Germany To Include Children's Dressage as of 2018

Dressage

Germany

At a board meeting of the German Olympic Equestrian Committee (DOKR) in December, the green light was given for officially establishing a children's dressage division in the German equestrian structure and competition system.

Part of the leading equestrian nations in the world, Germany is one of the last top countries to adopt the children's division.

First established in 2006 for show jumping, the children's division became a competitive section in German show jumping in 2009.

The FEI instated Children's dressage in 2015 and hosted its first European Children's Championship in Vidauban, France, that summer. The Under 14 dressage division for children is an elementary level competition for kids between the age of 12 and 14 already competing on horses instead of ponies.

Germany has not competed at the 2015 (Vidauban), 2016 (Oliva Nova) nor 2017 (Roosendaal) European Children's Championships, but for 2018 that will change.

For 2018 the German Equestrian Federation will set up a special show and team selection system, beginning with a training seminar in Warendorf (4 - 6 May), followed by the Preis der Besten competition on 25 - 27 May 2018.

The 20 best performing combinations at the training seminar will be eligible to ride the Preis der Besten. A second team selection trial will be held at the CDIO-PJYR Hagen "Future Champions" in June after which the team for the 2018 European Children Championships in Fontainebleau - 10 - 15 July 2018 will be announced.

"The biggest challenge now is to bring life to this new age division," said Caroline Roost, who is member of the DOKR youth team selection committee. "We are hopefyl based on the experience riders garnered at regional level in the past years, where we already have regional teams and championships, as well as at the training seminars and nations' cups. It is important now that show hosts include the Children's classes at their competitions."

"The existing system with the developing youth riders championships and its focus on seat, aids and riding with feeling have proven valuable in the past years," Roost continued. "We want to stick to that. We see that it offers the best opportunities for Children to develop towards the junior tour."