FEI plans new DoD regulations: What will change in freestyle dressage

The World Equestrian Federation (FEI) is aiming for a reform in international dressage sport: The assessment system for the degree of difficulty of dressage freestyle, the Degree of Difficulty (DoD), is to be comprehensively revised. The aim of the planned changes is to make the assessment of dressage freestyles clearer, more transparent and fairer. To this end, a webinar was held in November with the most important stakeholders in international dressage sport, judges, trainers, riders and officials.

It is a noble intention that the FEI has set itself – and a reaction to the images of rider/horse combinations who are overwhelmed with what they have come up with for their freestyle. The “floor plan”, i.e. the lesson sequence, has had to be submitted to the jury for some time now. The degree of difficulty (DoD) is also calculated in this plan. There are clear definitions of how the sequence of lessons is to be assessed by the judges in terms of DoD. For example, lessons such as starting from a halt into passage, flying canter changes on curved lines with changes between single and double changes are considered difficult. Something like this scores points.

Problem DoD – overstrained horses and riders

It is in the nature of things that every athlete wants to score as many points as possible. In theory, this is not a problem, but in practice it is not always how you would imagine dressage to be. Harmony sometimes had to take a back seat when a lesson sequence didn’t work straight away. Sloppy execution, overly committed aids and the constant fear of not being able to deliver an ambitious program with a high DoD to the music – this has prompted the FEI to discuss changes to the “floor plan” and DoD. With the aim of implementing new ideas quickly. After all, the World Championships in Aachen are on the calendar in August.

DoD Dressage FEI: What is behind the new evaluation criteria?

The FEI initiative focuses on revising the existing DoD rules. In future, the assessment of difficult movements such as variations of pirouettes, passages or piaffe, demanding combinations and transitions will be defined even more clearly. As before, bonus points will be awarded for successful execution, but deductions will also be made if technically complex sequences are sacrificed for the sake of harmony. These deductions are much more severe in the proposal drawn up by Daniel Göhlen, the man behind many technical changes in dressage (such as “Spectator Judging”). Overall, according to Göhlen, it must be assumed that the freestyle scores will be somewhat lower in future than in previous years.

Trainers see the harmony problem

British rider David Hunt, Chairman of the International Dressage Trainers Club(IDTC), suggested that the (final) score for harmony should simply be even higher. His justified objection: “You always see couples who are behind the competition in the running score, i.e. the intermediate results that can be seen by the audience during the ride. However, once all the (final) scores have been awarded, these combinations are once again the ones in front. This is not easy to understand.

The FEI wants one thing above all else: better pictures and transparent judges’ decisions. Hunt got straight to the point. The current World Cup season has also seen outstanding performances. But also many open mouths. Hence his call to strengthen the harmony score.

A statement that called the riders’ representative, the German Klaus Roeser, who took part in the webinar as Secretary General of the International Dressage Riders’ Club(IDRC), to the table. From the riders’ point of view, Roeser said, he had a slight problem with the “harmony and open mouths” approach. In Bern, where they had already discussed dressage topics in 2025, open mouths had been an issue. “Precisely because of the new measuring device (to check that the nosebands are not too tight). How does judging change when it comes to open mouths? Open mouth means: how long is it open, how wide is it open etc.? My impression is that there is still no clear guideline within the judiciary and how it actually influences the judges’ rulings. This point is still unclear to me.”

“Riding harmoniously is enough”?

Hunt referred to the core of the discussion and the competence of the judges to assess “whether a horse is unhappy or just occasionally opens its mouth”. The Brit continued: “I don’t think we can have a rule for every little detail”. And: “At the end of the day, we all want the horses to go easy”. Ronan Murphy, the FEI Dressage Director, did not want to know anything about the change to the weighting of the harmony score suggested by Hunt, referring to the pending general revision of the rules, which is planned for next year.

New DoD assessment in FEI Dressage, if possible in spring

Raphaél Saleh, head judge of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, was extremely positive about the changes: Lesson sequences that are “simpler but more harmonious will get more points so that it doesn’t look like overworking”. This trend is very much in the interest of the judges.

According to the FEI Dressage Director, the timing is still to be agreed. The new regulation, however it is precisely defined, should come as soon as possible. But as long as the ongoing World Cup qualifiers have not been completed, nothing can be changed in the rules – equal opportunities. On March 15, the last qualifying tournament in the Western European League will be held in ‘s-Hertogenbosch in the Netherlands. Four weeks later, the World Cup Final in the disciplines of dressage, show jumping and vaulting will take place in Fort Worth, Texas (USA).