If you’ve ever felt a bit intimidated by affiliated dressage but want something to aim for beyond unaffiliated, then British Dressage Quest could be for you! British Dressage Quest is a grassroots dressage competition series run by British Dressage, designed to give riders a friendly, accessible introduction to affiliated dressage, with the opportunity to progress from local competitions to regional semi-finals and national championships.
How does Quest work?
There are two ways to compete: Team Quest or My Quest.
Team Quest allows you to compete in a team of three or four, with each member riding their test individually and the best three scores counting. These three scores are then averaged to determine the winner and the Team’s points. Teams can be in the Under 21 section (for riders up to the end of the year of their 21st birthday), or Open (all ages).
My Quest sees rider compete individually and build points on the leaderboard. Your five best qualifying scores count towards your ranking, giving you a chance to qualify for the My Quest Championships.
What tests can I ride?
Choose from Intro, Prelim or Novice tests.
Intro – a relatively simple walk and trot test for combinations working on the basics.
Prelim – starts to include canter and is more of a test of balance, rhythm and suppleness.
Novice – starts to include counter canter, medium canter and medium trot. A greater test of accuracy and balance.
The tests used are the 2024 British Dressage tests. The test you will ride depends on the schedule of the show you are attending.
Who can take part in British Dressage Quest?
British Dressage Quest is aimed at grassroots riders who are new to affiliated dressage. A minimum of British Dressage Club membership is normally required for the main Quest series, but the good news is this membership is significantly less expensive than full membership, with a Winter League membership, for example, just £18 for both horse and rider.
Eligibility rules apply and riders who have experience competing in dressage may not be eligible to compete in the lower level tests. Check the British Dressage Rulebook for eligibility.
Find out more
There’s a whole series on Horse & Country in partnership with British Dressage which goes behind the scenes with one of the teams preparing for the Quest Finals. Along the way, we will uncover what makes the Quest series so special. Watch Quest for Success with your free trial or with a H&C+ membership now. Watch the trailer below!
We’ll also be streaming the British Dressage Quest National Championships live from Arena UK from 13-15 November; get a taste of what you could be aiming for next year by watching along live here! In the meantime, why not catch up on last year’s coverage on-demand here?
You can find full details of British Dressage Quest on British Dressage’s website here.