Dressage judging-impartiality?

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peaceandquiet1

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I was at a competition at the weekend, novice and elementary. Just a riding club level show but some really good riders and horses. Anyway the person judging the novice was a member of the club who is on the committee and does training for members-I don't go. I have also beaten her before and usually we are close in scores. So why did I feel that sinking feeling as I rode down the centre line and saw who was judging? I got a rubbish score and came near the end. However in the elementary (different judge) I got a really good score and was happy with my placing. I can't help feeling that this woman was never going to give me a good mark no matter what and also she was judging people she teaches, so how can that be fair?

Any thoughts-other than putting it down to experience?
 
In theory it isn't fair to judge those she teaches/ competes against, but at local level I imagine its so difficult to find people willing to help with stuff, that its unavoidable some roles will cross over.
 
Could be that you rode as if you were not going to get a good score instead of sitting up and doing your best? you also have to remember that doing clinics works both ways as the judge will know what the weaknesses are of the people who go to them. you will probably find that she was being impartial but if you got a sinking feeling going up the center line from the tone of your post that negativity could easily have affected the test
 
Sadly judges are human and I think there can always be an element of bias. I do believe it is less so in dressage as in showing, as the judge does need to justify their marking with some constructive criticism.
 
If run under BD rules, the rules state that no one is allowed to judge anyone they have trained in the two weeks prior to the competition. If they do it has to be declared to the organiser that they have an interest, and the rider should go HC :)
 
My trainer is a BD judge and does some local unaff stuff too- so far she hasn't judged me although she has mentioned that if it were to happen she would register and 'interest' in me- I'm confident that she is so professional and down the line that she would judge the movement rather than the rider and if it did go on experience it would probably be down as she know what were are capable of doing.
 
My dressage instructor does some BD and unaffliated judging and if im honest id feel worse riding for her than a complete stranger, as i know full well she would be much more critical of me and the horse than a complete stranger. in some cases it can work against you having someone you know judging as maybe they also feel an obligation to be seen to not be biased and favouring people. Id take it on the chin and just put it down to feeling bit glum about the judge.
 
I often have the same judge at different venues.. and different judges at the same venues .. decided now to keep the dressage results in a file for each judge..that way i can see who is the toughest and get a more even view of how we are improving..if at all!!!
 
I agree with wildcard, I've been judged by my instructor a few times over the last few years, and I know that she was much more critical of me as she was looking out for my known weaknesses that another judge might not pick up on in 4 minutes! I'd rather she was to be honest, I learn more that way.
I think most judges would feel this way, and would try to be as fair as possible - from doing a fair bit of dressage writing, I have been made aware that most judges don't actually know who has won a class as a sheet of usually 5s, 6s and 7s can turn out to be very different % when you take into account collectives, and doubled up marks.
I also think crabbymare might have a point, be honest with yourself, do you think your score/comments reflected your performance? or do you feel it went well and you were undermarked?
 
I think my horse is established enough at the level to score more than 57%. I think seeing her affected my performance, but not by that much. It's not sour grapes because I was totally delighted by the other test. I will however make a much more conscious effort not to let myself be put off but it's difficult! I do have the type of horse which judges seem to love or hate, maybe because she is an Arab. This judge is into eventing so I doubt my little mare would be her type at all.
 
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