Reflections of an Amateur Dressage
Judge
(originally
published in the Equiery)
Michael
Hillman
If anyone told me five
years ago I would one day find myself judging dressage
tests at starter horse trials, I would have questioned
their mental capacity. Over the last few years however,
my appreciation has grown for how important a sound
dressage background is to the making of an event horse,
and with it, my thirst for learning more about every
aspect of this critical phase of eventing.
My initial efforts focused
on improving my own performance, but it wasn't until I
tried my hand at helping some local kids improve their
dressage rides that my current passion for dressage took
off. Needless to say, when I was asked to serve as
dressage judge at a recent starter event, I jumped at
the chance - not because of the enormous amount of money
one makes judging dressage - but for the opportunity to
learn.
Over the past two years,
I've judged three times. I have noticed some reoccurring
trends and patterns in basic dressage errors, which if
corrected, would greatly improve most scores. These
observations include:
Turnout - While
braiding and banging tails are not required in eventing,
it does show a judge you're willing to go the extra mile
to show polish. A nicely turned out horse catches a
judge's eye. Riders are judged on how well the horse and
rider executes a given movement, and how pleasing they
look while executing those movements does impact the
score. Needless to say, it's a lot more pleasing to
watch a nicely turned out horse than one that looks like
it just came out of a field. And while a nicely turned
out horse can't guarantee you better marks, especially
if your horse is unruly or not up to the job, it sure
can't hurt your score. So take the time to turn your
horse out properly. In addition, a well turned-out horse
may also help improve the all-important collective
marks.
Make Eye Contact With
The Judge - As you prepare to enter the ring, take a
few moments and make eye contact with the judge. Offer
them a warm 'good morning', or 'good afternoon' and wait
for their response! This may be your only opportunity to
let the judge know you're more then a number. Make your
eye contact count. Make the judge feel appreciated.
Smile and Reward Your
Horse - I have way too many riders execute their
test with frowns. No matter how poor your ride, try to
keep a smile on your face. If you're frowning, there's a
good chance the judge will note it and begin to wonder
why, and then begin to look for the reasons. On the
other hand, a happy rider is always easier to judge,
even when they have a bad test, again, it's the
'appearance thing'. After the test, always give your
horse a pat. When a rider rewards the horse, the rider
leaves the judge with the impression that the horse
listened to them. This is the type of impression you
want the judge to have when they score the collective
marks.
Focus on Accuracy!
- If you take the time to read the criteria you are
judged against, accuracy always tops the list. Circles
need to be round, not elliptical. Lines need to be
straight, not crooked. If the test calls for you to
begin your circle at 'B', begin it as your body reaches
'B', not two strides before or two strides after. Making
circles round seems to be the biggest issue for most
riders. To help accomplish this, if you have access to a
dressage ring at home, mark out the circle with lime.
While you ride it, note where the 'top' and 'bottom' of
the circle comes with regards to the letters on the side
of the ring. At an event, ride to the same markers. Too
many riders make the mistake of simply following the
tracks left by the riders before them. Don't be part of
the pack. Ride it right!
Salutes - Don't hurry
your salute. When you enter, your salute is your
first formal presentation of your horse to the judge.
Consider your salute as an opportunity to take a deep
breath, to collect your thoughts, to give your horse a
chance to size up his surroundings, and to prepare for
that all-important first turn. A long salute also serves
to give the judge a few seconds to appreciate you and
your horse, and by taking your time, you establish in
their mind that your test is going to be one of
organization and purposefulness. After your final
salute, walk towards the judge and once again make eye
contact with them. Thank them, and with your smile, let
them know you were pleased with your ride.
Don't Fight With Your Horse in the Arena - If
your horse doesn't respond properly or misbehaves, don't
discipline the horse in the dressage ring. Deal with the
situation as best you can at the time. Disciplining
should be done at home. During a recent show, I watched
one young rider fight the urge to discipline her horse
when he was naughty. By resisting the urge to punish
him, only a few moments of her test were ruined. But the
points she lost in that particular movement were more
then made up by the reward she got in the collective
marks, for her 'horsemanship'. As a rider, I'd rather
have a 'tactfully ridden' comment any day than a chiding
from a judge for poor horsemanship.
Free Walk - In far
too many tests that I've judged, riders do not allow
their horses to take the reins and stretch their heads
towards the ground. This is a simple movement that can
easily be perfected at home. Whenever you are on your
horse and not working in a collected frame, encourage
the horse to take the bit and stretch down. If you do
this all the time, your horse will instantly take the
bit and stretch on your free walk and trot circle in the
test. The more they stretch, the better your score.
However, don't mistake your horse snatching the bit for
a true stretch, and don't allow your horse to plug
along. For a good score, a horse should take the bit
quietly and gradually. Since at the lower levels the
importance of this movement is recognized by a
multiplier of 2, it's too critical a part of your test
not to perfect at home.
Accuracy - Have I mentioned accuracy yet? If
you're not accurate, everything else is a waste of time.
To improve the accuracy of your test, have someone watch
you practice it. If your accomplish nothing else in your
dressage test other than being accurate, you can be sure
you'll score will at least put you in the middle of the
pack.
Corners - Don't cut your corners! Go as deeply
into the corners as you can. The more you can show the
judge your horse's ability to bend, the better your
marks will be.
Show Transitions - After accuracy, transitions
are the next most important factor for a judge in
determining a movement's score. If you have a horse that
has difficulty doing a lengthening, at least try to show
a transition. Before the lengthening, really collect
your horse, then during the lengthening, allow your
horse to go forward, at the end of the 'lengthening'
movement, collect again to show a 'change'. Even if all
you get is their normal trot, you'll get a better score
then if you hadn't done anything.
Focus on the judges comments, not the score: For
a long time I only looked at my test to see whether I
received a five or a six on given movement. It wasn't
until I truly began to take note of the 'tips' provided
by the judge for improving each movement, that the fives
and sixes quickly became sevens and eights. To help you
interpret what the judge is trying to tell you, always,
always, review your test with your coach. While each
judge has specific items they look for, a top ride for
one judge will almost always be in the top three for
another judge. Rider's who learn from judges' comments
will quickly find themselves with improving performance
and scores.
Pick one aspect of your test, and work on improving
it. This spring, I had an opportunity to compete a
friend's horse. A review of his dressage tests
highlighted a few key areas, which if improved, would
greatly improve his standing after dressage. After each
event, I concentrated the following week's work on the
lowest scored movement. Never once did it fail to
improve his score in the next show. As a result, he went
from a score of 42 in his first training event, to a 32
in his fifth.
Lastly, for that extra winning margin, keep all your
tests in a handy file in your trailer. When you show up
at a show and discover your judge is the same one who
judged you three events ago, you can quickly review
their comments. The chances are pretty good that they'll
be looking for the same things event after event, so
focus on them and your scores should improve. Forewarned
is forearmed. Read
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