Eq Championships - View from behind the clipboard... This occasion was the second time I had the privilege of judging at Championships. The first time was 5 years ago at the inaugural event. Weve come a long way baby, Across the board the riding was better, the courses and the challenges were tougher, the turn-out was improved, the ring presence was much better and the scores generally speaking were more tightly bunched across competitors. My judging philosophy...1) One I never want to see the SCA get super hung up on exactness of judging and rules etc. I like our thin rulebook and dont want to see it balloon to the size of other horse sports. 2) Both times Ive judged Ive been impressed with how close the horsemanship judges are to each other and how consistent the individual judges are to themselves. 3) Personally, I look at each test and try to discern the essence of the exercise. For the first test you need to halt twice, back once, ride three figure eights, use two gaits and one pace change. If you did some version of that in the correct order you got a five. If you failed some where you got less than a five. If you did a particularly nice job of any of the elements, you got more points. A few suggestions for folks to consider next time... Horsemanship (20%) - A figure 8 is best described as two circles with three steps in common. Most folks did a nice job with symmetry. Many of the circles were ovoid. A few folks came through the center on a diagonal rather than straight. A few folks needed a bigger pace change. Changing your lead or your diagonal late is better than not changing it at all. Also just because the person that went ahead of you did it a certain way it does not mean they did it the best way. The most glaring thing that would have raised scores is while everyone was really good about turning to the judges to make eye contact initially, everyone promptly turned away from the gallery and the judges to ride their figure eights sideways. With one exception, your circles would have fit just fine turned 90 degrees and it would have kept your connection with your audience. Presentation Portion (20%) - I wasnt judging this one, merely scribing, but I had three observations. I LOVED the history portion! Some of us need to practice sitting on our horse and projecting to the audience. This is an important skill for a Champion. It makes challenges so much more interesting for the gallery if they can hear them. The other thing that struck me a couple of times is sun glass etiquette. Its the horse world, many folk wear sun glasses. They protect your eyes. I have always been taught to take your sunglasses off for the thirty seconds it takes to meet someone for the first time. Humans like to be able to look each other in the eyes. Reeds and Heads Speed Course (20%) - Purely time and penalties. Not judged, but swords have an edge and a flat. Just saying...If you dont know what edge and flat means, ask someone who is more experienced or fights heavy. Challenge Course (20%) Time and Penalties. (20%) Horsemanship on course - The vast majority of you did a really nice job with horsemanship on this course. There were a few examples of extremely tactfully riding by some on our greener critters that still stand out in my mind. For those with an experienced horse, riding with a little more pace while maintaining balance and control looks better where the course allows it. Little showmanship/crowd pleasing details translate to an extra point or two. Things that make the gallery cringe lose a point or two. The only other suggestion I have for almost everyone is try to be ready to go. Be waiting in the ring for when the ground crew, timers, and judges are ready. Exit the ring rapidly, when you are done. Our gait steward isnt always as experienced as the rest of us. If we stay on top of things it makes it go much faster and we can get gate crews trained. It is perfectly acceptable to have more than one person in the ring at a time between goes. Its why we use an in gate and an out gate. Doing so shaves 30-60 seconds of the transition. Doesnt seem like much but multiple out times 10-12 runs across 5 classes and the day becomes much faster and you all dont have to spend so much of it just sitting. Amazing day. Thrilled to watch it all and see where we have gotten. Anticipating seeing where we can go... Forward is the answer to everything!
Posted on: Sun, 14 Sep 2014 14:32:17 +0000
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