Lexington, Ky. - The FEI has recently updated the FEI Children Dressage Tests adding a ‘Quality Marking’ component to the ‘Technical Test.’ In order to maintain a level playing field for the qualifying process for US Equestrian National Championships, and until further education on these tests is released by the FEI, the approved Ad Hoc Selection Group of the USEF Board of Directors has approved the following:

For USEF Children Dressage National Championships Qualifying:

1. For Qualifying classes for the USEF Children Dressage National Championship, ONLY the Technical Test will be scored by two ‘S’ Senior judges as a part of the qualifying process. The ‘Quality Marking’ component will not be scored, filled out by the judge, or used towards qualification;
    
2. For CDI-Ch events within the qualifying period, ONLY the ‘Technical Component score’ will count for the USEF Children Dressage National Championship, pending the submission of the CDI & championship report form per the Qualifying Requirements for this Championship;
    
3. All other qualifying requirements will remain the same for this division.

More information on the championship format for the USEF Children Dressage National Championship will be published in February 2020. The updated qualifying requirements, as approved by the Ad Hoc Selection Group of the USEF Board of Directors can be found here.

For national level competitions offering non-qualifying FEI children test(s), competitions may use one, two, or three judges for the FEI Children Tests:

1. If there is one judge officiating: judge at C ONLY scores the Technical Marking component. The Quality Marking Sheet will not be used or filled out by the judge.
    
2. If two judges are officiating: judge at C ONLY scores the Technical Marking Sheet. The Judge at B or E ONLY scores the Quality Marking Sheet;
    
3. If there are three judges officiating: judge at C ONLY scores the Technical Marking Sheet; two judges (sitting together) at B or E use ONLY the Quality Marking Sheet;
    
4. To include this test in an FEI Test of Choice (TOC) classes, ONLY Technical Test can be offered and one judge must preside. If two or three judges are used, the test must be offered in a separate class that is limited to FEI Children Tests. Competition management must clearly note in the Prize list how many judges will be officiating the test
    
5. Note: If two or more judges, the technical percentage score and the quality marking percentage score shall be weighted each with 50% towards the final score (both percentage scores added and divided by two)

Directives for FEI International Dressage Competitions for Children can be found on the FEI website here. Please note that a judge will not complete both the technical and quality marking components of the FEI Children tests for either National or CDI-ch competition (only one or the other). The USEF Children Dressage National Championship will take place during the USEF Festival of Champions hosted from August 18-23, 2020 at Lamplight Equestrian Center in Wayne, IL.