Western Dressage has Musical Freestyle too! Here's what you need to know...
Yes, you can dance down centerline in a western saddle—and look amazing doing it.
Have you ever watched a dressage musical freestyle and thought, “That looks like so much fun... too bad I ride western”? Well, saddle up, because Western Dressage riders absolutely can compete in musical freestyles—and there are more opportunities than you might think.
Competing with a Western Freestyle
Marsha Sapp riding Dream the Mustang. photo credit kimberly chason.
The Western Dressage Association of America (WDAA) offers freestyle tests from Intro Level all the way to Level 5, just like their classical counterparts. So whether you’re new to dressage or showing off upper-level skills, there’s a place for you in the freestyle arena.
And it’s not just for serious rides. WDAA also hosts a Costume Freestyle class—yes, that means themed outfits, matching music, and pure creative joy—at both their World Championship Show and International Online Challenge. Sparkles and sequins? Totally optional. Fun? Guaranteed.
If you’re planning to create a Western Dressage freestyle, head on over to the WDAA website where you will find the freestyle tests for Intro - 5th Level.
Compete Online or In-Person
Freestyle performances can be entered in:
🏆 The WDAA World Championship Show is located in Guthrie, OK and will be held September 16th - 20th, 2025. If you’re interested in watching this show, you can find the live stream information here.
🌍 The International Online Challenge
(No travel required—you can compete from your home arena!) If you have already created a western freestyle and are interested in competing at the World show or the online international challenge, more information regarding those shows can be found here.
🏠 Local schooling shows also offer the opportunity to practice your freestyle away from home before debuting your routine at a large scale show.
🛜 Online schooling and recognized shows have become increasingly more popular and available for riders. WDAA has an entire calendar devoted to online recognized shows that can be found here.
What’s the difference?
While creating a musical freestyle for Western dressage follows the same steps as a classical dressage freestyle, there are some differences to look out for.
⏱️ Time limits: In the classical dressage freestyles the maximum time given for levels training through 4th is 5 minutes. However in western dressage the time limits vary at almost every level. You’re given 5 minutes for Intro and Basic, 5 and a half minutes for first level, and 6 minutes for second through fifth level.
🏇🏻 Walk / Trot freestyle: While USDF freestyle tests begin at Training Level where canter movements are required, WDAA offers a freestyle test for Intro Level riders where lope is not required.
Movements: Most of the required movemnents in both the USDF and WDAA freestyle tests reflect one another pretty equally, however some movements may have different guidelines. For example: in Training Level a stretchy trot must be shown on a circle, however in the Basic Level test the stretchy trot may be shown on a curved or straight line. If you ride in both disciplines, make sure to double check the requirements for each movement as they could vary slightly and provide different choreography options.
Tori kistler and rovandio. Click here for the WDAA freestyle tests. Photo credit Becky henderson.
Join the Fun!
My student Tori and I have been working together to create a Basic level freestyle this spring and it has been a blast! She was concerned that it might be a bit boring to compete at a lower level, but we actually found it quite challenging to fit all the required movements into the allotted time.
This challenge helped us create a slightly more complicated floor plan that ended up suiting her and Rovandio (my personal horse) very well. Together they’re gearing up to compete in WDAA’s online international show this summer!
Meet the Author
Hello! My name is Sandra Beaulieu. ⭐️ I have created a variety of resources to help you create the freestyle of your dreams. Learn how to do-it-yourself with my Freestyle Book, Choreography e-Books, or the Dressage Freestyle Academy (online course).
Or…I can do it for you with a Custom Freestyle or Music Editing. But first, make sure to sign up for my Freestyle Freebies and stay in touch with me! I would to be a part of your freestyle journey. 😀
Download My Free Resources
Stay organized with these handy Checklists, Worksheets, and begin sketching choreography with my Blank Arena Diagram Page.
Browse my Freestyle Book Store
Learn how to create a musical freestyle from start to finish or choose an e-Book with choreography ideas just for your level.
Click here to view all Freestyle Books & e-Books.
2020 Equus Film Festival Winner in the Equine Training Category!
This book will inspire and educate riders of all levels on how to create a musical freestyle. I focused on three areas, riding to music for personal enjoyment/training, for the competition arena, and also for exhibitions. This is a hefty book at 279 pages and covers a broad range of information.
Your copy will be signed! There is a place for you to enter a special message if this is a gift.
Includes 338 Choreography Diagrams for USDF Freestyle (Training - Fourth Level) and for WDAA Freestyle (Basic - Level 4). Yes it includes western dressage! Freestyle is quickly becoming a popular class within the discipline.
Interviews with today’s top riders and performers including Mario Contreras, Marsha Sapp, Lindsey Partridge, Tik Maynard, Frances Carbonnel, Luke Gingrich, Nancy Conley, Elizabeth James, and many more!
This Ebook dives deeper into choreography, specifically for Basic Level in Western Dressage. It covers the required movements, offering a variety of ways to include them in your freestyle. It also includes TEN ready-to-ride freestyle routines that you can choose from - just add music!
If you need help with the ENTIRE freestyle creation process check out my book The Ultimate Guide to Riding, Training, and Competing to Music.
This ebook includes:
10 Fully Choreographed Test Patterns! Just Add Music!
35 pages of choreography!
Blank arena diagram pages for you to take notes and draw your own choreography
You can also join the Create Your Own Musical Freestyle Facebook Group where you can ask questions and share your freestyle videos to gain valuable feedback from a community of like-minded, creative equestrians!
Note: This is a DIGITAL product so you will not receive anything in the mail. After your purchase you will be taken to a page with the link to download the .pdf document. You will also receive an email with the same link. You will need Adobe Reader to view the .pdf document. Click here if you do not have Adobe.
The download link will only stay active for 24 hours (a security feature of this website). If you are unable to download the e-book within that time frame don’t worry, just send me an email at beginthedance@gmail.com and I will send you the file attached to the email so that you can download it at any time.
This Ebook dives deeper into choreography, specifically for Level ONE in Western Dressage. It covers the required movements, offering a variety of ways to include them in your freestyle. It also includes TEN ready-to-ride freestyle routines that you can choose from - just add music!
If you need help with the ENTIRE freestyle creation process check out my book The Ultimate Guide to Riding, Training, and Competing to Music.
This ebook includes:
10 Fully Choreographed Test Patterns! Just Add Music!
38 pages of choreography!
Blank arena diagram pages for you to take notes and draw your own choreography
You can also join the Create Your Own Musical Freestyle Facebook Group where you can ask questions and share your freestyle videos to gain valuable feedback from a community of like-minded, creative equestrians!
Note: This is a DIGITAL product so you will not receive anything in the mail. After your purchase you will be taken to a page with the link to download the .pdf document. You will also receive an email with the same link. You will need Adobe Reader to view the .pdf document. Click here if you do not have Adobe.
The download link will only stay active for 24 hours (a security feature of this website). If you are unable to download the e-book within that time frame don’t worry, just send me an email at beginthedance@gmail.com and I will send you the file attached to the email so that you can download it at any time.
Related Articles
Are you ready to bring your Second Level freestyle to life? Designing choreography at this stage can feel both exciting and overwhelming—there are more movements to include, more creativity to play with, and more opportunities to showcase your horse. 🎶
These choreography tips will give you a solid starting point to build a freestyle that is clear, flowing, and judge-friendly.
Sandra runs through all the required movements - Medium Trot and Canter, Shoulder-In, and Simple Changes to name a few!