'Guinea pig' in eventing?

[GeorgieGurl]

Someone help me out here?
Saw Sophie Beaty post 'Just found out I'm a guinea pig at @ChatsworthHT in the 3 star!'
Mean anything to anyone? Saw it referred to at Badminton as well!
Is it just the dressage or whole competition?
All eventers out there, help!
G x

 

[stencilface]

Think they go first in dressage to make sure judges are all on the same page?

Think they do sj and xc too?

 

[charlie76]

They ride the dressage test in front of the judges before the competition starts . I was asked to do it in a 1*

 

[Rum Tum]

Just the dressage - no jumping

 

[oldvic]

It's just for the dressage to make sure everything is working and as it should be - once nobody noticed that the arena had been set up with the markers at the wrong distance apart. It wasn't noticed until the guinea pig came out of the test and said the half passes were rather steep! It would have been awkward if the competition had started. There have been other instances of writers not being able to cope, test sheets being wrong and other minor technical hitches. The judges will confer after the guinea pig but they will not change how they judge otherwise they will become inconsistent. It is also useful for them to see what movements are not so easy to see - a flying change coming directly at them or an extension directly away from them, etc.