We are delighted to welcome British Dressage as a new member this week!

British Dressage is a registered charity dedicated to helping anyone who is passionate about dressage to further their enjoyment and ensure the sport grows from strength to strength. Their objectives include improving standards of riding, training and breeding of horses, and horsemanship, to foster the enjoyment of participants in dressage, as well as the safety and welfare of horses.

Charitable status was granted to British Dressage in 2014 for their work in amateur sport, education and training, recreation and the welfare of animals. The principal objectives and activities of the charity are to advance education and participation in the sport of dressage for the public benefit by:

• The improvement of the standards of (i) riding, (ii) training and breeding of horses and (iii) horsemanship, all to foster better the enjoyment by participants in dressage, the welfare of horses utilised in dressage, and the safety of both participants and horses
• The fostering of the provision of advice, education and guidance to dressage participants (as owners of horses, riders, coaches and competition officials) and, in particular, to encourage and facilitate the development of young and disabled persons as participants in such ways and to improve their self-confidence and self-esteem (including the fostering of apprenticeship schemes for young people)
• The development of fair competition between dressage participants and the improvement of the welfare of riders and horses by the banishment of the use of damaging or performance-enhancing drugs and the provision of an effective drug testing regime
• The fostering of social interaction between participants
• The improvement of the development of participants and their levels of aspiration in dressage in fostering representative competition at both national and international levels by team representative selection (including the provision of advice to the British Equestrian Federation on dressage matters generally and as they affect the Fédération Equestre Internationale).

Find out more about their work here: britishdressage.co.uk