Mrs. Cherry asked for comments concerning the dressage judging at the Pan Am Games so far (Prix St. Georges and Intermediare I), especially in light of Bermuda’s Annabelle Collins’ Prix St. Georges test on Medici, and her 6^th place score given by Judge at M, Stephen Clarke, in stark contrast to the 16^th place score given by Judge at B, Mariette Withages.  Mrs. Withages is the current Chairman of the FEI Dressage Committee, and Stephen Clarke is regarded by some as the likely candidate to succeed her. The judging in the Intermediare I did appear to be much closer between judges, especially in the higher scoring rides, and it should be said that the wide variance in Annabelle’s PSG placings were a result of a difference of 5% points. 

It is sometimes difficult to understand why divergences in markings occur, and is undoubtedly the subject of much discussion and speculation!  However it should be considered that with five judges present on three sides of the ring (on one long side two judges: at E (half way down), and H (quarter line), the other long side two judges: at B and M (also half way down and quarter line), on the short side a judge at C (centre line), it is entirely possible for one judge to see an executed movement more clearly than another, for example, a judge at C can quite comfortably see whether or not the horse and rider are travelling straight down the centre line, whereas the judge at E will obviously not have the same opportunity.  In another example the judge at E will have a different view of an extended trot across the diagonal from H to F than the judge at H.

Last year at the World Equestrian Games in Aachen I witnessed for the first time screens around the outside of the arena flashing results to spectators from each individual judge for each movement of the test as they occurred.  Now that’s open judging!  And yes, some were the subject of mutterings and groans....  More open judging has come about in no small way due to the Global Dressage Forum set up in 2001 and recognized by the FEI, bringing together top judges, riders and similarly esteemed trainers from all over the world once a year in an open discussion which has without doubt benefitted the sport of dressage as a whole. (Spectators are invited to attend but the cost of doing so is quite high). Stories, fictional or true, of an elderly gentleman judge falling asleep during tests are a thing of the past!

In any sport where judges are used to decide the outcome of competition there is always an element of subjectiveness within the boundaries of the rules and principles they abide by. 

We should be rightly proud of Annabelle’s achievements at the Games thus far, and I for one wish her every success in her Kur performance tomorrow.  And here’s to the judges who have the difficult task of scoring such a subjective class!