I have always been in equitation and hunters, but now am going to a few events and have a few attire questions. What show shirts do you wear for dressage and stadium? Do you only wear a stock tie for dressage or can you in stadium? Any multi purpose shirts for both out there? Also, any suggestions for comfy polo shirts for cross country? I have a romf dressage shirt but it has a zipper, so I am wondering for a small event if it would be okay to put a choker on for stadium? I have been looking through the dover catalogs but am not finding answers to these questions! Thanks for any suggestions!
I’ve seen people ride with a choker for dressage and stadium. I personally like a stock, but that is just me. You can wear a stock tie for both dressage and stadium. I personally do. No neckwear when jackets are waved. I use a Romf and Dover knock off shirt for under my regular stock. Cool and comfortable.
For XC I wear a technical short sleeve shirt under my vest in the summer and a technical wicking one in the cold weather. Polo’s I actually don’t wear, unless at a schooling show, but I use the technical fabric ones like Nike or golf polos from Ross where they are cheap. I don’t like the riding ones but that is just me, too blingy.
I have a snap collar shirt that I actually use for schooling shows or when jackets are waved at events. I think it looks snazzy and it is pretty comfortable. I like the look of the crisp cotton, it looks professional IMO.
Hope this makes sense.
At small mini trials and unrecognized events I was using a white shirt and my blue coat I previously showed in the hunters with.
Now I use a FITS Waffle Tech shirt and stock tie. I love it and for the price you can’t beat it in terms of comfort. I wear the Horseware Competition Coat over it and think it was well worth the price.
For XC I use a short sleeve technical shirt under my vest. I wouldn’t wear a polo because I would get too hot and uncomfortable but that is just me.
It may depend a bit on where you are and what is “standard” for that area. Here in Area 2, the majority of events are run over one day, even up through intermediate, and most people show jump in their xc gear (or part of it, at least). I am lazy and at most one days just wear the same shirt for all three phases. Usually either a white polo or a technical “dressage” shirt like you mention. I’ll put my stock tie on over that for dressage (with my coat), then just wear the shirt alone or with my vest the rest of the day.
For formal attire in stadium, you’ll see stock ties and chokers. Either is fine and correct. I typically wear a stock tie, but I am thinking of updating my show jumping jacket this year and will get a shirt with a choker to wear with it, probably.
I wear this FITS shirt and stock tie for dressage and stadium http://www.fitsriding.com/collection/A500/
For cross country, I’m not that fussy about which polo shirt I wear (mostly ones I got from some even I was voluteering at or from barns or friends with logos), but ovation, rompfh, etc all make them and much less expensively you can get them at places like Dick’s sporting goods, Target, etc.
Dressage: fake stock bib
SJ: usually a ratcatcher shirt in some sort of fun color
Dressage: white tech type riding shirt w/ stock, black Shires dressage coat
SJ: either above or (usually) my xc polo & vest; very rarely at a multi day, ratcatcher w/ choker and black hunt coat left over from when I did IHSA
As far as polos, I like the tech fabrics and I have a bunch, from Marshalls, TJ Maxx, etc. I just found some light blue ones in the boys department at Walmart that look spiffy with my dark bay horse 
I find all the buttons on the ratcatcher and choker much slower to do up than just the zip shirt and stock, but to each their own
I also often wear one of the Fit’s waffle shirts for dressage and stadium with a stock tie and typically don’t bother to change for xc (so just put my vest over the same shirt). If it is colder, I have a long sleeve technical type of shirt I typically grab. I’m just not that picky…
I’m like bornfree – sometimes get lazy and just wear my white wicking shirt (maybe mine is irideon?) from dressage for all three…but of course have my “lucky” xc shirt. Mostly wicking stuff plus a very thin fleece for the cool days.
But remember that at events where all three phases are held in one day, you NEVER need to wear a jacket. Not even in dressage. Thus, if you plan to do this at all, you need a shirt that will look decent without neckwear. The technical ones with a little zip neck (like a mock tneck) look nice.
Dressage and stadium- cream fake stock bib (untied) over a Kerrits sleeveless Slender Rider tank with stretch (mine’s lavender, but they’re only black and nude now).
Being sleeveless means I can’t remove my jacket when they’re waived, but for that short amount of time I can deal with it.
Since I am in Area II, where most competitions haqve all phases on the same day, I generally wear a light blue polo shirt or a light blue turtleneck (without neckwear and without jacket) for dressage.
If I wear a jacket for dresage, I wear a white ratcatcher with a stock. (I find it easier to tie a stock than to proerly attach a choker, but chokers are perfectly OK.
SInce we almost always go straight from show juming to cross country, I wear my cross country attire for show jumping.
Do you only wear a stock tie for dressage or can you in stadium? Any multi purpose shirts for both out there?
Yes, you can wear either a stock or a choker (or a tie) with a jacket for both dressage and show jumping. Not sure what you mean by “multipurpose shirts”, but I use the same ratcatcher whether I am wearing a stock or a choker.
Also, any suggestions for comfy polo shirts for cross country? I have a romf dressage shirt but it has a zipper, so I am wondering for a small event if it would be okay to put a choker on for stadium?
Absolutely fine, even for a big event.
Is there a shirt where you could wear either a stock tie or a choker? I am wondering if any of the wrap around shirts have stock tie loops. Thanks for all the answers so far!
htrjmpr- I find my stock tie stays put fine without a button or a loop. I have many wrap collar ratcatchers, and I just tie the stock and pin it and it all works out.
White Kerrits Ventilator Jersey with a stock tie for dressage.
A ratcatcher shirt with a choker for SJ
[QUOTE=htrjmpr;6975258]
Is there a shirt where you could wear either a stock tie or a choker? I am wondering if any of the wrap around shirts have stock tie loops. Thanks for all the answers so far![/QUOTE]
I use the same short for a stock or a choker. I am not sure what woud be different.
[QUOTE=Janet;6975521]
I use the same short for a stock or a choker. I am not sure what woud be different.[/QUOTE]
What Janet said… I can throw a stock tie on any of my ratcatcher/choker shirts. I admit I’ve gotten lazy and bought a velcro pre-tied one and it stays pretty securely over anything I’ve put it on. It’s essentially a fancier choker. Then when the mood strikes me I put on the choker instead. Either is acceptable but I always wear the stock tie for dressage and usually wear a choker for SJ - but it’s personal preference.
I rock out the bib as well! I just throw it over whatever tshirt or tank top I’m wearing. Saves changing time! I have a stock tie bib for dressage and a ratcatcher bib for stadium. I have the stock tie tied and pinned the night before the show. I tack up, Velcro that puppy on in 2 seconds, throw on my coat, pull off my breech protecting pants and I’m ready to go! I feel a but like Superman going into the phone booth :-). Helps when I’m (always) running late. I go from groom to show ready in under 2 minutes. For what it’s worth I get compliments on my attire all the time! If only they knew I had a manure stained Dexter tee underneath I keep a Kerrits short sleeve shirt on hand in case jackets are waived.
Look at Le Fash Ny shirts! They’re both appropriate for dressage, xc and stadium year round! They come in white and a range of colors and you can wear a stock with them if need be! www.lefashny.com
