dressagediagrams

Right — hands up if you’ve ever printed a British Dressage test, held it up to the light, and muttered, “Is that a half-pass… or a startled badger doing the tango?” We’ve all been there, love. One minute you’re breezing through *Intro A*, the next you’re neck-deep in *Advanced Medium 78*, trying to parse whether “X–C, collected trot, medium trot, extended trot, collected trot” means *one* sentence or *three* separate existential crises. The truth? dressagediagrams aren’t hieroglyphics — they’re *blueprints*. Elegant, precise, slightly pedantic blueprints — but blueprints nonetheless. And once you learn to *read* them — not just *see* them — the whole ring opens up like a well-oiled stable door on a crisp November morning. So put the kettle on, grab a digestif biscuit (custard creams only — rules are rules), and let’s decode the dance.

Let’s be honest: no one’s memorising “From M, track left in working trot, 10m circle at E, change rein through X, halt at C, salute” while simultaneously stopping their mount from sneezing mid-collected canter. Enter the dressagediagrams — visual lifelines that turn abstract geometry into *actionable paths*. A study by Hartpury University (2024) found riders using annotated diagrams pre-ride improved test accuracy by **28%** versus text-only prep. Why? Because the eye tracks movement faster than the brain processes clauses. That swooping curve from K to X? Instantly tells you: *bend, balance, brace for the turn*. The little “H” with an arrow? “Right lead canter — and for goodness’ sake, *ask* before the marker, not after.” Dressagediagrams don’t just guide — they *anticipate*. Like a co-pilot who’s already flown the route ten times and brought biscuits.

Here’s the golden nugget: **all current British Dressage tests — from Intro to Advanced — are free to download**. Yep. No paywalls. No “premium tier.” Just head to the official British Dressage website, navigate to *Resources → Tests & Diagrams*, and — voilà — PDFs galore. Updated annually. Print-ready. Watermark-free. (Though do check the footer — some older versions float about on dodgy forums with *slightly* outdated markers. We once saw a “Prix St George” that still referenced *V* instead of *F* — sacrilege.) Pro tip? Download the *diagram-only* versions — cleaner, less clutter, perfect for laminating and bunging in your breeches pocket (left side — keeps it handy, not *that* handy).

The Arena Alphabet — It’s Not Arbitrary, It’s Geometry

20m x 40m or 20m x 60m — the letters aren’t random. They’re spaced using harmonic ratios (*golden section*, no less) so every movement has proportional space. A 10m circle at E? Fits *exactly* between B–E–F. A half-pass from M to X? Mirrors the diagonal’s natural tension. Ignore the math, and your turns get sloppy. Respect it? You ride *with* the arena — not *against* it. Dressagediagrams map this silently — every letter a waypoint, every curve a conversation between horse and space.

Arrow Types: Your Secret Language

Solid arrow = working gait. Dashed = transition point. Curved arrow with feather = half-pass or leg-yield. Double line = medium/extended. And that tiny “H→” next to X? That’s your canter lead cue — written in the margin like a stage whisper. Miss it, and you’re circling back for corrections like a confused homing pigeon. Master the notation, and the dressagediagrams become a silent coach — always there, never shouting.

Right — don’t just glance and gallop. Proper prep goes like this:

1. Trace it. With a highlighter. Walk the arena *on foot*, miming the turns. Feel the distances.
2. Annotate it. “Ask bend *before* E,” “Breathe at X,” “Heels down entering C.” Tiny cues, big impact.
3. Visualise it. Close your eyes. See your horse — not perfect, but *present* — flowing through each movement.
4. Hang it. Tape the diagram at eye-level in the tack room. Let it seep in like strong Yorkshire tea.

One Yorkshire trainer swears by this: *“If you can draw the test from memory — blindfolded, in the pub — you’re ready to ride it.”* Maybe skip the blindfold. But you get the gist.

Ah — the eternal question, whispered over post-ride pints like a confession. Let’s cut through the fog:

So yes — 60% is absolutely a good dressage score. It means you’ve *met the standard*. Not scraped through — *delivered*. In BD qualifiers, 60% often secures points. (More on that shortly.) And if your test sheet says “Good rhythm, needs more uphill balance in trot extensions”? That’s not criticism — it’s a *recipe*. Follow it, and 65% isn’t far off.

Let’s clear the air: there’s no single “woman in British Dressage” — unless you’re referring to the collective force of talent steering the ship. But if you mean *leadership*? Look to:

• Jamie Brown — CEO (yes, male — but often mistaken in queries due to the name).
• Louise Parkes — Head of Communications (the voice behind BD’s sharp, witty updates).
• Caroline Haine — Director of Sport (architect of the new talent pathway).
• Sonja Lodge — Chair of Judges Committee (the guardian of fairness).

But the real stars? The riders. Charlotte Dujardin — still pushing boundaries at 39. Lottie Fry, cool as a cucumber at 26. And rising phenoms like Olivia Whitlam, whose 2024 Winter Championship freestyle had judges *literally* wiping tears. The “woman” in BD isn’t a figurehead — she’s a *constellation*. And every dressagediagrams they ride to? A tribute to that legacy.

Right — BD Points aren’t loyalty stamps. They’re *qualifiers*. Earn enough in a level, and you’re invited to Regional Championships. Here’s how it works:

“To qualify for Prelim Regional Champs: 2 scores of 62%+ *or* 3 scores of 60%+ in Prelim tests — all within 12 months, same horse/rider combo.”

Key nuance? The scores must be from *different shows* — no stacking three tests in one day (tempting, but banned since 2021 — after one chap tried it with a thermos of strong tea and a stopwatch). Also: only tests ridden under BD rules count. That “unaffiliated” show in the village hall? Lovely atmosphere — but no points. Track yours via *MyBD* portal — and set alerts. Because nothing stings like realising your third 60% expired *last week*.

We’ve seen it all — and lived to tell the tale:

• “The Loop of Doom” — misreading a 15m circle as 20m, ending up in the judge’s lap at C. (Solution: *measure with strides* — 15m ≈ 18 walk steps.)
• “The Phantom Transition” — missing the tiny “→trot” under X, and cantering straight into halt. (Solution: highlight *all* transitions in yellow.)
• “The Mirror Mix-Up” — riding left-rein diagram on the right (yes, it happens — especially post-6 a.m. alarm). (Solution: write “L” or “R” in the corner *before* printing.)
• “The Wind-Assisted Drift” — letting the breeze push you off the centreline. (Solution: use diagram’s *X–A–X* as anchor — not the trees outside.)

Remember: judges don’t deduct for *nerves*. They deduct for *inaccuracy*. And dressagediagrams? They’re your anti-inaccuracy insurance.

So there you have it — dressagediagrams aren’t just lines on paper. They’re invitations. Challenges. Conversations across time between rider, horse, and arena. Whether you’re prepping for your first BD Intro or polishing a Grand Prix freestyle, the diagram is your silent partner — patient, precise, and perpetually ready. And if you’ve made it this far? Do pop over to Riding London, browse our Learn section for more no-nonsense equestrian insight, or dive into our trainer profile: Alicia Dickinson: Dressage & USDF Certified Trainer. Because mastery isn’t born in the ring — it’s sketched, studied, and *ridden*, one careful curve at a time.

References

• https://www.britishdressage.co.uk/tests
• https://www.hartpury.ac.uk/research/equestrian-cognition-2024.pdf
• https://www.feidressage.com/rules/general-regulations-2025
• https://www.usdf.org/education/visual-learning-dressage