Designed to recognize the accomplishments of specific breeds in dressage, these awards are presented to horses declared for a participating registry/organization (PO) with USDF. While “Open” is the standard division and “Training through Grand Prix” are the standard levels for all-breeds recognition, optional division awards can be presented in the following categories: freestyle, adult amateur, junior/young rider, vintage cup, para-dressage rider of the year, USEF four-year-old, FEI five- and six-year-old, materiale, and dressage sport horse breeding. Learn more

Specific All-Breed Award Rules

These rules are in addition to the general rules for the year-end awards.

• A horse must be declared with USDF, for a participating organization (PO), by August 1 of the award year in order to participate in the all-breeds award program.
• Late declarations will be accepted August 2-31 with payment of a $100 late fee, and declarations will be accepted September 1-30 with payment of a $300 late fee. No declarations will be accepted after September 30 for the current competition year.
• Declarations can be made by submitting a copy of the horse’s breed papers, All-Breeds Awards Declaration Form and $35 declaration fee to USDF.
• Owners should access the list of all-breeds awards POs on the USDF website.
• Once an all-breeds declaration has been made, it does not need to be renewed and can only be changed by submitting the All-Breeds Awards Declaration Form, a copy of the horse’s registry papers from the new organization, and the $50 declaration change fee by August 1 of the award year.
• Horse and owner must meet all requirements of the PO, and it is the responsibility of the owner to make sure these requirements have been met.
• Open is the standard category and Training Level through Grand Prix are the standard levels for all-breeds recognition.
• The open division includes all riders, regardless of rider status.
• Other categories may be recognized. However, it is the PO’s choice as to which additional categories they would like to recognize. Optional categories include freestyle, adult amateur, junior/young rider, vintage cup, para-dressage rider of the year, FEI five- and six-year-old, USEF four-year-old, materiale, and dressage sport horse breeding. This information can be found on the USDF website. Specific eligibility criteria pertaining to these categories must be met, and rider must also verify adult amateur, vintage cup or junior/young rider status by September 30 of the award year.

Requirements

Training, First, Second, Third, and Fourth Levels

• Minimum of eight scores:
  • From four different judges
  • From four different USEF-licensed/USDF-recognized competitions
  • Including two at 60 percent or higher from the highest test of the level
• Median score of 60 percent or higher to qualify

Prix St. Georges, Intermediate I, Intermediate II, and Grand Prix

• Minimum of four scores:
  • From four different judges
  • From four different USEF-licensed/USDF-recognized competitions
• Median score of 60 percent or higher to qualify

Eligibility

• Horse must have a USDF Lifetime Horse Registration (LHR) when scores are earned.
• Owner must:
  • Have a USDF Participating Membership (PM) or Business Membership (BM), and be a member in good standing of USDF, when scores are earned.
  • Verify eligibility with PO.
  • Verify that an all-breeds declaration has been made by accessing the USDF website.
• Rider must have a USDF PM and be a member in good standing of USDF when scores are earned.
• If interested in competing for awards in an optional division, it is the owner’s responsibility to determine which of the optional divisions will be awarded by their all-breeds PO.

Recorded Scores

• Musical Freestyle scores are only recorded for the musical freestyle category.
• Scores must be from open, junior/young rider, adult amateur, Great American Insurance Group/USDF qualifying and championship classes, other classes specified in the general rules, or from the same classes restricted to horses of a particular breed.
  • If scores are earned in open and breed-restricted classes, the combination of the scores is used to calculate the median score.
  • Classes restricted to horses of a particular breed must be judged by a USEF-licensed dressage judge.
  • Scores earned in classes restricted to horses of a particular breed will be recorded only for all-breeds awards.

Awards

• Given that there are enough horses that have met the minimum award criteria as detailed above, in the standard open category, POs must award first and second place in each level (Training through Grand Prix). They have the option of awarding up to five places per level.
• Given that there are enough horses that have met the minimum award criteria as detailed above, POs must award at least first place in each level of the optional categories that they have chosen to recognize.
• Champion and reserve champion at each level in the open category will receive a custom cast USDF medal.
• For optional categories that the PO has chosen to recognize champions will also receive a custom cast USDF medal, as will reserve champions if recognized by the PO.
• Other prizes may be given by the PO at their discretion.
• Only champions and reserve champions will be awarded on stage at the Adequan®/USDF Annual Convention.
• Certificates will be available online.