The German equestrian federation has introduced modifications to the Al Shira’aa Bundeschampionate to promote more age-appropriate and horse-friendly training for young horses. These changes follow a recent young horse summit and aim to reduce over-exertion. The updates will take effect at the championships scheduled for 25–30 August.
The German equestrian federation held a young horse summit last month, attended by breeders, riders, trainers, vets, and judges. The summit assessed current competition pathways for young horses and discussed ways to structure demands so that training takes center stage and over-exertion is avoided.
Federation chairman Dennis Peiler stated: “We have already taken important steps in recent years and have continuously developed further. However, our ambition must be to improve even more. This requires a high degree of willingness to change at all levels.”
The changes apply to the Bundeschampionate, the German national championships for young horses. For three-year-olds, the format shifts to one ridden test instead of two. The in-hand conformation test for three- and four-year-olds is eliminated, replaced by a single mark for overall impression and physical quality. Marking emphasizes “age-appropriate fulfilment of the training scale criteria,” and the youngest horses will have a training session at the venue the day before the competition.
Four-year-olds will qualify via a riding horse test as before, but the final now includes a dressage test at A level (novice), performed by the horse's own rider rather than an external one. Klaus Miesner, the federation’s managing director of breeding, explained: “Our goal is to place greater emphasis on the requirements for a riding horse. It’s about the young horse’s relaxation, rhythm, contact, and responsiveness, but also the quality of its movement.” He added that the external rider test has been removed to reduce arena time for young horses and ponies.
Additional adjustments include venue layout changes allowing horses visual contact with each other and plans to shorten time spent at the venue and in arenas. Further modifications are under discussion for prize-giving ceremonies. The federation has formed an interdisciplinary working group to examine young horse training and presentation in Germany.
A federation spokesperson noted: “The young horse summit sends a clear signal; horse welfare is not a static state, but an ongoing requirement.” She emphasized the federation's role as a platform for dialogue to develop equestrian sport and ensure its social acceptance.
Katy Holder-Vale, a British Breeding Futurity senior evaluator and World Breeding Federation of Sports Horses (WBFSH) committee member, praised the changes: “It’s a big change for the Germans, where they have been very traditionalist for a long time. Worldwide horse sport has the social licence burden to bear, and [the equestrian world] needs to be publicly showing that they are doing something proactive to promote welfare.” She mentioned that the WBFSH is considering similar updates, including higher qualifications for showjumping championships to limit against-the-clock pressures on five-year-olds. Holder-Vale also observed growing welfare awareness globally, noting the UK's strong young horse system.