United States Eventing Association

Are You Confused About Which Bits Are Legal for Dressage?

If you are then you are not alone. Whether you are an official, a steward or a competitor confusion does exist as to which bits are legal and allowed in national competitions. The USEF Eventing Technical Committee has taken the stance that eventing in the U.S. must follow FEI Eventing Rules which in turn follow the FEI Dressage rules where applicable. As we have seen, rules can change during any given FEI year! The FEI, according to emails sent last year to Axel Steiner, Janine Malone and finally Linda Zang who followed this issue up does NOT recognize the Butterfly Baucher bit as being legal. Our USEF national Dressage rules do. Conversely the FEI now allow the KK snaffle with the vertical small disc in the center of the roller piece, but the USEF National Dressage Committee does not. The FEI also does not allow the Dr. Bristol. Both Dressage and Eventing disciplines allow the Dr Bristol in our U.S. national competitions My suggestion is that for USEF National Eventing Competitions we accept the same bits that USEF National Dressage competitions do in the interest of keeping it simple. After all the majority of our members do not compete in FEI competitions but they do cross over the discisplines at a national level. Once competitors get to the stage of entering an International Eventing competition one hopes that they know the rules or at least consult someone who does. I would be interested in knowing how the competitors feel.

- Loris Henry FEI C Eventing Judge USEF S Judge