Area Festival Qualification Scores

Jo C

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Not sure if this has been discussed already but as these have now been raised to 62% do you think qualifying for the AF's is too easy, achievable or now too hard? Not wishing to cause a row but am genuinely interested bearing in mind the AF's were designed for the grass roots rider.
Personally I think 62% is about right for people who are struggling to qualify for the regionals (ie me!
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I am considering not renewing my BD as I think its annoying its gone up to 62%. But that might be because I am not that good so my chances are a lot lower now. I know my regional qualifications are practically null but I dont have an expensive dressage horse in fact my ISH is really a cob and we do it for fun so as Pammy Hutton saind maybe Trailblasers (sp) here I come.
 
I think it is sensible to be honest as the area festivals get so over subscribed. My horse is never going to get to the regionals (well I doubt it very much!) however he is capable of doing a nice test so I'm pretty confident we will be able to take part in the areas even with the increased percentage needed.
The reason they have changed the qualification for the regionals is because of over subscription, so I can completely understand why they have done the same for the area festivals.
 
I think that the new level is bang on!

I am struggling at Novice to qualify for the regionals as if I get a qualifying percentage I don't win and if I win my percentage is too low.

I think I am an accurate reflection of a grass root rider who is competing at the top end of riding club standard but not a pro or serious amateur.

I have a day job and although I work to pay for the horses, ultimately I have to fit my riding around it.

Even with a very talented OH (he usually gets around 7-10% more on Diva than me) I am not quite regional standard yet and don't have his piloting skills!
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However I still want to enjoy the thrill of chapionship competitions and compete against like-minded, equivlaent standard horses and riders.

I could have done both novice and prelim last year but in my heart of hearts I knew that despite having got tests with 60%+ I was not ready to compete Diva at AF at Novice and be personally pleased with my performance.
 
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I think that the new level is bang on!

I am struggling at Novice to qualify for the regionals as if I get a qualifying percentage I don't win and if I win my percentage is too low.

I think I am an accurate reflection of a grass root rider who is competing at the top end of riding club standard but not a pro or serious amateur.

I have a day job and although I work to pay for the horses, ultimately I have to fit my riding around it.


[/ QUOTE ]

That is my situation also, I have only ever won one with the correct % for the regionals so I completely understand you.
I fully understand why it was raised I just wondered if any of you thought it was still too low.
 
I think the new scores are correct, it was a little too easy before and ended up with far too many people qualifying. However I don't agree with the new regional qualifications, I am still trying but they have made it pretty hard and also means more outings and that the other class has so few entries which must be very annoying for the show organisers.
 
I think they will have to see how the entries go with the new qualifying mark, if it doesn't cut them back at all then perhaps it will need to be raised again?? Either that or restrict people to only entering one area festival per year (not including different levels) because with current amounts of entries it is ridiculous!
 
Personally no. I think 62% is a good figure. It generally means you are consistently scoring 6's with a spattering of 7's.

Any higher and it is encroaching on regional qualification scores.
 
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Personally no. I think 62% is a good figure. It generally means you are consistently scoring 6's with a spattering of 7's.

Any higher and it is encroaching on regional qualification scores.

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I agree I just wondered what everyone else thought
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I feel it's just about right now - when it started at 58% that was just ridiculously low. If you can't get that mark should you really be doing affiliated?

Equally I don't think it should be the same qualifying score as for the regionals as then it would defeat the purpose of the competition.

I've just started dabbling at affiliated. I'm never ever likely to get to a regional (pony might be good enough. Rider certainly isn't!) - so without the AF's I've got very little incentive to go affiliated given that the venues I go to for unaffiliated comps already use listed judges and have good surfaces. I feel on a good day we should be able to get 62% (in fact we already have) so that gives me a goal to aim for.
 
I think its just about right. My mare usually manages to pick up a lower placing at elementary, but hand on heart she is not good enough to win one at affiliated level. We get the marks we do through accuracy and obedience, so we have no chance of qualifying for the regionals but the area festivals are a much more realistic goal.
 
I would also echo Worried1. I am new to this BD stuff but have half qualified for the Regionals, but it is nice to have something to fall back on if it all goes to pot!
 
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