The U.S. Equestrian Federation posted the selection and qualifying procedures for the dressage team at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto, Canada, on Dec. 30.

The team, which will consist of small and large tour pairs, will be selected through a series of competitions. Dressage at the Pan American Games runs from July 11-14. 

The first qualifying period is Jan. 1-April 5, and during that time, small tour horse-and-rider pairs must complete at least two of the following: CDI*, CDI**, CDI***, CDI****, CDI****, CDIO or CDI-W (U.S. or foreign) qualifying competitions with a judging panel of five FEI judges. At two of those qualifying competitions, the pairs must do the Prix St. Georges and Intermediaire I; at one of them they must also do an Intermediaire I freestyle. 

The big tour horses must complete at least two of the following: CDI***, CDI****, CDI*****, CDIO or CDI-W (U.S. or foreign) qualifying competitions with a judging panel of five FEI judges; at one of those competitions riders must do the Grand Prix and Grand Prix Special; at another they must do the Grand Prix and Grand Prix freestyle.

After those qualifying competitions are completed April 5, two ranking lists (small and big tour) will be created. Neither Grand Prix freestyle nor Intermediaire I freestyle scores will count towards the ranking list averages. Around that time, with a date to be determined, the USEF will submit an FEI Nominated Entry for the Games. According to the USEF criteria: “Once athlete/horse combinations have been named to the FEI Nominated Entry they will come under the control of the chef d’equipe through the event. They shall not compete without the permission of the chef d’equipe. An athlete must have the written approval of the chef d’equipe for athlete/horse combinations to work with a dressage coach or trainer other than the chef d’equipe.”

Then at least eight combinations will be named to compete in European CDI observation events. The combinations will be chosen based on their rankings and then several additional qualifying factors, including “consistency of scores over 70 percent,” “the potential to succeed at CDIs and contribute to securing Olympic qualification,” and “behavior of the athlete and people associated with the athlete (including, without limitation, accredited owners, coaches and grooms) that may have an impact on creating a positive team environment that will affect (either positively or negatively) the ability to secure Olympic qualification.” See the full list of selection criteria on the USEF website. 

The selectors also have the option to award a few “byes” based on performances at the FEI World Cup Dressage Final or in other cases of “proven ability.” Those riders won’t be automatically added to the team, but they could potentially forego the European tour if desired.  

The chosen pairs will compete in at least two designated European CDIs between May 1, 2015, and June 10, 2015. After those competitions, Chef d’Equipe Robert Dover and the selectors will create a team from pairs on the FEI Nominated Entry. They’ll decide then if the team will be two small tour and two big tours pairs, or one big tour and three small tour pairs. The USEF can send two traveling reserves—one big tour and one small tour.

“The Pan Am selection process is built to create the most confident and well-prepared team to go to to Toronto and win all the medals,” said U.S. Dressage Chef d’Equipe Robert Dover. “In order to do that, I felt it necessary to have our top combinations go to Europe and compete in the biggest arenas, so we can make sure they’re excelling in the biggest arenas in world. Then they’ll come back to Gladstone for a week for preperation, and then they can go to Toronto feeling like it’s like a schooling show.”