Becoming a dressage judge

[majlas]

Just read "letter of the week " , now fuming ( wait til I see you, wendy ) I would love to become a dressage judge, I have done some at pony club and enjoy judging my daughter's tests from the sidelines when she does BE. Having done some research, i found out that I needed to join BD and have a go - fair enough, but now they propose that I need to score at least 60%. It is 35 years since i rode competitively and my daughter struggles with our pony to achieve in the 60's, so it is highly improbable that i will be able to do it. However I believe that will make me a better judge as i know only too well how hard it is to ride a good test. Having been a spectator through many lessons and competitions, i have a very good understanding of how a horse should go.What do other people think ? Is there any hope that I will ever become a judge ?

 

[Polotash]

You should go on BD Forum and see the furore on there (a few pages back now I imagine, it all flared up when the rule change was announced a few weeks ago),

Basically, most people said:

- we as riders don't think it's necessary to be judged by someone who can RIDE, but someone who can JUDGE at the level we're competing at
- we as riders think this is best addressed through more judge training, not through saying judges have to compete
- there are plenty of good riders out there who aren't good trainers/ judges, and so the reverse also applies, plenty of good judges who can't or don't ride anymore!
- we as riders think we'll lose lots of good judges who are excellent judges, but for whatever reason can't or don't compete at X level (money being an important limiting factor, age and ill health being another)
- we as riders would not respect someone who has scraped 60% 6 times at a set level, that means that in theory you could get on a schoolmaster you have had no input at all into and go through the motions (ok, I know you need to be able to ride to get a schoolmaster to perform) but 60% is hardly outstanding results wise...
- BUT we agree that judging should be more tightly controlled, we just don't think this is the way to do it!

Note that if you TRAIN someone who competes this also counts, so you don't have to ride/ compete at that level to qualify. However, as many people said it's pretty easy to get someone who competes and gets the required results to say "oh yes, they train me" and get through it that way.

 

[Jenni_]

Thats ridiculous! Some of the best judges I know couldn't right a Novice test if you put them on a robotic horse!

I couldn't ride GP for toffee, or even PSG - but I can watch and tell a good test from a bad test and explain what could have been better and why. With more refined training and judges lectures I could well judge any test.


You don't have to be able to DO something to judge it. Just have to learn how to judge and know what you are looking for from the ground...

 

[Luci07]

Anyone questioned then why BD felt they needed to bring in this rule? And actually, if you were competing at the higher levels, I would personally prefer to be judged by someone who has at least ridden at that level.