[ponydressage]

I'm on track to do juniors and young riders but I'm pretty confused about several things. If anyone has done it before or knows about it, I'd appreciate your help.

First question: Can you ride the jr/yr tests without any intention of qualifying for any sort of championship? Can you just ride the tests in a show like you would a normal test?

Second question: There are regional championships for the jr/yr team tests, and this is what it says in the rules:
Automatic invitations shall be extended to the top twelve placed competitors who are U.S. citizens, in the NAYRC and NAJC final team and individual classes. Invitations shall also be extended to the top
twelve horse/rider combinations invited to, in addition to those horse/rider combinations that competed at, the USEF High Performance National Championships at Grand Prix and Intermediaire I, and to the top twelve horse/rider combinations ranked from the USEF National Junior, Young Rider and Young Adult Ranking lists.
Which makes it sound like you either have to go to NAJYRC or be invited (at the least) to the USEF High Performance National Championships (which is the Festival of Champions at Gladstone) to compete in regionals. Is this correct? As in, you can't just go to regular shows and collect your qualifying scores like you normally would?

3. From reading the selection procedures at http://www.usef.org/documents/discipline… it sounds like you have to submit your declaration of intent before you earn your qualifying scores. Is this correct?

4. How do you qualify for the Festival of Champions in the Jr and Yr divisions? I found info on Grand Prix and I-1 but not on jr/yr. I know you have to earn scores at CDIs and if you get lucky you'll get an invitation, but nothing more.

Thank you very much!

 

[ponydressage]

Can't figure out how to edit my post. Sorry, I'm new here. Anyway, that link was supposed to be http://www.usef.org/documents/disciplines/dressage/NAYRC_2012SPJuniors.pdf

 

[~*~anebel~*~]

I am not totally up to date on this stuff as it's been a long while since I competed FEI Juniors, but I think I can still give you some advice and answers to your questions.

The first thing I would do if I were you is find your local dressage organization and see if they have a Jr/YR or "Youth" club. Then go crazy asking them questions as they'll know way more region specific stuff that I.

Yes, you can just ride the tests with no intentions of qualifying for anything. For most kids in their first year they just ride the tests locally for experience, and then if they are getting good scores, will declare the following year.
For NAJ/YRC yes you do have to declare intent at the beginning of the year.
I would imagine also that qualification for regional championships would be the same as for other levels, you have to compete in qualifying classes at different shows and then be invited.
For Festival of Champions, I don't know. It says invitation, and that it's the national championship. So you would again probably have to compete in qualifying classes and be invited based on results.

For your first year, don't get too too concerned. Just go out and ride and get used to doing FEI. The judging standards are far higher and it is intimidating when you're riding for 2 to 3 judges!! Most of all - have fun! If you are relaxed, it will show well in your tests.

Good luck!

ETA I read the rules, no you do not need to compete in any CDIs, just the qualifying classes. To qualify for NAJ/YRC you need 3 team scores and 3 individual scores from qualifying classes that average over 62% AND one freestyle score over 62%.
IMO to get on a team you should be scoring over 62%, closer to 65%, consistently. Then the qualification is just a matter of getting enough scores.

 

[ponydressage]

Thank you. Very useful information.
Anyway...it's complicated, but the reason I was asking about riding the tests without qualifying is my strange horse situation. At the moment there are two horses I'm riding. One is a very hot I-1 mare who is difficult to show due to her nervousness. All the same, I'm currently showing her 2nd/3rd and riding PSG/I-1 at home. The other is a lazy pony gelding (horse size, though, so he is eligible) who is talented and knew third level once upon a time, but is a bit of a retraining project. We are just barely getting our bearings at first level. I'm planning to show the mare through at least PSG, maybe further, for the experience and to get my medals. I've thought about doing the junior tests on her while we're showing anyway, mostly just for fun. But I would never take her to Kentucky or Gladstone (even though she can score in the 70s at upper levels with ease) because it would be so stressful. We don't even go to regionals.
But I am hoping to do some of that with the gelding in a few years once he is doing 3rd/4th again. So there is some planning I've been thinking about. I would like at the minimum to take him to regionals, maybe Kentucky, but probably not Gladstone. So you think I would just enter the Junior Team test, pay the qualifying fee, and hope to get my scores, as I normally would (for GAIGs)?
Had another question but I forgot.....

 

[ponydressage]

Another thing-if I wanted to do FEI Juniors without qualifying, would it matter if I did the Preliminary, Team, or Individual tests? Also, it appears that the Preliminary test is never used for qualification or in the competition, so what is its purpose? And I assume it is okay to ride a jr test in TOC when you aren't qualifying?