This message is from: Marsha Jo Hannah <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > I am just glowing with pride (or maybe it's sunburn!) after watching Dagrun > Aarsten and Bo-Fjords Cloudy aka Quinn compete today. [...] > Quinn has been in training for a combined schooling show in Woodside, CA at > The Horse Park. [...] I hauled > Quinn and his barn mate Bob the huge Thoroughbred to The Horse Park. Dagrun > planned to ride Bob in a beginner class for his owner. [...] dressage > [...] They blundered through the test, barely completing it. Not one to > feel defeated, Dagrun then warmed up Bob for the jumping class and proceeded > to do a great-looking clear round! > > Then it was Quinn's turn to shine. [...] > It was near perfect. Quinn was 100% obedient [...] > Imagine our surprise when the score was posted -- it was quite > low, the many comments all negative. They were ranked 12 out of 16. I was > hopping mad. How could Quinn score 10% less than he did 6 months ago with a > different judge, when he was not nearly as well schooled? [...] > we did agree that the scoring was unusually harsh, especially for a > beginner-novice class at a schooling show. I felt that breedism was in effect > [...] supported by the unbelievable fact that Bob the Thoroughbred's > dressage test, an embarrassing disaster, was scored only 3 points lower than > Quinn's flawless performance.
Several comments here. It sounds like Bob and Quinn were in different classes, probably with different tests, which makes it difficult to compare their scores directly. And, there is a lot of talk in the Combined Driving world about how much more harshly dressage tests are being scored this year, vs last. I suspect the same may be true in the Combined Training world. I've heard it said that some judges score tests against the best that they think a particular horse could do, while others score against the best that their ideal horse could do. If a judge is looking for the kind of movement that a 17hh warmblood would give, he's not going to "see" it in a Fjord. Part of the show game is to figure out which judges want to see what, and only show under the ones who'll judge your animal on his own merit. > they sailed over the monster jump like they did it every day. Quinn stayed in > a > balanced canter throughout, clearing all the jumps. [...] We > cheered even louder than before -- clear round, shortest time, no penalties! > Strangers who, minutes before, had said, "He's cuuuute! Can they jump?" were > clapping and cheering. And, that's the real point of "promoting" Fjords by doing open shows. The audience saw what he could do, and formed their own opinion of his performance. That image will last much longer than anyone's interest in the actual score! Congratulations to Dagrun and Quinn! Marsha Jo Hannah Murphy must have been a horseman-- [EMAIL PROTECTED] anything that can go wrong, will! 15 mi SW of Roseburg, Oregon
