Dressage Competitions Explained: Levels, Tests, Judging & Scoring on Dressage Wiki

Dressage Levels by Country Compared

Tue, 07 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0200

Dressage levels vary by country: each national federation runs its own ladder with its own names, tests and promotion rules. Below the international FEI levels, Germany, the Netherlands, the United States and the United Kingdom each maintain independent systems that carry riders from beginner classes to the threshold of international sport. Understanding how the systems relate is useful for competing or training abroad — and essential for reading sale adverts, where a horse’s level is quoted in whichever system the seller grew up with. The glossary maps the most common terms.

FEI Dressage Levels: Small Tour to Big Tour

Tue, 07 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0200

The Fédération Équestre Internationale (FEI) governs international dressage through three level brackets — the Small Tour, Medium Tour and Big Tour — plus dedicated divisions for young horses and for riders by age category. These levels sit above every national ladder and represent the apex of the sport: the tests ridden at the Olympic Games, the World Championships and international CDI competitions.

Small Tour

The Small Tour comprises Prix St Georges and Intermediate I. It is the entry point to FEI competition and the first stage where international standards apply uniformly across nations.

Prix St Georges & Intermediate I Explained

Tue, 07 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0200

Prix St Georges (PSG) and Intermediate I (Inter I) form the FEI Small Tour — the entry point to international dressage. These are the first tests where FEI standards and judging apply uniformly across all nations, and both are usually ridden at the same competitions and scored identically. The difference in difficulty lies chiefly in the tempi changes, the pirouettes and the precision required.

Prix St Georges: the gateway to FEI sport

Prix St Georges is where national champions first compete internationally — and where many riders and horses reach their highest competitive level and stay, satisfied.

The Grand Prix Dressage Test Explained

Tue, 07 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0200

The Grand Prix is the most complete test in dressage, incorporating every classical competition movement at the fullest degree of collection. Ridden at the Olympic Games, the World Championships and the elite CDIs, it is the level the whole FEI ladder builds toward. This article walks through the test’s structure, the movements, and the standards FEI judges apply.

Overview

The Grand Prix takes roughly five and a half to six minutes to ride, in the 20 × 60 m arena. Under FEI rules it is judged by a ground jury of at least five judges at CDI3* and above (seven at championships and the Olympic Games), positioned around the arena at C, E, B, M and H, with K and F added on seven-judge panels.

How Dressage Judging and Scoring Works

Tue, 07 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0200

Dressage is scored by trained judges marking every movement of a test on a 0–10 scale, and the final result is a percentage of the maximum possible marks. Unlike sports decided by time or knocked poles, dressage assesses the quality of performance — which is why the judging system is built around standardised criteria, multi-judge panels, and averaging. Understanding it turns a score sheet from a verdict into usable information.

Dressage Freestyle (Kür) Explained

Tue, 07 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0200

The freestyle — Kür in German — is a dressage test the rider choreographs to music. Within a list of compulsory movements for the level, the rider designs the floor plan, chooses the music, and delivers a performance judged on artistic quality as well as technical execution. Freestyles exist from the lowest national levels to Grand Prix, where the Freestyle decides the individual medals at the Olympic Games and World Championships.

What Is a CDI? Dressage Star Ratings

Tue, 07 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0200

A CDI (Concours de Dressage International) is an international dressage competition run under FEI rules, rated from one star to five by prize money and status. The star system tells you at a glance what level of sport a show hosts, who can enter, and what a result there is worth — in ranking points and, indirectly, in the market value of the horse.

The star ratings

CDI1* — Small Tour (Prix St Georges and Intermediate I). The entry level of international sport and the gateway show for combinations moving up from national competition. Modest or no prize money requirements.

Major Dressage Championships Explained

Tue, 07 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0200

Four championships define the top of dressage: the Olympic Games, the FEI World Championships, the continental championships, and the FEI World Cup Final. All are contested at Grand Prix level, each on its own cycle and format, and together they set the rhythm of the sport’s calendar — and of every elite rider’s planning.

The Olympic Games

Dressage has been an Olympic sport since 1912. The modern competition consists of the Grand Prix, Grand Prix Special and Grand Prix Freestyle: the Grand Prix acts as the qualifying round, the Special decides the team medals, and the Freestyle decides the individual medals among the top qualifiers.

Dressage Qualification Scores & Requirements

Tue, 07 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0200

Advancement in dressage is governed by percentage thresholds: 60% to compete at a level with credibility, the low-to-mid 60s to move up or enter internationals, and 66%-plus to be eligible for the major championships. The numbers look close together; the distance between them is years of training. This article maps what each threshold means and how the qualification machinery works — the scoring system behind the percentages is explained in judging and scoring.