The beginning of the end?

FEI Olympic Dressage Committee Judges Meeting Aachen 1954

Prepared by E. Schmit-Jensen (Member of the FEI Olympic Dressage Committee)

A fascinating insight into issues that we call out time and time again today - that are ignored by the current FEI Committee. I know most reading this will have many AH-HA moments and wonder how on earth the present Committee can be so so far off track. Pli * (note to those who didn't believe it existed!), poor hands, extension, halts, how a horse with a bad piaffer could win, good mouths, the seat of the rider, lack of halt-halts, and head and neck position are some of things that were discussed. I am wondering who on the current committee even understands the bearing of these issues on test and why these fundamental issues are being ignored.

* Note "Pli" (copied directly from the notes) or sometimes referred to as "Plié" is where the horse travels a straight line but you see only the inside of his eyelashes at all times, with the head bent slightly to the inside.

On the day following the conclusion of the Official FEI annual dressage competition at Aachen a meeting of the international dressage judges took place at the Neus Kurhaus. The president of the FEI, Baron de Trannoy, was in the Chair and some 25 judges from Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Holland, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland were present.

In opening the meeting the Chairman welcomes those present and stated the purpose of the meeting to be just an informal discussion of matters connected with the judging of Dressage tests in order to gradually obtain more uniformity as far as the fundamentals are concerned, without making decisions.

To this end, Colonel Thommen, Switzerland, had been asked to prepare an essay in French which had been distributed to all members in advance and which he read out to the meeting. A discussion of some of the points of this essay following.

France – (Challal-Belval) did not agree with the suggestion that the horse on straight lines should be slight bent to the inside “pli”as the FEI regulation para 162 prescribes the horse to remain “absolutely straight in any movement along a straight line”.

Then followed a lengthy discussion on the systems of marking - Switzerland (Thommen, Sarasin) being in favour of the present scale of 0 to 6 maintaining that it is more simple and easy to apply than 0 to 10 and gives a better perspective of the relative value of the performance without unduly high differences in the total number of marks.

On the other hand, Belgium (Hanoteau) France (Minivielle) and Great Britain (Wynmalen) spoke in favour of the old scale from 0 to 10, pleading greater flexibility particularly in separating the best performances but also avoiding the rather severe jumps of the 0 to 6 scale from “fairly good” to “passable” and then to “bad” leaving out “sufficient” and “moderate”.

Belgium (Hanoteau) recommend the re-introduction of the coefficients or, failing that a readjustment of the marks, especially of the Grand Prix test. This matter is already being considered by the Dressage Committee.

The discussion of the systems of marking brought up the question of absolute versus relative judging. France (Minivielle) favoured the relative method, i.e. not always awarding the highest mark which a performance might merit in expectation of a possible still better performance. Switzerland (Sarasin) and the general feeling of the meeting was, however, in favour of absolute judging,, ie to judge exactly what is in front of the judge at any moment.

Austria (Kalita) stressed the points that all judges should give remarks justifying their lower marks and that after each performance the marks of all the judges especially those for the general impression should be compared under the guidance of the President of the Jury. In this connection the Chairman confirmed that para 150a 3 Judges, regarding judges differing by 2 or more marks now also applies to para 150b.

The Chairman then read out two proposals received from Holland. The first stressed the desirability of making the way of holding the reins uniform. The then advocated a new method of judging according to which the judges should first watch all the competitors together in the arena and then individually in two tests of increasing difficulty. For the combined performance of a competitor each judge should either give one mark only varying from 0 to 100 or four marks one each for the walk, trot, canter and general impression. These proposals were referred to the Dressage Committee.

Austria (Kalita) pointed out that nearly all the competitors at Aachen had the curb chain too long and suggested that the correct length should be made compulsory. The Chairman in replying stated that it must be left to the competitors to adjust their curb chains as they lie, but should this result in a faulty mouth the judges of course had to take it into account.

Austria (Kalita) concurred with the great stress col Thommen had attached to even and regular paces and suggested that uneven paces should be severely marked down.

Holland (Van Grovestins) having noted that several horses had lost contact with the bit at the extended walk, asked whether this was a fault which the judges had to take notice of, this was confirmed by the Chairman.

Great Britain (Williams) also pointed out that at the Prix St. George the President of the jury did not ring the bell immediately in cases of wrong course, nor were the penalty marks of a competitor announced publicly in accordance with para 144c

In concluding the Chairman based on fifty years of experience and notes on competitors in Dressage tests collected since 1904 gave the following hints and the most common faults.

The hand aids are usually too strong and obvious sometimes even used in an upwards direction to raise the horse’s head, instead of being discreet. The hands should be supple and elastic and remain steady with the fingers only being active to regulate the movements of the horse. There should never be a backward pull on the reins. The steady hand should receive and dispose of the impulsion produced by the leg aids which on the other side is usually not strong enough

The seat of the rider is often contracted instead of being supple and consequently the aids are not applied as discreetly as they should be.

The horses are unusually NOT being sufficiently prepared for new movements by means of half-halts

At movements on two tracks, the horses head and neck are often bent too much to the direction in which he is moving. Often the opposing rein (rene d’opposition) is used where the direct rein (rene directe) and diagonal leg should be used

The even cadence of the various paces and movements is frequently neglected and the contact with the horse’s mouth is not maintained permanently.

The extension of the paces is as a rule insufficient and many riders are apt to start the transition to the corresponding ordinary or collected paces too soon

Many riders do not ride properly into corners

Very few riders show a correct halt because they stop the horse by pulling on the reins, this also applies to rein back

Many horses show an exaggerated cadence at the extended trot which might be brilliant but it is not correct. The trot at all speeds should be natural and normal.

Less than ten of the horse competing at Aachen had a good mouth, only a simple double bridle should be used with normal types of bits which is checked by an official before a horse is admitted to the arena.