The FEI CanAm Concours:
FEI Pony, Junior and Young Rider Divisions
and
FEI Team Championships

In 2004, the Youth Dressage Festival (formerly known as the Northeast Junior Young Rider Dressage Championships) celebrated its sixth year running. That year also marked the inauguration of competition at the FEI (Federation Equestre Internationale) levels, thanks to the generous sponsorship of Hermès.

To whom are the FEI-level Championships targeted?

Since its inception, the Youth Dressage Festival has filled a void, offering competition and educational opportunities not previously available to youth riders in the Northeast. Once launched, this vehicle for developing youth riders grew exponentially in appeal and features. In recent times, show organizers had received requests for higher-level competition from riders who had competed at the Festival for years and advanced to the international levels.

In the US, there are no FEI pony championships at all. The FEI Junior National Championships are held in California and have a qualifying season that ends early in the calendar year, making it difficult for riders in the Northeast to qualify and/or attend.

In the Northeast, there are plenty of FEI Young Riders, and for them competition at the international level is the North American Young Rider Championships. However, the standard is so high now at the NAYRC that only riders with very good quality horses will qualify. The average horse has little chance, even if it is well ridden.

By offering competition at the FEI levels, the Youth Dressage Festival serves as a development tool for the pony riders, provides an important show as a goal for even the top-rated Junior riders, and gives a chance for Young Riders with less brilliant or less experienced horses to compete at an important international competition. In 2004 even highly ranked riders who easily qualified for the NAYRC also competed at the Youth Dressage Festival’s inaugural Hermès FEI CanAm Concours.

How are the FEI championships contested at the Youth Dressage Festival?

Competition at the FEI-level is four-phase. Competitors ride both the FEI Individual and FEI Team dressage tests, show in the group equitation class of their level and take a written exam. A panel of three judges officiates these divisions. For the FEI CanAm Concours, Canadian and American FEI-level riders represent their nation as members of teams. To qualify for the American team, riders submit two score sheets from the Team Test and two from the Individual Test. Those riders with the highest averages will be chosen for the American team.

What is the difference between the FEI and lower levels?

In general FEI Youth tests are more intricate than the comparable USEF tests. Also, FEI Youth tests assess the riding ability of the rider more than the brilliance of the horse, by, for example, requiring far more transitions. The FEI Pony test, for any rider under 21, is similar to the Third Level Test 1, featuring collection, half-passes, many simple changes and counter canter. The FEI Junior test is equivalent to the Fourth Level Test 1, and the FEI Young Rider test is even more difficult than the USEF Prix St.Georges test.

What makes this competition “international”?

In 2004 Canada sent teams and brought their German Junior coach to work with them prior to and during the show. Foreign national youth riders residing in the US, and not eligible for the NAYRC, were on hand to take advantage of an opportunity for international-level competition on US soil. In addition, an FEI (International) rated judge from Canada joined the two American FEI-rated judges in forming an impressive international judging panel.

Why is it important to offer FEI divisions?

Offering the FEI divisions continues the progression that was started in 1999 when the Festival was inaugurated. Lendon Gray wants to provide an important competition goal for riders who either don’t have the greatest horses or who have green horses and who can’t go to Florida to compete on the Winter circuit to better qualify for national-level championships. By including Canadian teams, the international quality is added. Riders are members of a national team and represent their country, instead of just riding for themselves. It is also important to Lendon to provide for the youngest riders role models at the show, whose presence says: “This is what FEI looks like and where you can go if you work hard.”