Eventing Dressage Q

[LEC]

Is it me or am I seeing more low scores than ever before? I cannot believe the standard has got so much better in one year. I have never seen so many under 25 scores posted at events all round the country.

I just find it intriguing as if you look up prelim BD dressage scores they are much lower and probably provide a truer picture IMO. Surely judges should be looking for the same thing whether its BD or BE?

 

[Baydale]

Maybe judges are just using the full range of marks, instead of just 5s and 6s the whole way through.

tbh I do think the standard is improving and that there are many horses and riders that could hold their own in BD competitions (and I don't just mean Ruth Edge!)

 

[kerilli]

don't forget that Mary King got a 10 at Novice level years ago...!
there have always been some amazing scores, but there are more good ones now. i agree with Baydale, the standard is definitely improving.

 

[henryhorn]

This time last year we were all complaining the marks were too harsh!!
We've done some BD and CCJ was on a dressage trainer's yard for 6 months, so has a reasonable idea of what is needed for both, and it peeves me a bit when dressage people assume their standards are higher.
I bet the top 5 in any BE test can hold their own easily against registered horses, in fact many of them do both.
I do agree the judges are being kinder this season, but don't forget, the standards of riding in tests are much higher than say three years ago, as a riding instructor of many years, I've noticed that.
Some of the tests I've seen recently would easily score 75% in pure dressage, I think it's all to do with better training overall, thinking back to when I used to compete 30 plus years ago, we were terrible!!!
Yet I got 8's and 9's at times..

I have to also confess yesterday our score was helped no end by having horses gallop full pelt on the course past the arena when Chocx did his test, instead of obedient and boring, he sparkled and gained marks that way.

Once upon a time you could get a place with a 40 dressage provided you had a double clear, now there isn't a hope in hell!

 

[Bossanova]

I also think there seem to be lots of silly low scores this year. I dont mind if it's because theres a full spread across the class and the judge is using the whole range but there are some sections where tonnes of people are in the 20s, many in the 30s and 1 or 2 in the 40s which seems a bit inconsistant to me

 

[lucretia]

Boss i see a section where the scores cover such a range i would fall to my knees and hope to god i was in it or feel satisfied that i had done a good job juging.
yes the standard of riding and i hope judging has gone up but in every section there is usually one or two really good ones and one or two really awful. the best juges are the ones who acknowledge this and the scores of their classes reflects it.
a fouty horse BE section where there is barely ten penaltiies between first and last tells me only that th judge has been stuck on the same mark for nearly all of them and like as not been star struck for the odd exception.

 

[henryhorn]

I don't mind the scores being varied, we have had a horse who once got a 57, and even then I felt that was being generous considering his manic behaviour!
The fairest way to see if a score is deserved is to look at the horse's BE record, Kennel Wood who beat us yesterday had good scores consistently under lots of different judges, so they must all be looking for the same thing. ( him getting 17 twice and 19 must show he's consistent in his way of going)
The judges can only go by what they see on the day, and watching people working in they would need a huge variation to cover the standard differences shown.

 

[kerilli]

i agree with this, i like a judge who isn't afraid to use the whole range of marks. nothing more depressing than getting a sheet back which reads 6,6,6,6,6,6,6 with no comments! (and yes, i've had a sheet like that, and the test wasn't THAT boring!) and if i do a crap test, i don't mind getting a crap mark, what drives me mad is doing a crap test and getting a good mark (managed to lie 2nd after dr in a competitive Intermediate once after the tensest test ever, totally undeserved) or doing a good test and getting a really bad mark!
a good judge has to stay consistent through the test and if the first one in is good, and gets a mark in the 20s, say, they have to stay in line with that, even if 12 others are very good too...