• Dressage
• Countryside Challenge
  
• Musical Ride/Drive Video & DVD Competition
• Vaulting
• Arts & Crafts
• Best Turned Out Horse, Pony & Rider
• Combined Training
• Horse Care & Knowledge
• Regional Teams

Riders from all over the Country compete at the Championships and come away with a sense of achievement, great confidence, new friends - not to mention the odd rosette!
 

Dressage

Riders qualify through their Regional Dressage Qualifier to compete at the Championships. They ride a specific test with a predetermined pattern in a 20m x 40m arena and can also choose to ride a freestyle test to music. Dependent on their impairment and/or experience, they ride tests with walk only, walk and trot or walk, trot and canter. Dressage is a multi disability activity but at the Championships, learning disability and visually impaired riders can choose to ride in their own classes.

Find out more about Dressage

RDA Countryside Challenge

The RDA Countryside Challenge evolved from the event put on for us by the British Show Pony Society in the 1980’s. With this idea in mind, RDA’s East Region decided to plan a course for their Regional Event as a progression of riding skills with a meaning and a purpose, requiring balance, co-ordination and concentration by the rider rather than the previous rather arbitrary series of obstacles. In the new course each obstacle could be used individually at Group level to practice a specific skill. The course involved good leading and side helping so that the rider could perform the movements with as much independence as possible. The guidelines were enlarged to help with the training of riders and helpers – and inform the judges. The “and rider” title was added to the original BSPS Working Pony event as it seemed important to acknowledge our riders’ great efforts to ride and compete.

It was always the dream that this Competition could be for the riders who are not able to or do not wish to compete in the Dressage Championships, and we hoped from the start that the Working Pony & Rider Competition could be held at the same time as the Dressage Championships to show an overall view of the breath of disabilities we in RDA are working with.

Find out more about the Countryside Challenge

Musical Ride/Drive Video & DVD Competition

For 2009 we have decided to go ‘back to basics’ where planning and performance of a Musical Ride reflects the coaching of flatwork skills and school movements which are included in most RDA sessions.

• A drill ride or carriage drive with riders and helpers smartly dressed – for example in their matching Group sweatshirts - on well matched ponies/horses.
• A themed drill ride/drive.  For example dressed as soldiers to reflect marching music.

Vaulting

The Vaulting Competition at the Championships has grown from the Berwickshire Group from Scotland performing a demonstration in 2003 to a full competition with 4 teams competing in 2005. Vaulting can be defined as gymnastics on the back of a moving horse. The team of 6 (with a reserve) work with 1 horse under the control of the lunger. Vaulting is a sound basis to learn riding from and should not be seen as merely "jumping on and off" but session that allows participants to work within a group, sharing not only the horse but the experience.

Arts & Crafts

This is another competition which has been designed for people to enter the National Championships but who find it difficult to travel for whatever reason. The standard of this competiton increases each year and the theme is RDA. Riders can choose to work on an individual project or some groups decide to submit a group project. The artwork can take the form of a painting, collage, montage or even a sculpture.

Best Turned Out Horse, Pony & Rider

This class is judged purely on turnout and not as showing class and is open to all riders. There is a Junior and Senior section each day with the groom of the winning pony also receiving a prize for their efforts.

Combined Training

These classes are aimed at riders who are entering the Championship class of the Countryside Challenge and have opted to enter the Introduction to Dressage Classes. This class is designed to encourage Riders to participate in both classes. There is no extra riding involved and the marks from the RDA Horse, Pony & Rider will be converted to a percentage and then combined with the Dressage score.

Horse Care & Knowledge

This is a fun, theory based competition open to all competitors. The class takes the form of a visual and tactile test of knowledge, using illustrations and items of equipment about which the steward will ask questions of the competitor.

Regional Teams

There is a Regional Team each day for both Dressage and RDA Horse, Pony & Rider and there are 3 Riders in each team. The members of the team are chosen by taking the three highest percentage scores from the Regions who have entered a team.