Topic: Show Clothing and how it relates to weather conditions.
According to the USEF Rule Book - Dressage (DR 120), "the dress code for Training thru Fourth Levels is a short riding coat of conservative color, with tie, choker, or stock tie, white or light colored breeches or jodphurs, boots or jodphur boots, a hunt cap or riding hat with hard shell, derby or top hat". For all tests above Fourth level, the dress code is "a dark tailcoat with top hat, or a dark jacket with a bowler hat or hunt cap, and white or light colored breeches, stock or tie, gloves and black riding boots".
A few things to take away from this:
- It doesn't matter if you wear a "hunt coat" or dressage coat, as long as it meets the above description.
- A cutaway coat (the flashy modified tail coats) are permitted.
- The new Kerrits 24K coat also meets above description.
Hot Weather Conditions:
We have all been to a show in oppressive heat, where show management has "waived" the coat requirement. What exactly do you do in that situation?
In this situation, according to the USEF Rulebook, "competitors must wear a regulation hat and solid white or very pale colored long or short sleeved shirt, without neckwear". So....
- No sleeveless white shirts
- No t-shirts
- No bright blue shirts that you cover with your jacket and stock tie
- No chokers, stocks ties, stocks with bibs, or ties.
What about rain you ask??
"Competitors will be allowed to wear a hat cover and a transparent or conservative color rain coat in inclement weather".
Answers to many more questions regarding attire and equipment are addressed very well in the Dressage:Dress section of the USEF Rulebook or from the Dressage Attire and Equipment Supplement found on the USEF website.
6 comments:
Boy I feel silly now. When I was a kid I used to just take my jacket off when they waived the coat rule.
At least I know better now!
Thanks man!
Ditto!!! When I first started my TD training, I swear I sat in the corner of the room with a red face because I was discovering all of the "gringo" things I did when I was a kid at recg. shows!!! :)
Thats why we are all supposed to read the rule book. I find them fascinating to read and read them cover to cover and have done that since I was a little girl!!!
I have what may seem like a weird question! What if show management waives the jacket requirement, does a competitor HAVE to ride w/o a jacket if she in fact wants to ride w/a jacket, esp if she is wearing a light blue shirt or one of those bib stock tie jobs because it is warm or she's wearing a sleeveless show blouse under her jacket? I don't have a USEF rule book but I will look it up or buy one! Thanks, Dresagfan
Just because Show Management has waived the coat requirement does NOT mean you HAVE to go sans coat. You are still welcome to wear your coat...and I would recommend it if the clothing you are wearing underneath is NOT legal without a jacket....it is grounds for the judge to give you the big E. So if you got up in the morning and put on your bright pink Budwiser t-shirt and stock tie bib, only to discover show management waived coats...I would wear my coat anyway ;)
I would have to agree EXCEPT I wore one of the new Kerrits jackets and had the judge at the Arabian Sport Horse NAtionals challenge me on my coat during my warm up.
I found out a few months later from one of the show managers when I wore the coat at a dressage show, that the nationals judge had complained to the TD about my coat.
And the judge THERE (the regular show) also commented on the legality of my coat and wrote on my test to check the legality of it - the TD was sent to me at the judge's request. The TD told me it was NOT legal, even when I quoted the rule.
So be careful. It is often up to the TD to determine what constitutes a "riding" coat. And if the judge doesn't like it, then you're already in the hole.
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