About Para Equestrian Dressage

Para-Equestrian Dressage is the only Equestrian discipline that is included in the Paralympic Games, where it has been a regular fixture since 1996. With the idea of creating opportunities for all people with disabilities to compete and achieve their goals in equestrian sport, athletes are classified according to the level of their disability/impairment so as to provide for meaningful competition. In 2006, the Para-Equestrian sport joined the ranks of the other 7 disciplines regulated by the FEI, with national and international competitions for Dressage and Driving for individuals with a disability. This led to the FEI becoming the first, and still the only, International Federation to govern and regulate a sport for both the able bodied and disabled athletes.

Competition Venue and Testing
All rules and regulations with regards to competition venues and testing are governed by the same principles as other disciplines. The General Regulations, Statutes and Discipline rules that are available on this site apply. The formula for the shows is the same as for standard Dressage shows with Freestyle tests and also tests where the athletes follow a set programme (link to About Dressage section).

Classification
The competitor’s mobility, strength and coordination are assessed in order to establish their Classification Profile. People with similar functional ability Profiles are grouped into competition Grades. The Grades range from for the most severely impaired, to Grade IV for the least impaired. The competition within each Grade can therefore be judged on the skill of the individual competitor on their horse, regardless of the competitor’s disability. For more on classification, click here.

Classification Manual for Para-Equestrian Competitions, 3rd edition, 2012
Classification Manual for Para-Equestrian Competitions, 3rd edition, 2012 (changes marked in red)
Classifiers' report
Compensation aids document  updated 12.04.2011
Application procedure to obtain a Para-Equestrian Identity Card (PE ID card)
Application procedure to use Compensatory aids in FEI Dressage Competitions (CDIs)

List of Para-Dressage Athletes and their status  11.03.2013

Equipment
Competitors must wear the appropriate equipment as stipulated in the classification manual, and are only permitted the use of special equipment when this has been formally documented and approved.

The major event for Paralympic Dressage is the Paralympic Games. The Games are the second largest sporting event in the world after the Olympic Games. The Paralympics are contested immediately after the Olympics in the same city and venue.