fine_and_dandy
Well-Known Member
"...at times showed some lovely trot strides".
This statement was said to me earlier this week by a dressage judge about another livery's horse.
We had a dressage competition (low key unaffiliated) at the yard a few weeks back. I don't expect to get anywhere in these because Bailey is (how can we put this!) a "slow burner" and I do them to get experience for us both and to build our confidence. If we do an accurate test (which I do try to aim for) and we get a decent score, then I am happy.
Some parts of our tests were nice and he stopped worrying about what was going on, but he took real exception to the judge's car of all things! So coming down the centre line lovely and straight didn't quite happen all the way and he was tense when we came past the car. I thought the comments we got were fair and to be honest, I'm not experienced enough from a competitive view to know whether marking is generous, harsh or on the button. At the end of the day I am happy with what we did and know where we need to work on for the next time.
I was a bit surprised to be approached by the judge in question earlier this week who said she thought she had been too harsh on me, and then made the above statement about another horse, who had finished above us (not hard as we were last!) We got 57.39 (some may scoff but I was happy) and this horse got 62%
I was talking about this with a friend as I was confused about whether or not this actually mattered. My friend thinks it does as Gentleman was marked down last year in the Paralympics for being unlevel. The judge also said to me that she hadn't marked this horse down or spoken to the rider about soundness.
My question to the forum is should a horse be marked down or have a test stopped if it is "unlevel most of the time" or does that not matter in a test and you are just marked as normal?
There are no sour grapes involved in my query; although we are "competing", it is all for experience and I'm realistic to know that it'll be a while yet before we go out to be competitive. I am genuinely interested to see what others opinions are.
I didn't really say anything to the judge other than I was pleased with how my boy did overall, as I what do you say? I felt uncomfortable that comments were being made to me in this context as they clearly hadn't been said to the owner of the horse in question.
Thanks!
This statement was said to me earlier this week by a dressage judge about another livery's horse.
We had a dressage competition (low key unaffiliated) at the yard a few weeks back. I don't expect to get anywhere in these because Bailey is (how can we put this!) a "slow burner" and I do them to get experience for us both and to build our confidence. If we do an accurate test (which I do try to aim for) and we get a decent score, then I am happy.
Some parts of our tests were nice and he stopped worrying about what was going on, but he took real exception to the judge's car of all things! So coming down the centre line lovely and straight didn't quite happen all the way and he was tense when we came past the car. I thought the comments we got were fair and to be honest, I'm not experienced enough from a competitive view to know whether marking is generous, harsh or on the button. At the end of the day I am happy with what we did and know where we need to work on for the next time.
I was a bit surprised to be approached by the judge in question earlier this week who said she thought she had been too harsh on me, and then made the above statement about another horse, who had finished above us (not hard as we were last!) We got 57.39 (some may scoff but I was happy) and this horse got 62%
I was talking about this with a friend as I was confused about whether or not this actually mattered. My friend thinks it does as Gentleman was marked down last year in the Paralympics for being unlevel. The judge also said to me that she hadn't marked this horse down or spoken to the rider about soundness.
My question to the forum is should a horse be marked down or have a test stopped if it is "unlevel most of the time" or does that not matter in a test and you are just marked as normal?
There are no sour grapes involved in my query; although we are "competing", it is all for experience and I'm realistic to know that it'll be a while yet before we go out to be competitive. I am genuinely interested to see what others opinions are.
I didn't really say anything to the judge other than I was pleased with how my boy did overall, as I what do you say? I felt uncomfortable that comments were being made to me in this context as they clearly hadn't been said to the owner of the horse in question.
Thanks!