U.S. Dressage Member Updates - December 2025
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Dressage Riding Standards Guidelines
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Earlier this 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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2026 Wellington CDI5* Memo
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The U.S. will receive a limited number of invitations to the upcoming CDI5* in Wellington, FL on January 21-25, 2026. Athletes interested in competing at this event should submit their declaration by emailing Laura Roberts (LRoberts@usef.org), US Equestrian Managing Director of Dressage, by Monday, January 5, 2026. For more information, please click here. |
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2026 FEI Dressage World Cup Final Memo
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In preparation for the 2026 FEI World Cup Final to be held at Dickie’s Arena in Ft. Worth, TX we wanted to provide you with some preliminary planning information. This year’s FEI World Cup Final serves as an opportunity for our USA Dressage athletes to showcase their talents in front of the home US crowd. For more initial information, please click here. |
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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 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. |
| • | | FEI North American Youth Championship (NAYC); July 27-August 2, 2026 / Traverse City, MI
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| • | | U.S. Dressage Festival of Champions; August 24-30, 2026 / Wayne, Ill.
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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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2025-2026 Competition Calendars & Reminders
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2026 U.S. Dressage Funding Principles
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In 2026, there will be three types of Funding available for athlete / horse combinations: |
| • | | Pathway Program Training Grants |
| • | | Specific Competition Grants & Funding |
| • | | Non-USEF Controlled Grants |
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Resources/Support will be prioritized for building talent (which includes supporting Program Pathway members in reaching their targets) for the 2026 World Championships and the 2028 Olympic Games, including providing opportunities for combinations targeting European Nations Cups and the 2027 Pan American Games.
For more information, please click here. If you have any questions, please contact Laura Roberts, Managing Director (lroberts@usef.org) |
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2025 Adequan/USDF Annual Convention
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| • | | Dates: December 3-6, 2025 |
| • | | Location: Hyatt Regency – Lexington, KY |
| • | | Registration Link: Here |
| • | | Agenda Link: Here |
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2026 US Equestrian Annual Meeting
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| • | | Dates: January 15-18, 2026 |
| • | | Location: Omni Louisville Hotel – Louisville, KY |
| • | | Registration Link: Here |
| • | | Tentative Meeting Schedule: Here |
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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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Lexington, KY 40511
859-810-8733 |
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