2014 Dressage Scores Recap

March

This season we did 12 dressage tests at 7 shows. Our goals for dressage changed at each outing, and ranged from "have no shenanigans" to "get work comparable to what we get at home" to "let's really do this and do it well."

We started off the season with a few shows where we put in good-for-us efforts, though the scores weren't very competitive.




Then we had a disastrous dressage in April, and proceeded to have meltdowns at home as we tried to investigate and address the issue. It was scary there for a while, with rearing, bucking, and (most horribly) unevenness in gait.

April
Does this count as airs above ground?

July

We spent the rest of the season at local shows, trying to give Hemie (and myself) positive dressage test experiences. We wanted relaxed outings with no craziness. So we completely took the pressure off at these shows. 

It worked. We did not have repeat issues at shows. Slowly over the months, we asked for more effort from Hemie (and better riding from myself) to get better performance. We added the pressure back, bit by bit.

By the end, I feel very good about our dressage, and ready to head back to a registered event.

October

So let's take a look at the scores, shall we?  First, a handy chart to help people understand the scoring:

Our 2014 dressage test results:

Date	Location	Test	Eventing Score Penalty Points	Dressage Score Percentage
Feb 1	Galway Downs	BN A	40.00	60.00%
March 16	White Birch	Training 1	38.12	61.88%
March 16	White Birch	Training 2	40.71	59.29%
April 26	Fresno HT	BN A	51.10	48.90%
May 31	El Sueno	BN A	43.90	56.10%
May 31	El Sueno	BN B	39.15	60.85%
July 19	El Sueno	BN A	40.00	60.00%
July 19	El Sueno	BN B	40.00	60.00%
Oct 5	El Sueno	BN A	41.58	58.42%
Oct 5	El Sueno	BN B	38.75	61.25%
Oct 11	El Sueno	BN A	31.05	68.95%
Oct 11	El Sueno	BN B	31.00	69.00%
Average Score:			39.61	60.37%
Median Score:			40.00	60.00%

As with all data, it can't stand alone - it needs to be compared to something to have meaning. So let's compare my median score (40.00 aka 60.00%) against the dressage scores in my level at registered horse trials (available from eventingscores.com).

• Shepherd Ranch, August: it would put me 6th out of 8 after dressage.
• Twin Rivers, September: I'd sit 14th out of 21 after dressage.
• Fresno County HP, October: I'd sit in 6th out of 11 after dressage.

So, not dead last, but towards the bottom. 

And that's just fine. Because while I like to geek out and crunch the numbers, I acknowledge that they simply can't tell the whole story. I've always been much more focused on positive experience than I have on being competitive. I care most about competing against myself - ie, continually improving. And even when we take steps backwards, I'm able to keep it in perspective and do my best to get us moving in the right direction again. After all, this is a hobby. This is fun. Hemie is a pet first and a sport horse second. 

A highlight of dressage this year has been rooting for Karen of Not-So-Speedy Dressage. We showed together in March, and I've watched her at some other shows. She has grown tremendously as a rider and competitor this past year, on both of her lovely mounts. She is not only a great blogger, but also a kind, intelligent person. She and Speedy ended the season with tremendous back-to-back championship outings, and her journey is truly inspirational!

Karen and I at White Birch in March
Our smiles say it all.

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