New 7yo Young Horse Classes welcomed by Dressage Community

The Equestrian Australia Dressage Committee (EADC) announced last week the introduction of 7YO Young Horse Classes to the national competition calendar, effective 1 July.

7YO classes are relatively new to the FEI Young Horse programme. The recent 2017 CDI Bolesworth International Horse Show included a 7YO class for the first time and it was also a British Selection Trial for the FEI World Breeding Championships for Young Dressage Horses.

Global Dressage icon Charlotte Dujardin won the Bolesworth CDI 7YO class with a Dutch Warmblood mare Florentina.  And, last weekend Australian rider Rebecca Rooke won the 7YO class at the Pompadour CDI Young Horse in France on Muschamp Rap n Roll.

The addition of 7YO classes to the calendar now places  Australian horses and riders on a level playing field with the rest of the International Young Horse community.

Highly respected FEI 5* Dressage and Young Horse Judge Susie Hoevenaars welcomed the decision.

“For our riders based here in Australia, and in Europe in particular, it will give access for their future Grand Prix partners to assessments. It will help determine whether they are on the correct training path or not and identify any weakness,” said Susie.