Ask the Judge

Questions about Dressage

With Amy McElroy

Amy McElroy is an FEI competitor, and a USEF S judge. She is qualified to officiate at any USEF recognized national show at all dressage levels. She rides, trains and teaches at Fair Lane Farm in Aiken and judges between 15 and 20 dressage and eventing shows each year. In her popular Ask the Judge column, she answers readers’ questions about dressage. Do you have a question for Amy? Send her an email at McElroyDRM@aol.com, or visit her website: www.amymcelroy.com.

Dear Amy,

At several of our local USDF dressage shows there have been two or three judges’ booths with judges in them for some of the dressage classes. I wanted to know if these classes are judged differently from ones with a single judge? If you have three judges, do you receive all of the scoresheets afterwards? What class would I need to compete in to have this opportunity? I am still newer to dressage and ride at Training Level.

Getting Started

Dear Getting Started,

This is a good observation! Many shows now, even our local shows, are offering classes that do require multiple judges. All dressage shows need at least one judge to be positioned on the centerline at the letter C, directly opposite A where you enter. Dressage judges earn different ratings, depending on their experience and expertise. An ‘r’ judge can officiate classes through the Second Level. An ‘R’ judge may officiate through the Fourth Level. An ‘S’ judge may officiate at all levels at a national show. FEI judges, who are sanctioned by the international governing body of equestrian sport, may officiate at all levels at a national or an international show.

The judge sitting at C is considered the president of the ground jury for that competition arena. If there are two judges, the second judge would be placed on the middle of the long side in front of either the letter E or B: this decision is at the discretion of management. If three judges are required, in addition to the judge at C and a judge either at E or B, the next judge would be based at either M or H. The third judge’s booth will actually be on the short side, near the corner, to either side of the judge at C. When there are three judges, the second and third judges are placed diagonally to each other – If judge number two is at E, judge number three will be at H. If judge number two is at E, judge number three will be at M.

Whether you have one judge or three judges, all of their scoring will have equal effect. Final numbers and percentages will be divided equally to come up with one final score and percentage. Each of the officials will evaluate the ride in the standard way. It is quite rewarding and informative to receive feedback from more than one judge. You should take note that these classes often will cost more to enter, depending on the number of judges.

The purpose of multiple judges is to give you a more complete and accurate assessment of your ride. Wherever scores are posted, each judge’s score will visible, but only the combined percentage score is official. It is to be hoped that all the judges’ scores will be similar so that the final scores will be close, and that the class will be placed in the approximately same order from one judge to the next. However, each judge will have a different view and will perhaps make different comments. After you have completed your ride, you are able to view all of your judges’ test sheets.

When competing in an arena with multiple judges, it is correct to halt and salute only your C judge in your entry and exit. This is the only judge who is allowed to signal you to start your test, who can eliminate you, and is the one who decides if you have made an error – in this case all the other judges will agree with the C judge. If you feel you need to excuse yourself from the ring for any reason, the C judge is the only one who can give you permission. However, you may acknowledge the other judges as you go around the apron of the arena as well as at your exit.

Most USDF tests (at national shows) will only have one judge. One type of competition where you would always see two judges is the USDF Regional Championships, which happen one time a year in the fall. All championship classes require two judges, one placed at C and one either at E or at B. You must be qualified to participate in these classes. If you compete at the U.S.National Finals (for which you also must qualify) there would always be three judges: C, B or E, and M or H. This competition occurs once a year and is in the fall.

So in what classes are you seeing multiple judges locally? These would be USEF qualifying classes, not to be confused with USDF qualifying classes: these are separate systems with different championships. In 2021, USEF competitors who want to qualify for the USEF Dressage Festival of Champions or the North American Young Rider Championships, which occur once a year usually in July, will need to earn scores from USEF qualifying classes.

USEF qualifying tests can require two or three FEI or S judges to be counted. Qualifying classes at the Prix St. Georges, Intermediare 1, Intermediare II, Grand Prix and Grand Prix Special require three judges. The following levels require a panel of two FEI or S judges: FEI Children’s Tests, FEI Pony Rider Tests, FEI Grand Prix 16-25 Tests, FEI Intermediare II Test (Bretina Cup), USEF Developing Horse Prix St Georges Test, USEF Developing Horse Grand Prix Test, USEF Four Year Old Test, FEI Young Horse Tests for Five, Six, and Seven year olds. More and more riders in our area are interested in these tests and luckily we have show organizers and secretaries willing to offer them.

As you can see there are many different classes and opportunities to be evaluated by a panel of judges. If you would like to have this opportunity at your level, one goal might be to try to qualify for a USDF regional championship. Regional championship tests are offered at all levels, including Training level. You would be required to ride the qualifying test, which is the highest test of the level. If you want to qualify for the Training level championship, for example, you need to compete at Training level test three. You need to obtain minimum scores from two tests with two different judges and from two different shows. To qualify as an adult amateur at this level, the minimum score is 63%. There are additional membership requirements and often a modest fee that go along with being able to qualify. If you do qualify and compete at the USDF regionals you will have two judges and will receive expertise and commentary from two officials. As you progress further in dressage competition there are many additional opportunities to be judged from a panel.

Until then, keep enjoying your dressage journey and supporting our shows and riders by watching these classes. If you have the opportunity to attend High Performance shows, such as CDIs, World Cups and Olympics, classes can have five, six, and even seven judges – sometimes there will even be a judge at A.

Girls Interscholastic Nationals

A Big Win for Aiken

Story and Photography by Pam Gleason

Going in to the 2021 United States Polo Association Girls

Interscholastic National Championships, everyone knew that Aiken was the team to beat. The tournament, played at the Aiken Youth Polo arena at New Bridge Polo and Country Club from May 18-22, and attracted five other teams from Texas, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania and California. (A team from Hawaii had qualified but was unable to come.) After an “unconventional” interscholastic qualifying season due to pandemic restrictions, the traditional format that normally sends regional champions to the nationals was scuttled in favor of one that attempted to select the best teams in the country. This left two favorites, both from the Southeast region: Maryland, a ninetime winner and the defending champions, and Aiken, a relatively new team looking for its first Nationals win.

Despite the fact that the Aiken team has only been in existence for a few years, it had some distinct advantages. Coached by Tiger Kneece, a former 7-goal player and the manager of Aiken Polo Club, it featured four strong players with deep experience playing in the arena and on the grass. The captain, Sophie Grant, had come to Aiken from Maryland specifically to play polo for her senior year in high school. Playing on

Maryland teams, she had already won the interscholastics three times while playing with her older sisters. Summer Kneece, an aggressive goal scorer, is Tiger Kneece’s daughter and has been completely immersed in the polo world from early childhood on. The Leitner sisters, Reagan and Robyn, a pair of identical twins who split a position, have been playing in, and winning, the majority of the low goal tournaments in Aiken for the past year.

In addition to these advantages, the Aiken team had been practicing hard together for over a year, and it was hungry. In 2019, the team, still new and finding its groove, had lost to Maryland in the regionals, and then seen Maryland go on to win the Nationals. Last year, the Southeast regional finals were at New Bridge, and the Aiken team scored a decisive 15-9 victory over Maryland. This should have sent them to the Nationals in Houston, where they were favored to win. But it was March 2020, the month that COVID-19 hit, shutting down the country, and with it any official playing opportunities. The Nationals were postponed until the summer, and then they were canceled. Aiken’s team, excited about their prospects of taking home the title, would have to wait an entire year – a year in which they only became older, stronger and more skilled.

Aiken and Maryland each got a bye to the semifinals, where they met the quarterfinal winners, Gardnertown (New York) and Sutter Buttes (California) respectively. Both had decisive victories, with Maryland besting Sutter Buttes 14-5 and Aiken downing Gardnertown 18-4.

The finals were held at New Bridge on Saturday evening at 6:00 p.m. in front of an attentive crowd. Although both teams had proven themselves skilled and capable, the Aiken team was always at least a step ahead. Arena polo, especially low goal arena polo, rewards quickness in getting back to the play and a dogged ability to follow up one’s teammates to pick up dropped balls and create scoring opportunities. Higher goal polo and grass polo relies more on an ability to hit the ball hard and pass it up to, or back to, teammates already on the offensive. The Aiken team’s comfort with the more open style of play that they were accustomed to through regular, higher goal games at Aiken’s outdoor clubs gave them velocity and added more speed to the play overall. Anyone who expected to be bored watching high school girls play polo would have been surprised by the level, and impressed by the solid hitting and defensive strategies displayed by both teams. Aiken dominated from the first throw-in. Aiken’s Reagan Leitner drew first blood, quickly followed by two goals from Summer Kneece. Just as the chukker closed, Sierra Blevins put one in for Maryland to make the scoreboard read 3-1 at the end of the first. In the second, Aiken delivered a shut out, with three more successive goals from Kneece one from Sophie Grant, and a pony goal. With the score at 8-1 going into halftime, it looked at first as though Aiken was going to have another cakewalk. But Maryland had not given up fighting. In the third chukker, Jordan Peterson, a 5’10” all-around athlete and skilled ball handler from Maryland, tallied four times for her team. While Aiken also added four to their score, it did look like Maryland was not going to go down without a fight. Coming into the fourth and final chukker, Aiken was still ahead by seven goals. Anyone who has played or watched arena polo knows that even a seven-goal lead can evaporate quickly if the momentum changes and leader starts making mistakes. Maryland had an opportunity, and the Aiken team knew it. And so, they came out stronger than ever. Summer started things off with a natural hat trick, bouncing the ball off Maryland’s goal with confident strokes. Sophie Grant scored on a foul shot and then from the field. Maryland was unable to connect at all. The final score was 17-5, giving Aiken their first national title.

In an unusual format, the tournament all-stars and are voted on by the players themselves. This year, Summer Kneece and Sophie Grant were honored, along with Gardnertown’s Saralyn Painter and Maryland’s Jordan Peterson. Summer Kneece, the tournament’s high scorer with 19 goals total, also won the horsemanship award, while the sportsmanship award went to Maryland’s Kylie Beard. UVA won the best string award, while UVA’s Chunky Monkey was deemed the best playing pony.

The Aiken team was ecstatic following their win. In addition to the USPA accolades, they were also commended by the city of Aiken: at halftime during the May 30 Sunday game at Aiken Polo Club, Andrew Siders, an Aiken City Council member, read them a proclamation and presented them and Tiger and Susie Kneece with a plaque. The girls will celebrate, how else, by playing more polo.

Above: Reagan Leitner; Right: Summer Kneece ahead of Kylie Beard.