VERY ungenerous dressage judges :( bit of a rant!! and small kelsall report :D

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harrietadams

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Don't often post on here but this is really starting to annoy me - maybe i have just been unlucky with ungenerous dressage judges this year!!

Generally had a fab day at Kelsall BE90 with my youngster doing his first intro. Dressage was his best yet (baring one mistake after he slipped) or so we all thought :P

SJ - Chips was just unlucky to roll the last but generally jumped much better than stafford :D

Xc - So so so chuffed with him - clear inside the time :) i thought it was pretty big - would be interested what others thought!! but was great to have a change of course.

now this dressage !! he had a 34 last time out at stafford - today was much better, more secure, flowing, forward and confident yet he got a 42. While i appreciate that not all judges mark on the same views this seems pretty harsh. Top in my section when we left was 36. I just find it annoying that at this level, with amateurs who work b****y hard day in day out, that judges cannot be a little more encouraging.

Here is the video - i fully appreciate that its not perfect, and that he isn't the flashiest mover, but moves correctly and we feel for the level goes pretty correctly!! Would like here if anyone has any idea where the marks may have been lost - or if you agree with me that judgey had got out of bed the wrong side!!!

let me know if you cant open it!!

https://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1905942400947
 
Privacy settings won't let me watch your video... But take the positives from the day- brilliant SJ and XC and you liked how he felt in the dressage so it was a really good day!
 
I can't open it!

I agree it is frustrating but sounds like the whole section was marked hard. It can be very variable & I'm fairly sure BE dressage judges at BE90 level don't need to have had any judge training but I may be wrong.
 
Can see vid due to privacy settings, shame but for a young horses first intro run I would say you had a fab day!


Eta... All BE affiliated judges have to be BD listed :-)
 
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its so frustrating and annoying isnt it!!! Today me and my mare did best test we have EVER done, yet we got one of the worst marks! so confusing! wish i could read judges mind sometimes!
 
I can't see video either.

I do know judges do not all mark the same but I too hate really harsh judging at lower levels. I was scoring at BE event last week and you could see a HUGE difference in the way certain judges marked. In one arena high very few were better than the 40s :eek: In my own arena (Be100) we had a lovely very generous judge where someone had a 15.5 :cool:

I know it is all relative but.....!
 
Well we aren't any good at dressage but I always find that if I think a test goes well and the horse feels good, we get a dreadful mark and vice versa!! My last horse used to get really pretty good dressage scores (BE also) yet he felt ten times heavier in the hand and lazy compared to my other horse! Weird.
 
At least you got to go!

( still corked my horse would have been running today however when I was bringing him in last night he got staked on the gate so had to withdrawer and call the vet )

What does your dressage sheet say can you relate to the comments. I am infinatly bad at telling how my dressage test went as usually when my horse has gone a lot more consisitant so I think a really good test, I have thrown aways silly marks here and there, which all add up. Dressage is also theatrical you have to look like you know you are good! ( in my case try and pretend )
 
lannerch said:
( still corked my horse would have been running today however when I was bringing him in last night he got staked on the gate so had to withdrawer and call the vet )
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me too Lannerch! Been thinking about it all day especially at times I should have been on :(

What did vet say about your boy?
 
video going to be a while :( internet seems to be on a go slow...

will let you lot have a look and see if im missing anything :) i find it easy to get stuck in a rut when you see them everyday!!
 
Try not to dwell on the actual dressage mark. Take away the feel each section gave you and the overall day, and remember you still took the best horse home!!
 
Its a shame when you think the horse went well and get rewarded with low marks. I went to Kelsall today and thought the xc course and jumping course were very doable. Its going on my list of things to do maybe next year!
 
DarkHorseB said:
me too Lannerch! Been thinking about it all day especially at times I should have been on :(

What did vet say about your boy?
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I watched my times pass by as well.
Vet gave good news, is horrible soft tissue injury, could not do much but clean and bute and antibiotics , however she thought it will heal quickly, he needs 7 days off out 24 hours and there is a chance he will make bradwall. ( she also told me when he has to be off each drug to be legal ) thanks for asking. :)

He is very sore today though and very miserable
 
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lannerch said:
I watched my times pass by as well.
Vet gave good news, is horrible soft tissue injury, could not do much but clean and bute and antibiotics , however she thought it will heal quickly, he needs 7 days off out 24 hours and there is a chance he will make bradwall. ( she also told me when he has to be off each drug to be legal ) thanks for asking. :)
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That's good news! Everything crossed you get to Bradwall - have heard it is lovely :)
 
dylan1311 said:
Can see vid due to privacy settings, shame but for a young horses first intro run I would say you had a fab day!


Eta... All BE affiliated judges have to be BD listed :-)
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At Intro judges do not need to be BD listed. People that have ridden at Advanced level eventing, medium dressage or are BE accredited trainers can judge.
 
MagicMelon said:
Well we aren't any good at dressage but I always find that if I think a test goes well and the horse feels good, we get a dreadful mark and vice versa!! My last horse used to get really pretty good dressage scores (BE also) yet he felt ten times heavier in the hand and lazy compared to my other horse! Weird.
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this totally! :rolleyes:
its why i don't do dressage, i honestly don't understand what they are looking for! my test at stafford got a 42 and yes it wasn't great but it was in no way the worst test i've ever done...the comments all made sense, but then normally i get the same comments/ do a worse test and get higher marks. all you can do is take the positives and keep plugging away with the dressage :) (but yes i agree judges should aim to be encouraging IMHO)
 
You need to look more as well as where you are in your section as well though. If leader was on 36...were you roughly where you would expect to be in your section?

Did they deduct marks for leaving arena or not? that may have been just enough that movement to drop you over the 40 pens
 
I know this feeling at Aston unaff we did a really nice test unspooky and relaxed and got 49 at swalcliffe she was horrible tense and spooking at the boards and got 47.5 how the hell this is why I hate dressage too
 
Is leaving the arena not an elimination? That did strike me in the test and probably did not help in the overall marking - that movemnet alone could have lost several marks so 2 or 3 %. Also the test looked rather rushed or that may just have been the video?:confused:
 
Looks like a nice test to me, but from what you say the judge was a bit harsh overall, so don't let it get you down. From what you say you had a great day and you both did very well regardless of what the judge thought of the dressage so well done!!
 
Dificult to comment truthfully as camera was not square onto the arena, and Id never comment on another judges view point. You prob got a 3 for leaving the arena ( happened at Aston today and thats what I gave), but thought generally a nice soft swinging test, and nicely ridden. Take it on the chin, pick out the good bits and move on......
 
DarkHorseB said:
Is leaving the arena not an elimination? That did strike me in the test and probably did not help in the overall marking - that movemnet alone could have lost several marks so 2 or 3 %. Also the test looked rather rushed or that may just have been the video?:confused:
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You are only eliminated if there is a continuous surround of 23cm+. So in this case it is purely at the judges disgression what they mark for that movement.
 
charlimouse said:
You are only eliminated if there is a continuous surround of 23cm+. So in this case it is purely at the judges disgression what they mark for that movement.
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Ah thanks! Have always wondered about that as sure had heard it was an elimination somewhere. Not sure I have ever been in a surround of 23 cm + so I am probably safe!!!
 
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