Carl Hester warns riders to ‘be careful what you wish for’ ahead of the FEI dressage rules revision

Carl Hester welcomes the news that six international dressage shows will be held in Britain this year, and warns fellow riders that welfare rules can sometimes result in unintended consequences

With the FEI World Championships for dressage taking place this August at Aachen – alongside those for showjumping, eventing, para dressage, vaulting and driving – a feast of equestrian excellence beckons.

The fact we have six international dressage shows in this country in 2026 is also amazing. In the run-up to the worlds, we are so fortunate to have three fabulous venues hosting internationals: Hartpury, Hickstead and Wellington Riding. To have the opportunity to watch our team hopefuls ahead of selection is great, and that spectators can watch – wait for it – for free, is brilliant.

In previous years, Addington has hosted the earliest fixture in the British international calendar, but after the venue’s recent management change, there wasn’t time to confirm the FEI schedule. Kelvin Bywater, who has loads of experience, has taken on the lease at Addington, so I wish him well. Hopefully next year we’ll be back there?

Hartpury stepped in at short notice to cover the event, and it’s fantastic they can host our senior, youth and para riders (30 March–3 April). With Hickstead back on the calendar in May, thanks to Daniel Watson and his Aster Events team, and Wellington Riding in June, we have a brilliant run of internationals on home soil.

Please do come and support our riders on the road to the World Championships. Everyone is welcome! There is always talk of expense to watch shows, but the cost of running shows has gone through the roof. Take the opportunity to support not just our horses and riders but these brilliant venues for free.

Also remember that the NAF Five Star Winter Dressage Championships are free to attend for spectators, so nip along to Addington to watch (15–19 April) – you can learn so much.

Welfare and rules

A hot topic is the upcoming FEI rules revision. Talking to British Dressage (BD) CEO Jason Brautigam, I totally agree with him that this presents a bit of a rallying cry – an opportunity to make positive and progressive changes with the horses’ welfare at the forefront.

Jason is always in favour of harmonised rules across the disciplines, as am I, but I agree that any move to replicate showjumping’s revision of the blood rule would be a retrograde step.

The new rule, which came into force on 1 January, states that rider-induced blood on the horse will no longer lead to automatic elimination but be replaced by a system of recorded warnings. Britain has not followed suit at a national level. British Equestrian and British Showjumping were among the delegations to make efforts to halt the proposal.

All I’d say to those who supported the revision is: be careful what you wish for. Several showjumpers already have a first warning – and two in 12 months mean suspension. A second near team selection could see the rule come back to bite them.

The deadline for submissions from national federations is this month, so let’s get behind FEI dressage director Ronan Murphy and the dressage strategic action plan working group, of which my team-mate Gareth Hughes is a member. We must focus not just on welfare, but on always putting the horse first – transparently.

On another note, I’m not very technical, but was interested to hear from Jason about the upcoming launch of a new BD app next month, developed with Wild Monkey Factory, the brains behind Horse Monkey. It’ll enable riders to access a variety of information, such as their record, profile, history and results, and receive push notifications when they gain a qualification. Clever stuff!

The year of the fire horse

Finally, when this column’s in print I’ll be competing in Doha. Fame’s fit and on great form. The show runs 18–21 February. The new Chinese Year starts on 17 February. It’s the year of the fire horse and it’s said to come galloping in bringing bravery, optimism, courage and action. Here’s to all of those – just no galloping in the tests, please, Fame!

● What changes would you like to see in the FEI rules revision to ensure welfare is prioritised? Let us know at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance for their story to appear in a forthcoming issue of the magazine

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