Trailblazers Dressage Finals

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icestationzebra

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Last years prelim winner won with a score of 75.5%.... WOW! BUT... if you are doing well enough to score marks that high prelim should you not be competing Novice? I am just thinking of the average prelim rider who may be inexperienced or have a young horse and are never going to get near those marks. I know it is good to have something to aspire to and competition is good but the whole ethos of Trailblazers is that it is for the true amateur... what do you think?

(I'm only moaning because I really want a rosette and I can't get one whilst all these people keep winning them!
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LOL, I lvoe your attitude!
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I know nothing about the winner but that person may the pretty average rider who has worked really really hard and got the best mark ever for them?
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Howver, I totally agree about moving up.
My sis did a lot of unaff last year. At most events there is one particular rider known well in our area who is very very very good. Hes been doing it for years and wins nearly everytime out at prelim and novice.I cannot understand why this person hasnt affiliated but seems more than happy to win everything around here. Very unfair, in my eyes, for my sis who has been doing it for a year and keeps getting pipped to the post by a "professional unaff" rider!
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i agree. about 3 years ago I qualified for the finals at all three levels (there were very few in the prelim second round so wasn't 'denying' anyone a place!
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) BUT for the finals I decided to compete Novice and Elementary as you are only allowed to compete at two levels and I thought it wouldn't be fair to compete at prelim as we were established at Elementary.

In the end I think I made the wrong decision in terms of any chances of getting a rosette (I managed an =10th with rosettes to 10th but missed out on collectives
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). Although there were some very much average joes in the prelim there were a lot of VERY serious horses. The main one was winning classes with over 80% at the final with several others easily in the 70-75% area. and they would have got those scores affiliated. (I ended up helping out by scribing on one day as i finished my two tests by 9am!!! )

The standard was equally high in the Novice and not far off in the elementary. Even though i didn't quite come away with the rosette (i blame it all on the JCB building that Dan thought was the scariest thing ever LOL ) I had a fantastic time and felt better about myself for being a good sport by not entering the prelim
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I think you were very honourable and did the right thing
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- which in hindsight probably cost you a decent placing and a rosette. I do understand the dilemma of "should I stick with prelim and give myself a chance of winning or try a level up". Of course there will be those at Novice and Elementary that perhaps should be out BD Medium - that's life I guess!
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Are you doing any this year?
 
I am shallow I admit - I love winning rosettes and there have been times during particular dry spells where I have been tempted to wrestle them out of small childrens hands
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I don't know the winner of last years TB prelim either - I say a big well done for achieving that score. There are however people that seem to do this every year and qualify for the finals time and again - and at prelim too. I feel for your sister too who is getting beaten by a 'pot hunter' - there! I said it
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I keep meaning to as well Dan needs to go out and have some fun again, admittedly we might do the prelim but considering he has had navicular and bone spavins and not competed in 2 years I think we can get away with it
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and Fleur needs to go out and be challenged but its a case of getting lorry started (battery flat as pancake), removing the oven/cooker in the horse section and getting my arse in gear!! lol
 
This is something i ve often thought about, especially as i managed to go to the finals last year to compete in the prelim. i was dead chuffed with my pony as in 3 months she'd had to go from head in the air to working in an outline, we had the basics and managed to come 8th on the first day with 66% but came nearly last on the 2nd day as we were completely out of our league! I watched quite a few prelim tests and was amazed by the standard, some of these horses and ponies were working in faultless outlines and were so clearly way more established than prelim!
 
big finals like trailblazers will always attract pot-hunters. riding club finals are the same. every year in the dressage to music finals there are stacks of people in the Novice who are winning at BD Elem and Medium. And then this year the winner from last year was there again - i think there should be a rule that if you've been in the top 3 or something then you cant do it again. It's why i went affiliated - got fed up of pothunters at unaffiliated. At affil once you've got a certain number of points that's it, no more at that level, so if you're not good and dont get over 60% much then you can keep going at that level, but if you're winning you'll go out of the points and have to move up.
 
Star you hit the nail on the head, there is no policing structure to the unaffiliated scene and the pothunters are free to enter classes that, if truth told, they are above and beyond.

Unfortunately this happens all the time. I too now prefer to go to affiliated dressage.
 
I saw one horse for sale a little while ago who came 6th at affiliated national finals elementry and 2 years later cam 1st at Trailblazers Prelim national finals with the same rider!!!

Not really fair is it!

Just to boast - I got a 9th rosette at the Trailblazers final at prelim last year
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My boy was just 6 and it was both our first times at a big show like this so was very proud. In the senior section, it was full of very posh looking horses with expensive looking saddles, so was well chuffed to beat so many of them on my IDxTB in a GP saddle!

Locally, I don't bother with Riding Club stuff as I will never beat the old faithfulls who don't move up a level when they are clearly well above the standard.
 
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