Putting Your Best Hoof Forward at the Schooling Show

By Karen Puchalsky, NODA The Dressage Foundation Liaison and Recognized Show Volunteer Coordinator

This article received an honorable mention in the 2023 GMO Newsletter Award for an Original Article: General Interest article for GMOs with 175-499 members. It originally appeared in NODA News, the newsletter for the Northern Ohio Dressage Association, 2023, Issue 3.

NODA has a strong schooling show program and engages both USEF rated judges as well as USDF L Program Graduates to provide competitors an educational and affordable competition experience. I wanted to find the perspective of judges, trainers, and competitors who participate in the Summer Schooling Show Series, so I asked judges, competitors, and NODA member professionals who attend our schooling shows to provide input and these are the people who responded. To my call.

To get the judges’ point of view I talked with several judges. Robin Birk is a USEF “r” Dressage Judge and USDF Bronze, Silver, and Gold Medalist and has also provided clinics and ride-a-tests for adult camp participants.

Robin said “Preparation is crucial when you go to a schooling show or any show. Robin’s favorite four letter word is PLAN. Know what your goals are before you go to a show.” Start your plan by choosing the shows you are going to attend and for what purpose. For example, does the rider need more experience in a show environment? Do you have a young horse that needs exposure? Do you want to ride a higher-level test for the first time? The more you prepare ahead of the show, the more likely you will be successful at obtaining your goals.

It is always a good idea to check out the venue you are going and make sure it will help to achieve your goals. Is here enough space in the warm up that you can warm up more privately if you have a young nervous horse or a nervous student who could be intimidated by a very crowded warm-up? Are the stalls safe for a young horse? What is the footing like? Make sure your show site is suitable for your needs.

Always be prepared to ride your test. This means not only knowing the pattern of the test (how to get from point A to point B), but also knowing how to prepare for each movement BEFORE you get to the letter to start that movement. It is important to read the directives of the test and each movement in the test to understand the requirements of the test and the essence of each movement.

Know what your warm-up preparation will be exactly. Robin suggests don’t change your plan and warm up differently at the show than you do at home. The warm up ring is not the place to make changes. From the judge’s point of view, she does not know what the rider’s plan is for the show or what their goals may be. As a judge, Robin says that she judges like a mirror, and the reflection from that mirror must be transformed into words and numbers on the score sheet.

What is most important for Robin to see as a judge is that horses are performing as happy athletes. Are the horse and rider performing in harmony? Is the horse and rider performing as a team and demonstrating correct basics for the level shown? If you are doing a second level test for the first time, make sure you can perform the movements with ease. Again, do your homework and make sure you and your horse are prepared. Robin’s advice is to be schooling your horse one level above what level you are showing. No matter what your riding status is or what level test you are riding, the judge sees you for only eight (8) minutes and we can only judge what we see in those eight (8) minutes. Robin strongly suggests understanding what the scores mean. If you get a 6 on one movement understand that is satisfactory, you have met the minimum requirements for that movement. But also understand that you have an opportunity to improve another 40%. Knowing what each score means will help you prepare for the next test you ride.

Mistakes happen in a test, it is only one score in one box. If a mistake happens, do not let it consume you. Quickly, focus on the next movement coming and reorganize as quickly as possible… Don’t let one mistake get you off your game plan. If you don’t fix your mistakes as quickly as possible, sometimes the mistake of one box can continue onto the next box. Robin’s example, if you are riding a test and you have to canter, but you get the wrong lead and do not recognize you are on the wrong lead or cannot get it changed before the next movement, that mistake will now be reflected in a second box. Always try to fix your mistakes as soon as possible. Don’t make an extra circle to get a correction made as it will also incur in an error.

There are lots of new rules! Take the time and read the rule book. There is lots of good learning in the rule book as well. You may avoid a costly mistake and learn something in the process.

Be on time! Be ready a few minutes before your ride time to avoid being late and adding in more nervous tension. Have a good ground person with you so they can watch the clock and check in with the ring steward. It is your responsibility to get into the ring on time, not the ring steward’s job. Always be kind to the volunteers, they are there to help and without them, we would not have any shows.

Scribes are an important part of the show! Experienced scribes are always appreciated by all judges. As judges, we must be at the ring early to make sure we can train the less experienced scribes as they are volunteering and are eager to learn.

Robin expressed how much she enjoys judging at NODA shows because they are always well organized and are held at good venues. Robin also expressed her personal appreciation to the NODA GMO for their support they have demonstrated to her during shows and the Adult Camp. They have always been rewarding and educational experiences.

I also chatted with Nicky Vogel, USEF “R” Judge – USDF Certified Instructor/Trainer to Fourth Level and certified with the British Horse Society.

Nicky believes preparation is key to success at any schooling show. Be prepared for the level you are riding. Know you test. When judging a higher-level test, it is harder for the judge when the rider is unprepared. The scores and comments will reflect that the rider was unprepared. Preparation includes how you look when entering the ring. Nicky likes to see horses braided and the rider dressed as they would if they were going to a recognized show.

Judging a school show can be more difficult for any judge because you don’t know the status of the rider and horse. Is it a green horse or rider, the first time the rider is riding at this level, or other reasons they are riding in a schooling show? However, Nicky explained that going through the USDF “L” program, it is emphasized that you do not judge differently between a recognized show and a schooling show. The program stresses that competitors should not expect the judge will give higher scores because they are riding in a schooling show versus a recognized show.

I have ridden in many clinics with Nicky and have often joked with her that I would be afraid to ride in front of her as a judge, because I would be thinking that Nicky would know that I could have done that movement better! Nicky shared with me early in her career as a judge she was able to ignore who the competitor was riding in front of her. She was in England; new to judging and still nervous when the rider that came into her ring was from the Royal Family. For her to ignore who the rider was, she looked at the rider from the neck down and judged the rider’s and horse’s movements like any another competitor at the show. When she judges today, she never looks at the rider’s name or status on the test form and continues to judge the movements of rider and horse without identifying the rider.

I asked Nicky if a competitor that rides two tests in front of her in the same show, does she like to see that the rider made any improvements based on her comments. Nicky thoughts were at schooling shows, it is hard for this to happen because a lot of times the competitor doesn’t see their prior test before they ride their second test. Even if they do, it is usually hard to “fix” anything at a show. Maybe, easy ones could be fixed: going the wrong direction, not getting into the corners, or putting corners in a circle, but harder ones would need coaching and training after the show.

When judging a test, Nicky validates every score she gives. Her comments always include something good and something that needs to be improved. If she gives an eight, she feels the rider should know why they got an eight and didn’t get a nine.

What improvements can be made for NODA schooling shows to be better for the judges? Nicky likes to get her schedule at least a day before the show. She likes to print the schedule so she knows what tests she will be judging, in what order and how long the show will run. Nicky is so grateful that people volunteer to be scribes. No judging can occur without scribes. If the scribe working with her is inexperienced, she will adjust her comments to 2 or 3 words that will still validate the score. Nicky also appreciates that the scribe minimizes “chatter” while writing down the comments. She needs to be focused on the next movement and can’t’ be distracted because of chatter about the previous movement.

As with any schooling show, getting tests completed and to the competitors is always a problem. In some of the schooling shows in her area, they are using software called Compete Easy and having good results. Nicky did not know the cost of the software but suggested it might be something NODA could investigate. Overall, Nicky felt that NODA schooling shows are well organized and always held at good venues. She always enjoys working with NODA.

To get the USEF/USDF professional point of view I spoke with Alyssa Moran, Dressage, Owner/Trainer of AM Edelweiss Equestrian. Alyssa goes to schooling shows because she has a string of fairly green horses and clients that are being introduced to Dressage. Schooling shows are a great environment to help them start out in the sport. She finds schooling shows are great for her too. Her goal at the show is to get the horses more confident and relaxed. It is also a great place to test out moving up a level and getting the judges’ feedback.

Alyssa has not gone to USDF recognized shows but has attended USEF rated shows with her clients. She tries to stick to the same warm-up at rated shows as they do at home and schooling shows. The clients (kids) warm up their horses at both shows!

Alyssa likes to use schooling shows to get the horses more confident and relaxed. To accomplish this, she encourages the horses to relax at the shows (and the riders too), she utilizes the warmup arena before their classes and takes advantage of the fact that we can school in the rings the day before. So much of it is getting the horses used to the sights and sounds of horse shows. She likes to send the horse out to the warmup with a buddy and really walk them through their warmup. Focusing on exercises that we use at home and making that connection with the work in a new environment helps the horse relax.

I asked Alyssa if NODA’s schooling shows should be run differently than a recognized show. Alyssa’s answer was that running them similarly is good preparation for when everyone is ready to show at recognized shows. Her expectation is that horses and riders at schooling shows are likely there because they need experience. They have just started showing so she does like to see the judges give a little extra feedback on the scoring sheets. The riders get to come home with homework, but hopefully the feedback is not discouraging but helpful.

Alyssa likes to have her students come to the show and stay for the whole day. She feels it is important for them to watch other riders and learn as well as cheer each other on. She expects them to learn show etiquette and what all goes into attending and caring for their horse at the show. Schooling shows are a great place to work on “show nerves”. It is hard for everyone to ride their best in front of a judge and spectators. Alyssa likes to use schooling shows to get through all the challenges a rider confronts.

When asked how NODA can improve our schooling shows, Alyssa said “We love going to NODA shows and will be bringing an even larger crew next year!” She believes she is lucky to have clients who want to learn about all aspects of riding and competing, as well as great, supportive parents. She would like to see a little more encouraging feedback on the junior/young rider test sheets. She understands that it is tricky to keep the show running on time, but the junior/young riders are the future of Dressage. They can get discouraged by the way a judge’s comments come across. Some of the judges were wonderful and wrote suggestions at the end of the test. The kids love that!

And finally, I was happy to get Claire Welder, a NODA Junior Young Riders point of view. Claire goes to schooling shows to get experience for her and her young horse. They are both learning dressage with trainer, Chelsea Nau. Claire goes with her trainer to the show so she and her horse do their best at the show. She is also grateful that her Mom goes to the shows to give her support. There are several of Claire’s friends from the barn that goes to the shows which makes it more fun for everyone. Claire hopes that going to the schooling shows will help her get more experience and help build her confidence. She appreciates getting feedback from the judges that provide her areas where she can improve. Claire’s plan is eventually to go to recognized shows and continue to improve. She would like to be able to compete at the level she does at the schooling shows and above.

NODA’s Summer Schooling Show Series is a centerpiece of NODA’s education and competition programs. I would like to thank each person who agreed to be interviewed for this article. I learned so much from everyone I talked with and really appreciated their willingness to share their perspectives.