worst comments you've had on dressage sheets

A few times I have had the comment "good canter, pity it wasn't in the arena"!!!!! I have also had "horse knows his job, pity the rider doesn't" which I was really cross about, especially as I had got all 7's and 8's in the test, then I got a 4 for my riding!?!?! I was still in the lead going into the sj, so I hate to think what the judge put on other people's sheets!!!!!!!
 
Not a bad comment but my horse always does a cracking walk on a loose rein head really low and stretched. Really looking good. My last test i was given an 8 for this and comment next to it 'good attempt', i was none the less a bit miffed it was my best score on the sheet!!????
 
......on a very windy day with flapping marquees, the give & re-take reins in canter got a comment of............"brave to release!" & "bad luck, every riders worst nightmare,well done for smiling!"....The smile was thro' gritted teeth, & at the end of the test instead of saluting, I pointed two fingers at the horses head, as if to shoot him,...the judge roared with laughter!!.


......Smiths Lawn, with polo going on next door..........."I hate polo too!"


......little bits of rubber hitting the side boards..........."expecting a minor explosion, which never actually occured" (we won that one!!!)
 
I've had "loss of control", and then "well maintained", "very well maintained", "well managed" the whole way through the test after it!

A tree fell down in the woods next to use, and after about 10 circles at flat out, we carried on the test! the judges hadn't even heard it, becaus their car windows were up! Thankfully someone did tell them, although I was beeped numerous times, and they got out the car to see what was going on!
 
Mine was "well sat over the flowers!!" as the horse I was sharing saw the flowers on top of the cones and promptly decided to jump them!!

Who said dressage was boring?!! :D
 
I got on one dressage test...
"A little high spirited!"
Im guessing the judge didnt like my party trick on Jester
 
Our most recent was 'sympathetically ridden' :/ after a test of trying to avoid the horse eating flower pots :)
 
In my first ever test, on a pony week, aged 9: 'Nicely ridden, but rider could make better use of the track.'

The pony jumped out over the boards, and (having been told to continue from where I left off if I went wrong) I insisted she went back in at the same spot rather than re-entering at A. She did. Eventually.

I'd like to say I've improved since then but actually we came third, which is better than I've done for quite some time.
 
Some of these are great, I haven't really had anything as my horse is so laid back at events, but did get the comment 'You ride this youngster well as he is BIG!!' Actually, he's 15.3hh on tiptoes... and 19 years old!
 
"Tactfully ridden" is judge-speak for "Wow! You're still alive. Well done." ;) I have a selection of tests with similar phrases. I've ridden a lot of wacky horses, which at least means the judges feel compelled to write something. I do find the comments are inverse to the marks - the better the marks the more picky the comments and vice versa. Now I judge more I can see why! If someone is having a rough time you figure they've probably figured it out for themselves but if they're almost there you want to tell them that little bit that will help it out.

The best one ever was a judge writing in a little box with "Capriole" complete with a score and a little comment "nicely done". I wonder what the scoring people made of that when they first saw it. :D I also turned at C once, immediately knew I'd turned the wrong way and swore under my breath. I got a -2 and "unauthorised use of voice" :eek:

I also had, "Mark for free walk could have been better - try not to let horse drink from puddles!" :)

I try not to be too snarky when I'm judging but sometimes you can't resist a "whoops" or a "Too bad! Marks will improve as horse relaxes/gets more forward/grows a brain." For most judges it's genuine sympathy talking!

I've seen some bizarre ones writing, too. The best was a horse ridden by a well known professional that cantered up the centre line, clearly under protest then, without halting, proceeded to reverse just as quickly. "My" judge was quiet for a moment then said, "What do you think I should put for that?" Luckily (or not) the rider then started to use her whip, um, with enthusiasm and the judge at A chucked her out so we never had to figure it out. :)

I did have a student once get marks and comments for two movements she never did . . .
 
In the "olden days" when you used to have to halt on the centre line on entering the arena I never got more than a one for the movement (which also describes how many legs the horse had on the ground for the salute!). One comment was "Rider tried very hard, horse didn't help at all!"
 
Wilby's second time out stressaging a fortnight ago resulted in the comment 'Try not to fall out of the arena!!!' after I forgot to turn going up the centre line :o

Once Bronson got 'losing impulsion' when he tried to stop because he needed a poo. I'd asked him to go before we went in :rolleyes:
 
all in one test ...

-lazy
- backward thinking then naughty in canter - very disobedient (mark of 1!!)
-behind the leg, spooking
- very opinionated

not funny comments at the time, but now seems greatly amusing!
 
Not "worst" but funniest was a friend the other week having gone wrong twice in her test and cantered too early each time... "lovely canter, no wonder you were so keen to show it to me"

I got "bit of a hot potato" from the same judge!
 
A few of mine.

"Can't comment on paces as I have seen none"?

"Canter down the center line not required at this level"! was a prelim test!

And finally

"shame it all fell apart in the middle"!!!!!!!!!

oh well, gotta keep trying i suppose.x
 
A regular comment with my old horse - 'rather onward bound' or 'promising paces - time to ask her for more' - he was 17yo ex-racehorse at the time so rather set in his ways. Also the one that makes you want to give up - 'well tried!' - after getting rubbish marks. Sounds a bit patronising rather than encouraging maybe?

Worst with new horse - 'barely a fwlr'. Made me fell like a complete numpty as if i didn't know what a fwlr was.

Nicest with new horse - 'what a lovely little person!'. Thinks judge was talking about my 16.2hh wb, not me but i could be wrong!!
 
Alibear said:
And master of understatement "halt a little late" we'd finished with horses chest on the car front bumper and nose on the windscreen snorting and misting it up, the writer had fled.
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TarrSteps said:
I also had, "Mark for free walk could have been better - try not to let horse drink from puddles!" :)
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Both of these really made me LOL!!

I think the worst I ever got was something along the lines of "Oh...dear... Not really in the mood is she? Well sat anyway, does she jump?"

I was riding Sandy about 6 months after I backed her when she was still being a real brat, she napped the whole way round the ring and bucked her heart out!

Luckily she does jump! Hopefully if I ever have the money to event her her SJ/XC scores wil save us from our dressage!
 
Got 49% and the end comments were trying to be nice but the comments on each movement made during the test were more honest. For the canter it simply said "Hunting!" :)
 
I took a 5 year old ex-racer out to do his first test. He was awful and nappy and really naughty on the day but I was determined to finish the test and not let him win. My sheet said ...
"Go home and re-train. If your horse can not walk in a straight line do not ask him to trot in a straight line"

What a prat of a judge. It was pretty obvious that he was being naughty!
 
Not bad but fairly amusing: Took my Advanced horse to do an unaffiliated CT pre season, PN test and the judges comment was "showing promise"! Well yes, I'd hope so!!!
 
Don't know about worst comment, but certainly a rather odd one was one on the final movement of the test which read ....... Straight down centre line, perfect rhythm, lovely square halt ...... 6 ....:eek:

and I am supposed to improve on that movement how ???? :confused:
 
Don't know about worst comment, but certainly a rather odd one was one on the final movement of the test which read ....... Straight down centre line, perfect rhythm, lovely square halt ...... 5 ....:eek:

and I am supposed to improve on that movement how ???? :confused:
 
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