for the purposes of the rule, the competition starts when the horse and athlete arrive on the show grounds and clarifies the qualifying and championship classes in which it is applied. |
| • | | DR133: The proposed changes to the Dressage Seat Equitation chapter clarify that some rules apply both to standard Dressage Seat Equitation classes as well as Semi-Finals and Finals classes. It also clarifies that the sitting trot may be required in a Dressage Seat Equitation class, removes some outdated language, and updates other rules. |
| • | | DR135.4: Updates to Pony Measurement maximum fee that can per charged. Only one total maximum fee of $150 per measurement can be charged when measurements are conducted during a time when the competition veterinarian is on call and only one total maximum fee of $50 per measurement can be charged when the competition veterinarian is on the grounds. |
| • | | DR209.3: Update to judging procedures for DSHB in-hand classes. Horses being shown individually in hand or in groups may be asked to stand for conformation judging either by standing for the judge to move around the horse or by the judge remaining stationary (at a safe distance) and the handler turning the horse as instructed by the judge so that the horse can be judged on each side, from the front and from the back. Additionally, the Judging Triangle must be located within an enclosed area that can be accessed by one or more gates at least one entrance. |
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Questions regarding these rule changes can be directed to dressage@usef.org.
FEI Dressage Rule Changes for 2026 can be found on the FEI Website here. Since the next full FEI Dressage Rules revision is scheduled for 2026 (for implementation in 2027), the updates for 2026 are minor. They focus mainly on correcting inconsistencies, obvious errors, contradictions, and addressing horse welfare-related issues. |
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2026 FEI Dressage World Championship Selection Procedure
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The 2026 FEI Dressage World Championships are scheduled to take place in Aachen, Germany from August 11-15, 2026.
Full selection procedures are available on the USEF website here. Applications are open on the USEF athlete dashboard. |
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2026 Events: USEF Dressage Selection Procedures / Qualifying Information
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The information below is qualifying information for 2026 Events and is being provided to assist you with your competition planning and may be subject to change. |
| • | | Wellington CDIO3* & CDIOU25; March 18-22, 2026 / Wellington, Fla.
| • | | Selection Procedures and more information can be found here. |
| • | | Application due February 23, 2026 at 5:00pm ET via USEF Athlete Dashboard |
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| • | | FEI World Cup Final; April 8-12, 2026 / Ft. Worth, Tex.
| • | | For initial information, please click here. |
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| • | | Grand Prix Dressage National Championship; May 13-17, 2026 / Ocala, Fla.
| • | | Qualifying Information and more information here. |
| • | | Applicants for the 2026 U.S. FEI Dressage World Championship Team are not required to submit an application for this Championship. |
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| • | | 2026 European Youth Tours
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| • | | FEI North American Youth Championship (NAYC); July 27-August 2, 2026 / Traverse City, Mich.
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| • | | FEI Dressage World Breeding Championships for Young Horses (Five-, Six-, and Seven-Year-Olds), August 4-9, 2026 / Verden, Germany
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| • | | U.S. Dressage Festival of Champions; August 24-30, 2026 / Wayne, Ill.
| • | | Qualifying requirements are now available:
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2026-2027 Competition Calendars & Reminders
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Discover the US Equestrian Hub powered by Black Horse One - a centralized platform offering detailed results, analytics, horse/rider comparisons, and breeding insights. USEF dressage members and fans can sign up via their Dashboard for full access. Start your 7-day free trial and enjoy 10% off monthly plans or 2 months free with an annual subscription! |
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Keep up with USA Dressage on Facebook and Instagram and US Equestrian on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.
The USEF International High Performance Programs and the USEF High Performance Pathway Programs are generously supported by the USET Foundation, the philanthropic partner to USEF. High Performance Program support is also provided by the USOPC and USEF sponsors and members. |
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US Equestrian Federation
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