Shocked when watching dressage.

Well it probably would have helped if I hadn't have ridden like a complete muppet, but there you go! You live and learn.
Hasn't put me off at all, I just know now what I need to work on and that I need to get Axel out and about as much as possible.
and maybe drink a bottle of rescue remedy before hand...........
 
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i totally understand where you are coming from, but just because a rider has competed at 3*/OI or whatever in the past, doesn't mean they're riding as good a horse as that on the day... and if they're not, they're just trying to get some experience into the horses.
i will take the useless/unpredictable baby ones out at local level, and feel a bit embarrassed if they win, but i won't once they get to a decent level... but i could understand people feeling aggrieved tbh.
i went to a trailblazers sj (first time ever) a few months ago and my mare was probably about the worst behaved there, fwiw! i may have looked slightly too professional but i certainly didn't win any rosettes!
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They were actually riding their 3* OI horses on wednesday! I looked up on BE that night and one of them had won a 3* advanced and the other had come 2nd at the same event.
In fairness to them they were in the E44 and M63, if they were doing a prelim I'd have been a bit miffed!
 
I guess i can speak as one of those eventers... ok i'm by no means well known, but i do compete at OI and 2* level, and i'm aiming to go Adv. and poss. 3* this season...
I did an unaff. dressage comp. with my good horse at the start of the season, and shock horror i won the Elem.. i say shock/horror as my horse is usually not just bottom of the pack when doing dressage at BE events, but bottom of the pack by about 10 marks...
Before the unaff. Elem i'd entered and done well in a novice test at a riding for the dissabled center...
This has been just what he needed as last time out in the OI at Powderham he finished on a rather good dressage score of 33, only 3 marks different in dressage score than WFP... So all those low-key outings obviously helped
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What do you mean by professional? I ride at affiliated shows just so that I can be pretty sure that and judging I get is fair and good. I am not a professional rider but I do turn my horses out well and I only take horses when they are working at the level above whatever test I'm doing. They might go well or not as the case may be but I not a professional. Just because I ride affiliated does that mean that I shouldn't even think about doing Trailblazers?
 
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This what I love about equestrianism, your average rider who just competes for fun at weekends can compete against the pro riders and it feels such an achievement when you beat them. I for instance have competed against Daisy Dick at a BD competition and managed to beat her in one class, it made me feel alot better especially when I didn't ride the best test in the world.

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Wow! Well done!!!
 
I think you will find that the pro riders you are referring to were competing in a mixed class,nov/elem/medium and were on young horses,one i know for a fact one was a 4 year old.As previuosly mentioned in other posts they have not taken away any qualifying places for trailblazers.I also know by checking the results that in the medium test they did not get mega % and were just out to get miles on the clock on there younger horses.What else are they meant to do to get experience in the ring,just up your game and try and beat them,its really rewarding and one of the few sports that Joe Bloggs can compete against the top riders on the same level.
 
I agree with you halfpass.

Go HC and give the true amatuers a chance. Lets face it if your ride at that level young horse of not its going to be a good one and put the "average" horse and rider to shame.

Its my pet hate. I have just started competing in dressage as my horsey isnt allowed to jump due to an injury and i could put all the work in but still never stand a chace against a rider of that level.
 
I'm a bit baffled by the implication from some people here that if you compete BSJA/BD/BE then you are 'professional'. That is soooo not the case!
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I was reserve champion at Trailblazers (SJ) in 2002, and at that time, I was also jumping my mare affiliated. We had a couple of wins, many placings and qualified 2nd rounds BSJA, but I was never quite brave enough to take the step up and actually compete in those second rounds. And Trailblazers was aimed just right for me and for Ellie; when we got to Stoneleigh and jumped in the 95 and 105cm finals, we were, I would argue, right on our limit, but that limit was still above the level we had been jumping at BSJA (the 105 final went up to 1.25 in the third jump off). So....my point is, please think before suggesting that all affiliated members should be banned from Trailblazers - some of us are still amateurs, and affiliating in some cases just gives people the chance to jump solid, well built tracks - or be judged by accredited judges - where many unnaffiliated comps do not.
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