Pammy Hutton on entry fees, inclusivity and the importance of empathy when working with horses
I admit I’m prone to eavesdropping, but I’m hearing too many conversations about high entry fees for national championships. Is £96 for a winter championship and £66 for an Area Festival championship pushing the limits of too many pockets? And why the difference? Both get three judges and Hartpury’s top-notch arenas. So are those qualified at Area Festival level deemed less wealthy? And why do silver sections charge the same entry fees, but have a lower prize fund? The current economic environment will continue to bring these questions to the fore.
However, the Winter Dressage Championships, now catering for almost all levels, proved mesmerising to follow and watch. At the top end, one spooky step, one moment of tension or slight error split the best combinations by half a mark. The other end of the spectrum saw 48 competing in the prelim bronze, with plenty to aspire to. When it comes to inclusivity, well done British Dressage.
It’s also great to have events at Addington back on the dressage calendar. The recent CDI was interesting to watch, but sadly activity in the collecting ring did not support our sport’s bid to maintain our social licence to operate. Too often the stewards should have intervened, but didn’t. There must be no over-strong riding anywhere, anymore.
Breaking barriers
Another hot topic right now is “firewalls”, defined as barrier scores above which it’s not possible to give a higher mark when certain faults appear within a movement. But some judges are apparently struggling to show a true interpretation of the guidelines.
Initially I understood that incorrect rhythm throughout a movement, for example a lateral walk, meant a firewall was applied. However, of late, it seems that just two lateral steps can warrant a mark of four regardless of the quality of the rest of the walk movement.
Hopefully the situation is about to improve as I hear that our director of judges, Peter Storr, has his finger on the pulse and is addressing the issue. His recent missive to tutor judges apparently offered further and clear clarification on the matter.
Staying on the subject of marks, how many competitors fail to appreciate the impact of the piaffe and passage in the grand prix? Of the 460 marks available, 150 are for piaffe, passage and the transitions between them. That’s nearly one third of the total marks!
While one might question the balance of the marks, it is fair to say that attempting grand prix without established piaffe and passage must be like contesting the Isle of Man TT motorcycle races on a moped…
Real horsemanship
Recent excursions to competitions have me thinking that expensive equipment, associated bling and super-athletic horses are beginning to take over from real horsemanship skills.
For me, feel and empathy are a critical part of dressage. They are the crucial elements that enable us to communicate with our partner, the horse. We currently seem to have too many riders held in place by the saddle, and attempting to communicate with the horse through a series of abstract and inconsistent signals.
How nice it is to see those riders who have developed true balance and a clear understanding of “horse speak” – and even better when their riding is rewarded by our judges. I was thrilled to hear of a rider at an everyday competition getting a 10 on their sheet recently. That takes horsemanship and brave judging.
In a similar vein, is it time that the words “feel”, “empathy” and “communication” are included in the British Horse Society qualification syllabi? Most qualifications are now “assessed” rather than “examined”, an approach that gives the impression of a dumbing down to protect those who grow faint at the thought of scrutiny. But is the horse world the right place for those people? After all, we’re working with animals that can spot the faint-hearted at 100 yards.
● What do you think about the entry fees and prize money at championships? Is it fair? Tell us at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county for the chance to have your views published in a future issue of Horse & Hound magazine.
- This exclusive column will also be available to read in Horse & Hound magazine, on sale Thursday 4 May
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