Updates on the Para Dressage Tests Working Group

Co-presented by Para Equestrian Dressage Judge General Marco Orsini and Para Dressage L4 Judge Sue Cunningham this session provided an overview of the activities of the Para Dressage Tests Working Group, which has been reviewing potential updates to the competition tests to reflect the evolving skill level of athletes and horses. Significant improvements in horse quality and riding skills over the past five years have led to a similar request from stakeholders.

A request from participants at the last Para Dressage Forum in Lamotte-Beuvron (FRA), combined with an FEI athlete survey, has reinforced the need to explore changes that better showcase athletes’ abilities while maintaining fairness and accessibility across all Grades.

The Working Group, consisting of Judges and trainers, has been divided into two sub-groups to facilitate a more efficient review process:

• Grades I, II, and III: Sue Cunningham (AUS) -Judge, Sarah Leitch (GBR) - Judge, Michel Assouline (USA) - trainer.
• Grades IV and V: Astrid Gemal (DEN) - trainer, Joyce Heuitink (NED) - trainer, Marco Orsini (GER) - Judge.

Having trainers involved has been particularly valuable, as they provide insights into what athletes can realistically achieve at different levels. The Classification Working group were also included where consultation was needed.

PROPOSED CHANGES AND KEY CONSIDERATIONS
The group has initially been focusing on Grand Prix A & B and Freestyle levels, rather than Intermediate or Novice tests. One of the main proposals is to incorporate movements that are already allowed in Freestyles into regular tests, particularly at the CPEDI3* and above. As part of these changes, the proposal would be put forward for Freestyles to be limited to the technical movements included in standard tests, eliminating additional movements not assessed with a technical mark. This aims to improve consistency in Judging and prevent discrepancies where some athletes perform higher-level movements without corresponding technical evaluation.

Additionally, the degree of difficulty mark, which was previously replaced by a riding skill mark, could be reintroduced to better align Para Dressage scoring with Dressage and improve clarity for spectators.

CHANGES PROPOSED FOR GRADES IV & V
Grade IV:

• Introduce half-passes in trot (currently only allowed in Freestyle).
• Not allow half-passes in canter in Freestyle.
• Introduce simple changes (through walk), removing flying changes from the Freestyle test. 

Grade V:

• Introduce half working-pirouettes in collected canter, aligning with movements seen at Prix St. Georges (PSG) level.
• Retain single flying changes (minimum five strides apart) but remove series changes from Freestyle.
• Raise the minimum age of horses in Grade V competitions to seven years, in line with Dressage, to enhance horse welfare.

CHANGES PROPOSED FOR GRADES I-III
Grade I

• Introduce movements to show the athlete’s ability to train the horse to make it adjustable in frame and stride.
• introduce riding a square, which puts emphasis on adjusting the horse’s frame and steps to manage a quarter turn.
• Potentially ask the rider to show a transition to “some shorter steps” over a distance.

Grade II

• More equal time for both walk and trot movements.
• Build in more use of transitions within the paces to assess the balance of the horse.
• Develop more fluency in the test with fewer transitions from one pace to the other.

Grade III

• More difficult lines and combinations of movements.
• Potentially ask to “give the rein for 5 or 6 steps in trot” to assess the balance and self-carriage of the horse.

Novice & Intermediate Tests: Addressing Progression Issues

The Working Group has also identified issues in the progression from Novice to Intermediate to Grand Prix levels. In some cases, the difficulty of tests was not showing the necessary progression between levels. Adjusting these tests would ensure a logical development pathway for athletes.

Timing and Implementation

A significant challenge in implementing new tests is the ongoing Classification research, which could lead to a redefinition of athlete Grades and profiles. If changes were implemented now, further modifications might be required once the new Classification system is finalised. Given this, the earliest realistic timeline for new tests would be 2027 or later, but there is ongoing debate about whether changes should be introduced sooner.

Balancing Challenge, Accessibility, and Inclusivity

One of the most important discussion points is ensuring an appropriate level of challenge while maintaining inclusivity, particularly for Grades I–III. Some concerns include:

• Increasing difficulty too much may create barriers for developing nations, limiting participation in the sport.
• Memory issues must be considered when designing tests.
• Changes should not compromise horse or athlete welfare.

Presenters
♦ Marco Orsini, FEI Para Dressage Judge General and co-Chair of Para Dressage Tests Working Group
♦ Sue Cunningham, FEI Para Equestrian Technical Committee Deputy Chair and co-Chair of Para Dressage Tests Working Group