National Dressage Levels by Country

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 matters most when 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.

German levels (E to S)

Germany’s system progresses through five national classes: E (Eingangsstufe, entry), A (Anfangsstufe, basic), L (leicht, light), M (mittelschwer, medium-difficult) and S (schwer, difficult). Tests within a class are graded further by stars (M*, M** and so on). The FEI levels begin above S-level, and the most difficult national S classes are themselves ridden at the international levels.

E-level requires no formal qualification beyond a licence. To start in higher classes under the FN’s LPO competition rules, riders need the relevant performance badges (Reitabzeichen) and an annual performance classification (Leistungsklasse, graded 7 to 1); the badge exams combine dressage and jumping elements, reflecting the German preference for all-round riders. Advancement between classes then depends on placings recorded in the rider’s official results record with the FN. The current rulebook is the LPO 2024, in force since 1 January 2024.

Bridle rules were loosened in that edition: dressage tests from class L up to and including S* may be prescribed on either snaffle or double bridle, with the choice stated in each show’s schedule, while the most difficult S classes remain double-bridle territory. The system emphasises straightness and throughness early, with more collection demanded at higher levels. The full class-by-class picture, including the Leistungsklassen licensing system, is in the article on the German level system.

Dutch levels (B to ZZ)

The Netherlands organises its ladder as B (basis), L1 and L2 (licht, light), M1 and M2 (midden, middle), Z1 and Z2 (zwaar, difficult), ZZ-Licht and ZZ-Zwaar. The KNHS groups B through ZZ-Licht as grassroots sport (Breedtesport) and ZZ-Zwaar, the Lichte Tour and the Zware Tour as the Subtop; the Lichte and Zware Tour classes use the FEI tests (Prix St Georges and Intermédiaire I; Intermédiaire A/B and II, Grand Prix and Grand Prix Special) inside the national circuit.

Progression in the Dutch system is points-based, with the mechanism fixed in the KNHS dressage regulations: a final score of 60% up to 65% earns one promotion point (winstpunt), 65% up to 70% earns two, and 70% or higher earns three. Promotion to the next class is permitted at 10 points and, from B through M2, compulsory at 30; Z1, Z2 and ZZ-Licht are residence classes with no compulsory promotion. From ZZ-Zwaar, promotion to Prix St Georges becomes compulsory at 30 points. Classes are often large, so consistent scores take genuine quality, and because every point is registered centrally, a Dutch record is unusually verifiable. The mechanics, minimum horse ages and arena rules are detailed in the article on the Dutch level system.

US levels (Introductory to Fourth)

The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) oversees the national dressage levels: Introductory, Training, First, Second, Third and Fourth. The walk-trot Introductory tests are written by the United States Dressage Federation (USDF); the Training through Fourth Level tests are written jointly and carry the USEF name. Each level contains three numbered tests of increasing difficulty. The current tests are the 2023 edition, effective from 1 December 2022 through 30 November 2026, after which a new cycle takes effect.

Introductory and Training Level emphasise rhythm, relaxation and basic gaits. First and Second Level introduce lateral work and lengthenings, with collection beginning at Second. Third Level adds half-pass, extended paces and flying changes. Fourth Level, the final national level, introduces tempi changes and working pirouettes, preparing combinations for Prix St Georges, which begins the FEI system. USEF rules set horse minimum ages at the top of the ladder in line with FEI rules: six years for Fourth Level, seven for Prix St Georges and Intermediate I, eight above Intermediate I.

The US system has no formal qualifying exams; progression depends on trainer assessment and competition performance.

British levels (Intro to Advanced)

British Dressage (BD) structures its national levels as Introductory, Preliminary (Prelim), Novice, Elementary, Medium, Advanced Medium and Advanced. BD publishes tests for both 20 × 40 m and 20 × 60 m arenas; lower-level tests commonly use the short arena, and the 2024 test revision added 20 × 40 m tests at Elementary and Medium as well.

Within each level, competition is divided into three sections, Bronze, Silver and Gold, based on accumulated points, so combinations of similar experience compete against each other. Points are won at Prelim and above for scores of at least 60%, scaled by percentage (a 65% at Elementary earns three points, for example). Eligibility to start at Prix St Georges is governed by criteria in the BD Members’ Handbook, historically tied to qualifying scores at Advanced; thresholds change between rule cycles (BD lowered its Area Festival qualifying mark to 62% from 2026, for example), so check the current handbook.

Intro tests include only walk and trot. Canter is introduced at Prelim, lengthened strides at Novice. Lateral work begins at Elementary; flying changes appear at Advanced Medium. The structured points system creates a clear pathway with built-in verification of readiness at each step.

Equivalence table: national levels across systems

The table shows approximate equivalences based on movement requirements; exact difficulty varies with test composition and judging standards, and no federation publishes an official conversion. A fuller version, with the FEI levels aligned and the promotion philosophies of the four systems compared, is in the level equivalence chart.

Key differences in philosophy and practice

Germany emphasises qualification-based advancement and all-round rider development. Riders carry an official performance classification, most German shows offer both dressage and jumping, and many riders compete in both disciplines.

The Netherlands uses a points system requiring consistent scoring evidence of competence, with every result registered centrally. Large competitor fields at most levels mean high standards for placings.

The United States relies on coach recommendation and self-assessment. There is no exam barrier between levels, allowing faster advancement but also wider variation in readiness.

The United Kingdom combines test difficulty with a sectioned points system, ensuring fair competition between riders new to a level and those accumulating points.

Arena sizes by level

The full 20 × 60 m arena is universal at the upper levels, but each system draws the line between the short 20 × 40 m arena and the full arena in its own place:

• Netherlands: the KNHS regulations prescribe 20 × 40 m for classes B through M2 and 20 × 60 m from Z1 upward.
• Germany: lower classes are commonly ridden in the short arena, with the full arena standard from the mid-classes.
• US: the Introductory and Training Level test sheets permit the short arena; from First Level, tests require 20 × 60 m.
• UK: BD publishes tests for both arena sizes, with short-arena tests available up to Medium since the 2024 revision.

The change of arena alters the tests substantively: figures change size, lines lengthen, and the horse’s balance is tested over the longer 60-metre side.

Where each record can be verified

The systems also differ in how far a competition record can be independently verified. Germany registers every LPO placing centrally with the FN, down to class E, and only around the top third of starters in a class earn a registered placing at all. The Netherlands registers every winstpunt with the KNHS, so a claim such as “Z2 with 15 points” can be confirmed exactly. British Dressage records points per horse, rider and combination and uses them to allocate the Bronze, Silver and Gold sections. The United States keeps competition results at show and federation level without a licensing gate, so a US record documents what was ridden without certifying a qualification pathway. Two horses advertised at “equivalent” levels can therefore stand on very different amounts of registered evidence, depending on the country of the record.

Tack and bridle requirements by level

Single (snaffle) bridles are standard at the lower levels of every system. Double bridles become optional or standard at the mid-to-upper levels:

• Germany: snaffle or double bridle per the show schedule from L up to S*; the top S classes are ridden on the double bridle.
• Netherlands: varies by test; typically optional through Z1, standard from Z2.
• US: optional from Second Level onward at national shows.
• UK: snaffle through Elementary; double bridle optional from Medium, standard at Advanced.

Progression timelines

A competent amateur rider with regular lessons typically needs:

• First national level (Training, Prelim, E, B): 6–18 months of consistent training.
• Mid-level (Third Level, Medium, M, Z1): 4–8 years in total.
• Advanced national level (Fourth Level, Advanced, S, ZZ-Licht): 8–15 years; many riders take longer.
• FEI levels (Prix St Georges onward): 10–20+ years, and significant horse talent.

These timelines vary widely with prior experience, horse quality, trainer expertise and competition frequency. Buying a horse already established at the target level shortens them; that trade-off is the subject of the schoolmaster-versus-young-horse decision.

Freestyles at national level

Every system offers freestyles to music below FEI level, but they sit differently in each ladder. In the Netherlands, the Kür op muziek is available from class L upward and is ridden at the level of the rider’s class, but results in it never count toward promotion points; it is a parallel discipline with its own protocol of technical and artistic marks. In the United States, the USDF publishes the freestyle framework for Training through Fourth Level, defining the compulsory elements and judging methodology at each level. British Dressage runs music classes with their own championship pathway alongside the standard tests. Germany schedules Kür classes within the LPO structure at the corresponding class levels. In every system, freestyle results demonstrate the level’s movements under choreographed conditions, while promotion and classification rest on the standard tests. The scoring split between technical and artistic marks is covered in the article on the freestyle.

How levels relate to training stage

All the systems broadly align with the training scale: rhythm, suppleness, contact, impulsion, straightness, collection. The lower levels test the first three elements; the mid-levels emphasise the middle two; the upper levels demand all six.

A horse schooling at Training/Prelim level may show correct rhythm, suppleness and contact. The same horse at Third Level/Medium must add impulsion and straightness. Only at Fourth Level/Advanced and above is true collection consistently demonstrated and judged, which is why the movements that depend on it, such as flying changes and pirouettes, enter the tests where they do.

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
• Koninklijke Nederlandse Hippische Sportfederatie (KNHS) — Disciplinereglement Dressuur, versie 2026, 2026. https://www.knhs.nl/media/jmid00ij/disciplinereglement-dressuur-2026.pdf
• Koninklijke Nederlandse Hippische Sportfederatie (KNHS) — Dressuur: niveaus en klassen, 2026. https://www.knhs.nl/top-sport/disciplines/dressuur-para/dressuur-niveaus-en-klassen/
• United States Dressage Federation — Dressage Tests (2023 tests, effective 1 Dec 2022 – 30 Nov 2026), 2023. https://www.usdf.org/downloads/forms/index.asp?TypePass=Tests
• United States Equestrian Federation — Rule Book, Chapter DR: Dressage Division, 2026. https://www.usef.org/forms-pubs/F3p8pgrWgAo/dr-dressage-division
• British Dressage — Competing, 2026. https://www.britishdressage.co.uk/about-us/our-organisation/competing-1/
• British Dressage — Dressage defined, 2026. https://www.britishdressage.co.uk/get-involved/what-is-dressage/whats-involved/