Hurrah!

I had good news yesterday!

I received the official communication that I had passed the second part of my course to become a dressage judge!! So the theory is all done now and I can concentrate on the hard part - the practical tests and actually doing some judging. Agh!



Source

 So I'm now officially a 'Judge in training'!! (Yep, that's me, grinnin' like a Cheshire cat!!)

Hasta pronto!

Dressage judges course - Part II

(*dusting away cobwebs*)
That's much better - I couldn't see the screen for dust! I could easily be accused of abandoning my poor blog, but this is not the case. As you can see, it's whirring back into action. The reason for my absence? Well, would you believe me if I told you that it's taken me practically all week to get over the course that I went off to do the previous weekend? I don't remember having been so physically and mentally drained for, well, I can't remember the last time!

It was gruelling! We spent four days solid covering theory:
- The Training Scale: the basis for any judge, practically everything has something to do with the Training Scale!
- Gaits: what has to be looked for in each gait and how it refers to the Training Scale
- Movements: lateral movements, circles, etc and how they should be executed.
- Scoring: and how to do it, again based on the Training Scale.

- Equestrian Morpho-biomechanics: yep, morphology comes into it too! It doesn't really influence the judging part but it was interesting to find out how a horse is literally put together and how changes in the skeleton can affect a horses ability to be able to do certain dressage moves. This is especially true in high level dressage where a horse is expected to do a number of complicated moves with a high degree of collection. Some horses are just not built to do it!
- Dressage tests: for young horses, low level tests (initiation and promotion), high level tests, and freestyle tests. We looked at the levels of difficulty for each group and what was expected of horses and riders. And we also looked at how to score each test. Can you believe that I found it more difficult to score one of the lowest level tests than a Prix St Georges test? Sounds ridiculous but it's a lot more straight forward!
- Vocabulary: oh yes, there is a certain vocab that is used when scoring a dressage test - it's supposed to make it easier to make comments!

Each day was spent going through the theory and then, in the evening, we headed back to the hotel to study, usually until about 2am. I was up again at around 7.30am to continue studying on the way back to the course to be ready for the exam. We had written exams every day. We also had a practical exam on morphology and, of course, 2 practical exams where we actually had to judge some dressage tests. It's amazing how I managed to survive on very little sleep and not eating very well! I suppose that determination had a lot to do with it and I was determined to do the best I could on the course.

And, if that wasn't enough, the flight I had to get home on the Sunday evening was delayed 2 hours - so I didn't get home until 3am!! A real test of stamina! It was fortunate that I had Hubby waiting for me at the airport to whisk me off home.

So now all I have to do is wait to see if I passed all the exams. But it's not over even then, oh no! I still have another 9 practical tests to do as a 'judge in training'. I think that I did OK in most of them, but you never can tell! Fingers crossed!

Hasta pronto!

Another competition closer to being a dressage judge!

If you read the 'mystery' guest post earlier in the week then you would know that at the weekend I was at yet another dressage competition. If it seems like I spend practically all my weekends at competitions, it's probably because I do! I'm trying to get in as much practice as possible so that I won't have any difficulties when it comes to passing my course to be a dressage judge.

So at the weekend I made the most of the 2 day competition to do another practical test, this time as Competition Steward. I find it interesting to know what is going on around me when usually it's difficult to even be able to look any further than the edge of the arena. To be honest I didn't find the role of Steward as interesting as that of the judge but it was good as experience.

The Stewards' job is to make sure that the competition runs like clockwork, that every rider knows when they have to be in the arena and who they go in after. It's also the Steward's job to make sure that none of the horses are abused or mistreated in any way either in the warm-up area or in any other area of the competition zone, boxes, trailers, vans, etc.

Checking the flanks for any sign of injury

Abusing or mistreating a horse at any time is reason for elimination and the Steward is well within their rights to report anything to the President of the ground jury and Delegate for action to be taken against the offending person. The horses have also to be checked by the Steward on leaving the arena to make sure that the equipment abides by the regulations and that there is no sign of injury to the horse.

Lessons from the official Steward

I was very fortunate to be able to get to do this practical test at the weekend because Stewards' are normally only present at the National Championships and the highest level dressage competitions which are not held frequently. But at this competition more competitors were expected as it was really four different competitions being held simultaneously, so a Steward was appointed. The official Steward is also a candidate to become an International Steward so I was in very good hands!

Checking the bit on the double bridle - by touch!

I've more than completed the preliminary practical tests now and I've been studying the regulations again and the Training Scale - next week we have the second part of the theory course and I'd really like to pass!

Hasta pronto!

Top class experience for judges' course

As you've probably already seen from yesterday's post, this weekend was the Spanish Juniors Dressage Championship. So I thought that I would make the most of having three whole days of competition practically on my doorstep to do get some more practical experience for my judges' course.

Arena perfection

I offered my services to the Organising Committee and was thrilled to be told that I would be needed. Some international judges were coming to the competition and preferred to sit with someone that could speak English - yay! Little did I know that I was going to be sat with Hans-Christian Matthiesen, the Danish international dressage judge (also national team vet and Chef d'Equipe for the Danish Juniors and YR teams!), and Isabelle Judet the French international judge and Official to the FEI. What an honour and what a fabulous experience!!

Pony precision

I sat with one or other of them during the whole weekend, although I spent most time with Mr. Matthiesen. I got to see how they judge all different levels from children to YR and I could ask as many questions as I liked! Every query I had was answered and every score or comment that I didn't understand why it had been given was explained.

Freestyle start

By Sunday evening my head was spinning but I felt as if I had learnt so much - the 6am starts to get to the competition on time were really worth it! I realise that the more I see, the more experience I get and the opportunities to sit with different judges will only help me to form my own, solid criteria which I think is very necessary for being a fair judge.

I also have to thank Hubby for taking care of the horses while I was at the competition, for getting me there on time and for taking all of these fabulous photos!

Hasta pronto!

Becoming a dressage judge update

As I've mentioned before, in June I took the first theoretical part of a course to train to be a regional dressage judge. Phase 1 included two questionnaires of over 250 questions and a written exam which I passed (hurrah!). And so I had to start the practical training. I received a list of 14 practical tests that I have to complete but only five of them can be done before the second, and final, part of the theoretical course. (I do hope that I'm explaining myself properly and haven't lost you yet!).

The five practicals are as administrative secretary (4 times), where I have to sit with a judge at an official competition and write down the scores and comments on the score sheet, and as technical secretary, which involves helping the Organising Committee to put together the final score sheets and publish the list of participants with their final scores and placings.

Walk

In Tenerife, where I started the course, there aren't that many competitions which makes it difficult to do the practicals. But in Madrid there is a competition almost every weekend! There are regional level, national level and, as I posted on Monday, even the Spanish Championship! So, I've already completed all the practicals I need to do before Phase 2 on the theoretical side. The second part has been confirmed for November and I already received the study plan. We have 4 days of intense lessons and an exam every day! So I'll let you know how I get on - fingers crossed!

I'm trying to go to as many competitions as I can. I think that the best way to improve at something is to dedicate time to it and practice, practice, practice. I was lucky to be able to sit with the judges as admin secretary at the Championships and, although it was hard work and a lot of hours, I noticed that things were coming together for me.

Piaffe

At the Championship there was an invited International judge and on Saturday and Sunday I had the good fortune to sit with her. She was none other than Mariette Withages! Just to bring you up to speed, Ms Withages has been an International judge for over 30 years, she has been a judge 6 times at the Dressage World Cup Finals, the 1st woman President of the Ground Jury at the 1998 World Equestrian Games, dressage judge at 4 Olympic Games and the President of the FEI Dressage Committee from 2001 until 2008. What an honour to be able to sit with her!

I asked her what, in her opinion, made a good dressage judge. She told me that it is essential to know the theory; to understand the training scale; to base all judgements on my own criteria based on the previous two; to know, understand and have experience of the moves that I am judging (I'll have to get on with doing some decent flying changes and learn how to do pirouettes then!); have a good memory as it is important to remember the tests of each horse to be able to judge and score fairly; and to have a strong character as it is not unusual for others (riders, trainers, owners) to try and influence your opinion and therefore your judging.

Piaffe

It was an exceptional opportunity for me and so interesting to be listening to a judge with such experience. I also sat with other Spanish national level judges and was able to benefit from their experience also. I believe that the secret is to see as many different horses as possible at all levels. But it is also essential to train the eye and the brain to see what is in front of me and to be able to apply the theory and training scale in an instant.

Flying change

It is hard work, there is no easy way to do it and, to be honest, it's very necessary to love dressage! But I feel that even though I'm only just starting out on this, and I realise that I have a long way to go, I'm really learning new things every time I go to a competition and reinforcing things that I've already learned.

So the compulsory practical tests before Phase 2 are already completed but this weekend it's the Spanish Championships for Juniors, so I've offered my services to sit with the judges again. It's going to be interesting to see different levels as all the riders are under 21 and to see how the judges operate. It's also going to be a long weekend - over 140 participants! But I'm already looking forward to it! I'll let you know how it all went next week.

Hasta pronto!