Nov 20 test - what is the judge looking for in this bit?

[Hornby]

I hope to do Novice 20 soon (British Dressage) but there is an exercise that I have not come across before - what will be judge be looking for please? 20m circle in canter and over X a canter / trot / canter transition...how many strides of trot please (if I do more trot strides I can get a better second canter transition but we are way past X by then......

) Thanks.

 

[ihatework]

I would say 3 trot strides, one before X, one over X and one after.
But you should be able to get away with 4- 5 trot strides

 

[GDB]

3 or 4 strides in trot....transitions up and down to be smooth and forward thinking...

 

[sillygillyhorse]

Novice 20 is a Scales of Training test, the following is taken from the BD test sheet and should explain what the judge is looking for:

"Quality of canter. Uniform bend along line of circle. Fluency, balance. Throughness of transitions & clarity of trot."

As Hils says, smooth and forward, to that I would add balanced. Hope it all goes well for you.

 

[Hornby]

Thank you all, I think I have been rushing the second canter transition in my practise so I will try to think smooooth......

 

[DuckToller]

Also make it equal - if you need 2-3 strides after the centre line, then do 2-3 before, rather than 1 before and 3 after.