Dressage judges

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sikaran

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Was at an affililiated competition over the weekend and I was stopped by the judge after about three movements. She got out of her car and said I had gone wrong when I hadn't! I tried to explain that I couldn't have been where I was in the arena if I had done what she said I had, but she was adamant I had gone wrong. However, when I got my score sheet there was no error of course marked on it. I know anyone can make a mistake, but I would have the grace to own up to it if I had. I have never argued with a judge before (I judge unaffiliated myself so I know it can be a thankless task) but I expect better of a listed judge.
 
Must have been very off-putting for you, I would've been really annoyed too! At least she didn't penalise you for error of course, so I suppose that's something. I agree though that you would expect better at an affiliated competition, especially as unless you were first to go they've presumably already watched several people ride the test so should really know it by then!
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One particular judge in my area marked on my sheet that I had cantered on the wrong leg in a test, I was 100% sure I had not. Anyway, my OH had filmed the test and when I watched the footage back she was wrong!!! I was so angry but by then it was too late.
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I recently went to an unaffiliated competition where the judge sat and chatted to her friend in the car for the majority of the tests instead of watching the competitors!
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Thats dreadful. I'm new to competing (just done my 6th competition) and it hadn't occured to me that a judge would make these kind of mistakes
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The nearest I have come to it was a comment on a test sheet at my 3rd competition which said "Nice first test"!
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SkyHi, i had a judge at 2* CCI level not be able to tell which leg i was on... the other two got it right though!
i've had a judge not notice that i forgot to do both 20m canter circles in a test, too... i got comments and marks for them, but the video proved i hadn't done them...!
 
gosh it really makes you think perhaps getting someone to video it would be a good idea, at least you can check then and if need be show the film to the commitee, like you say though at affiliated level these things should not be happening.
 
Hmmm I was writing for a judge who didn't notice that the rider had missed out his 20m circles (on both reins) ... when I pointed it out she decided to give him a 6 anyway as "I'm sure it would have been ok if he'd done it" ... no error of course given or anything.
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And doesn't it annoy you when you get the 6's and 7's all the way down the sheet? Had it a couple of weeks ago, I'm sure because I was first in and she was sitting on the fence. Don't want this to sound the wrong way but my chap hasn't had lower than an 8 for his free walk for about 6 months!!
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If you miss out a movement and the judge doesn't realise until the end then they have to give you a mark for that movement which is the average mark that you have scored throughout the rest of the test. You should still have 2 marks deducted at the end for an error of course.

Judges at the end of the day are only human and although we try hard to concentrate for several hours and not make mistakes it invariably does happen. Remember we don't only have to learn the pattern of the tests but where each mark starts and finishes and often these days we are judging more than 1 test a day and sometimes even mixed classes of different level tests with the result judged on a percentage.

I have once rung the bell and told a competitor she had gone wrong when she hadn't. Every judge I know has done this once or twice in their careers. It's not nice if you happen to be the one person out of the thousands that a judge has judged that is on the receiving end of a mistake but hopefully the judge is big enough to admit the error and help the competitor get back on track with the minimum of fuss.

It is amazing how easy it is sometimes to oversee an eror. The favourites are a transition from trot to walk for 3-5 steps and back into trot and, as Tempi said, the odd 10m circle especially in the medium 64 where they come at the end of the half pass.

For those who bemoan the fact that we stick on 5, 6 and 7 alot the fact of the matter is that 90% of individual movements that we see are 5's, 6's or 7's. (5 being sufficient, 6 satisfactory and 7 quite good.) I have used every mark available including 0's and 10's (twice in 10 years or so and I remember them both very clearly!!) but will be on the middle range most of the time because that is the correct mark to give.
 
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my friend had a test one week with a few 0's and some very low marks went out a few weekends later on her other horse and got a 10!!!!!

[/ QUOTE ] Only one mark is for the riders' ability to influence the horse. Although obviously the rider will effect every movement, the remainder of the test is scored on the horse's way of going. So your friend's experience isn't necassarily perculiar.
 
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