From NZ Equestrian (dated 10 September 2010)

The FEI has released the procedure for NF's to qualify for the Dressage Competitions at London 2012. The FEI had hoped to increase the number of horses competing in Dressage in 2012 but it will be just 50 horses who contest the medals.

The host nation Great Britain will automatically qualify as a team, then the 3 best teams from WEG 2010, the 2 best teams from the Pan American Champs and then of significance for NZL, 2 best teams from an approved 2011 Asia Pacific Dressage Championship for Olympic Groups F & G. The date and venue for this event is undecided and unlikely to be so until the WEG dust has settled.

This makes a total of 11 teams (33 horses & riders). The remaining 17 places will be filled by individuals from the FEI Olympic Athletes Ranking for Dressage. 10 of those places will be directly from the rankings meaning prominent NOC's such as Germany, Netherlands etc will likely qualify a fourth rider giving them a team reserve. A nation may qualify a maximum of 4 combinations.

The final 7 places are reserved for individuals from 7 geographical regions, one of which is Group G to which NZL belongs, South East Asia/Ocenia.

In 2008, Japan & Australia secured the team placings with a Korean rider based in Europe earning the individual place.

The NZOC will decide in consultation with all sports the minimum performance criteria for NZ team selection and this has yet to be announced. This is not necessarily the same the FEI minimum eligibility standard as explained below,  and is historically more stringent.

The FEI minimum standards can be achieved from 1 Jan 2011 - 17 June 2012, but the Olympic Rankings will be calculated from 1 March 2011 - 1 March 2012 based on a maximum eight events. It is the nation that qualifies through these Olympic rankings, not the individual so it is possible that a rider could qualify a nation, but for a number of reasons not necessarily be the rider who is selected for the OG.

Athlete Eligibility

All athletes must comply with the provisions of the Olympic Charter currently in force and only those athletes who have complied with the Olympic Charter may participate in the Olympic Games.

All athletes/horses who take part in the 2012 Olympic Games must achieve the following minimum eligibility standard as a combination:

A minimum 64% must be attributed twice to the athlete/horse combination by both a 5* Star judge and as an average from all judges in the competition, and the score must be achieved in Grand Prix test at two different CDI3*/CDI4*/CDI5*/CDI-W/CDIO events. The two 5* judges must be of a nationality other than of the athlete. Scores achieved in Preliminary or Consolation Grand Prix classes judged by three Judges do not count towards the minimum standard.

Athletes and horses must obtain the minimum requirements at events which take place from 1 January 2011 until 17 June 2012