Dressage judges---DTM

spookypony

spookypony

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I'm curious about something that people who have judged for DTM might be able to answer for me! I understand that the "artistic" marks are quite subjective, but I'm wondering what sort of training the average judge has in the musical/choreography side of things?

The reason I'm asking is that I just got back a test sheet, and was finding myself a little bemused by the comments on the choice of music, specifically. First to explain that the sound system was appalling, so neither the judge nor the competitors could hear the music very well, so that may have affected things for everyone. Nevertheless, I found it odd that I could receive a 9 and a 6 for the same music from two different judges on two different occasions---seems a bit extreme??

Many of the tests I saw used music that did not flow particularly well from piece to piece, which were in the wrong metre for the gait in question, and in which the individual pieces were cut off in the middle of phrases (the musical equivalent of cantering headfirst into a wall). In the placings, none of this appeared relevant.

I don't want anybody to think I'm whinging, because in no way was I expecting a terribly good mark or a placing (we're acknowledged greenhorns! And the marks for the movements etc. seemed spot on!
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); I just want to ask the question if, in a class where the "artistic" components are worth so many marks, the judges should be expected to have a more detailed understanding of that aspect?
 
I think the music classes are a bit subjective. We have done very well.
The first year we did it, we won the riding club qualifier and the BD regional[ scoring 70% plus. Then went on to come 3rd in the RC champs [ even though they got completely lost and missed out 2 movements!] At the BD champs , he blew up in the Hartbury indoor so was well down .
The second year he again did the BD regional and came 2nd, then at champs he was a bit better in the arena and came 11th. BUT at the RC qualifier he did rubbish because the judge didn't like the music and said it was too long , even though it was the same as the year before when he came 3rd at the champs.
So it does depend on the judge and what they like. I know they do training as when we did our BD qualifier there were a lot of trainee judges including FinnMcCoul on here
 
I do think that in order to judge DTM you should have a good ear.. and have either ridden or choreographed quite a bit. I did all kt music and it fitted so well to her paces, always being right on the beat that I find I expect everyone to have chosen such good music. We used the same piece from Elem ( 5th at the Nationals) all the way up to Advanced...
Its not an easy thing to judge tho, cos you have to be v quick at assessing movements which come anywhere and often not a mirror image, assess suitability of the music etc etc... its nice to have the use of .5 tho.

I wish I could get our freestyle from DVD onto utube.. but cant!

ETS.. when choreographing and choosing suitable music its essential to remember that it is Dressage TO music and NOT Dressage WITH music.. quite a diference!
 
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ETS.. when choreographing and choosing suitable music its essential to remember that it is Dressage TO music and NOT Dressage WITH music.. quite a diference!

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I think this quotation is spot-on to how I treat it when choreographing. I'm a professional musician with considerable dance experience, so I take a professional pride in making sure that the test is well-crafted, even if we're not quite up to realising my intentions as yet!
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For example, our walk music was in binary form (a phrase A, A repeated, a longer phrase B, B repeated). Our choreography was as follows:

A1: beginning on the right rein at B, 1/2 10m circle right to X
A2: 1/2 10m circle left, X--E
B1: E--F change rein across half-diagonal. Walk FAK.
B2: K--B change rein across half-diagonal FWLR. B--M medium walk.

In every pace, I made sure that the movements were aligned with the phrase structure of the piece, with (if possible) symmetrical movements for repeated phrases.

I don't really expect a musically-amateur judge to be able to recognise the structural details like this, but should the understanding go beyond "is the music at the right speed for this horse"?

Again in reading over this, I'm having a hard time striking the honestly-questioning note that I'm striving for. Many apologies if it comes across as stuck-up; that's not the intent!
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Hils - video the video then upload!!

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its on DVD not video... my laptop wont let me upload it!

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Use your video recorder [camcorder] to video the dvd off of the telly, then do a direct upload from the camera!
 
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Hils - video the video then upload!!

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its on DVD not video... my laptop wont let me upload it!

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Use your video recorder [camcorder] to video the dvd off of the telly, then do a direct upload from the camera!

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God that sounds complicated.. Im going to take it to the people who put it from video to dvd and they will do something magical to it....would love you to see it...
Got all her Hickstead Premier league from 2003, Qualification for Adv Med FS champs and the Winter Champs FS Med 2004
 
[ QUOTE ]
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Hils - video the video then upload!!

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its on DVD not video... my laptop wont let me upload it!

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Use your video recorder [camcorder] to video the dvd off of the telly, then do a direct upload from the camera!

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Is the problem getting it from the DVD onto the laptop, or from the laptop onto a video host?
 
You need a program for DVD-ripping. If you don't have one, google "rip DVD" or similar, and a bunch of free ones should show up!
 
I think one of my music students who was riding in the same class filmed my test, but I haven't got the video yet. I'm sure our motorcycling in the left canter circle is a little embarrassing too...
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