The German Dressage Level System: Classes E, A, L, M and S
Contents
German dressage levels run through five national classes: E (Eingangsstufe, entry), A (Anfangsstufe, basic), L (leicht, light), M (mittelschwer, medium-difficult) and S (schwer, difficult). The classes are governed by the German Equestrian Federation (FN) under the LPO competition rulebook, and riders qualify for them through a separate licensing system of performance classes, the Leistungsklassen. The international FEI levels sit above class S.
The five classes at a glance
| Class | German name | Meaning | Approximate stage |
|---|---|---|---|
| E | Eingangsstufe | Entry level | First competition tests; working gaits on large figures |
| A | Anfangsstufe | Basic level | Confirmed basics; roughly British Novice / US First Level |
| L | leicht | Light | First collected work; roughly British Elementary / US Second Level |
| M | mittelschwer | Medium-difficult | Collection, half-pass, flying changes; roughly British Medium / US Third Level |
| S | schwer | Difficult | Advanced national sport up to the threshold of FEI level |
The equivalences describe training stage rather than exact test content; the full cross-system mapping, including the Dutch ladder, is in the level equivalence chart.
Within a class, tests are further graded by stars. A Dressurprüfung M*, for example, is less demanding than an M**, and class S spans several star grades up to the most difficult national tests. Below class E, the separate WBO rulebook provides introductory competition formats that require no performance classification at all.
What each class asks of the horse
Class E tests confirm that a young or inexperienced horse moves in a clear rhythm in working trot and canter, accepts the contact and stays obediently on large, simple figures. Class A adds transitions in quicker succession, lengthened strides and smaller figures, and expects a more established connection.
Class L is the first class in which the beginnings of collection are judged. Under the LPO 2024, dressage tests from class L up to and including S* may be prescribed on either a snaffle or a double bridle, with the choice stated in the individual show’s schedule; before that revision the double bridle question was handled more rigidly by class. Class M demands genuine collection: the tests include half-passes, flying changes and clearly differentiated collected, medium and extended paces.
Class S covers the advanced national sport. Its tests demand the security of collection, expression and difficulty that also defines the international small tour, and successful S-level horses are the pool from which German FEI combinations emerge. In German sale adverts, “S-erfolgreich” (successful at S) or “S-platziert” (placed at S) therefore marks a horse at or near international standard.
The progression follows the training scale: the lower classes examine rhythm, suppleness and contact, the middle classes add impulsion and straightness, and M and S require collection.
The Leistungsklassen: how riders qualify
Germany separates the difficulty of the test from the qualification of the rider. Every competitor holding an FN annual competition licence is placed in a Leistungsklasse (performance class) per discipline, numbered from 7 (entry) to 1 (top sport). A first-time licence holder is placed in Leistungsklasse 6. Leistungsklasse 7 is a trial licence, the Schnupperlizenz, which permits starts in class E only.
Classification is recalculated for each season from the rider’s results in the two preceding seasons, counted from 1 October to 30 September, and from rider badges (Reitabzeichen) or professional qualifications such as the Pferdewirt. The badge exams combine dressage and jumping elements, which reflects the German preference for all-round rider education. A rider whose results justify it can apply for upgrading during the season; without qualifying results a rider is stepped back automatically at the season change. Show schedules then restrict each class to a range of Leistungsklassen, so a rider cannot enter M or S classes without a record that supports it.
Horses are not divided into performance classes, but every competition horse must be registered as a Turnierpferd, and its placings in LPO competitions have been registered and published by the FN since 2008, down to class E. Results count for the two seasons after they are earned, mirroring the rider rule. This central registration is why a German horse’s competition record can be verified independently of the seller.
How German shows are structured
A German tournament (Turnier) typically schedules classes across several levels and often across disciplines: most shows offer dressage and jumping side by side, and many riders hold licences in both. Within one show, a horse may in principle start only in two adjacent classes, so a combination cannot be entered in A and M classes at the same tournament. Alongside the graded classes there are dedicated formats for young horses (Dressurpferdeprüfungen, judged on the quality of the horse) and rider tests (Dressurreiterprüfungen, judged on the seat and influence of the rider), each running at set classes. Below class E, the separate WBO rulebook offers competition formats with no licensing requirement at all, which is where most German riders take their first start.
The LPO rulebook and the 2024 edition
The Leistungs-Prüfungs-Ordnung (LPO) is the FN’s rulebook for national tournament sport. It defines the classes, the entry conditions for horses and riders, permitted tack and the conduct of competitions. The current edition took effect on 1 January 2024 and is published digitally at fn-regelwerke.de.
The 2024 edition tightened several rules relevant to how German dressage horses are produced and campaigned. Three-year-olds may appear at shows only from 1 May and at no more than five shows in the year. Dressage tests for young horses (Dressurpferdeprüfungen) at class L are now open only to five- to seven-year-olds; four-year-olds are no longer admitted at that class. A new Dressurreiterprüfung at class S, always ridden on the double bridle, tests the rider’s readiness for the curb, and a mixed judging format, in which one judge scores the individual movements while another judges the overall impression, was admitted for rider tests at L, M and S.
Reading a German level in a sale advert
A German horse’s level is normally quoted by class and result, and the vocabulary is precise. “M-platziert” means the horse has been placed in class M; “M-erfolgreich” that it has won or been highly placed there; “S-fertig” or “M-fertig” that it is trained to the level at home, with no claim of competition results. Placings under the LPO earn Erfolge only for roughly the top third of starters in a class, so even a modest number of registered placings represents real competitive standard rather than mere participation.
Because placings are registered by the FN, claimed results can be checked against the horse’s official record. The distinction between “trained to” and “placed at” a level is therefore significant: the former rests on the seller’s description, the latter on registered results. Advert vocabulary, verification and the practicalities of viewing horses in Germany are covered in the country guide to buying a dressage horse in Germany.
Sources
- Deutsche Reiterliche Vereinigung (FN) — Leistungsklassen und Ranglistenpunkte im Pferdesport, 2026. https://www.pferd-aktuell.de/turniersport/turnierteilnehmer/leistungsklassen-und-ranglistenpunkte
- Deutsche Reiterliche Vereinigung (FN) — LPO 2024: Das wird neu ab 1. Januar, 2024. https://www.pferd-aktuell.de/turniersport/regelwerke-und-merkblaetter/leistungs-pruefungs-ordnung/neue-lpo-2024
- Wikipedia (German) — Klasseneinteilung im deutschen Reitsport, 2024. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klasseneinteilung_im_deutschen_Reitsport
- Fédération Équestre Internationale — FEI Dressage Rules, 26th edition, 2026. https://inside.fei.org/fei/disc/dressage/rules
Frequently asked questions
What do the German dressage classes E, A, L, M and S stand for? E is the Eingangsstufe (entry level), A the Anfangsstufe (basic level), L stands for leicht (light), M for mittelschwer (medium-difficult) and S for schwer (difficult). The FEI levels begin above class S.
What is a Leistungsklasse? A Leistungsklasse is a rider’s official performance classification with the FN, numbered 7 (entry) to 1 (top sport). It is recalculated each season from badges and from results in the two preceding seasons, and show schedules use it to restrict who may enter each class.
What does M-platziert mean? M-platziert means the horse has been placed in class M dressage under the German LPO, a stage that includes collection, half-passes and flying changes, roughly comparable to British Medium or US Third Level. Placings from class A upward are registered centrally by the FN and can be verified.
Do German riders need an exam to move up a class? Riders do not sit an exam per class, but their Leistungsklasse must permit the class in question. The classification is earned through rider badges and registered placings, so advancement rests on accumulated, registered results rather than self-assessment.