ISOBEL WESSELS SEMINAR - SEEKING HARMONY

Article by Barbara Chalmers

Judges, coaches, riders, and fans were extremely fortunate to have Isobel Wessels, FEI 5* International Dressage Judge, world renowned trainer and Grand Prix rider, present an open seminar following the Bates National Championships.

Isobel was appointed as the foreign FEI judge for the CDI at the event and also officiated on a number of national classes. Prior to that there had had been a busy few days helping our eventers in her role as High Performance Dressage Coach for the NZ Olympic Eventing Team. The focus on this seminar was how to align coaches and judges, to transform riders so they can deliver to improve marks and ultimately lift scores and reward for quality, harmony, and correct training

The day started with practical sessions and concluded with an open discussion session. Movements covered the walk, half pass, transitions, pirouettes and most importantly Harmony. We very much appreciated the demo riders, who rode for us after three big days of competition.

ISOBEL ON JUDGING:

Encourage everything. If you are not sure, use terminology that leads to the Training Scale. Encourage riders to ride their horses from the hindleg through the whole rein and back to the rider – the rubber band thing. Your checklist covers the basic things that are much easier to cope with for everything thrown at a judge. Be positive but don’t reward bad riding or training that limits the horse. Mark on the quality of that trot with suppleness through the whole body and the rhythm maintained. If the trot gets better in the shoulder in then it must be pretty good. If we don’t get this right the horse hasn’t got a future.

When marking the walk pirouettes watch the whole thing and the walk in between the two pirouettes. Hind feet should go forward under the body towards the ears, the rider should keep riding forwards.

Isobel commented that many riders do not ride forward from behind and use half halts.

“Failure to do this can cause irregularities in the rhythm – number one in the training scale. The rhythm needs suppleness and contact –these are the three musketeers” –identify them in your judging.

The judge is in a neutral position – judge what you see, don’t write it if you’re not sure. For example, in a lesson you might tell the rider to rise instead of sit to the trot but don’t write it on a test – it’s rude. If the horse makes a little mistake (spook, etc.) don’t kill it if the quality is there. Mark up and be positive. “

Never ring the bell if the horse has some irregularity in the half pass – always blame loss of balance/ rhythm. Where too much inside hand affects the regularity it is better to comment in a helpful way “do not overflex the neck, keep more to outside rein.”

If you reward mediocrity that’s what you’ll get. If you reward riders that go for quality that’s what you’ll get.”

The judge is not there to train or give a lesson, but to give comments that help.

Reward the right thing. Identify the positive in a movement that may not have been faultless – that is the art of judging

The keyboard warriors need to be convinced that our sport is doing the right thing to bring the sport forward.

ON TRAINING:

“The trainer is responsible; the judge is accountable.”

If we ride the right way the rhythm gets better and better. The horses need to be regular, elastic, supple, on the bit and stepping well through towards the girth. They must be on the aid. In canter we need to see the horse jumping, with the separation of the hindleg really clear. Contact should be good with a little chewing – no aggression, with the horse’s welfare taken into consideration.

Several exercises were shown to improve the half pass, including leg yielding back to get into the outside rein and then half pass to get back to the letter. Isobel noted riders often have a misunderstanding when judges comment “more bend,” resulting in the rider using too much inside hand which affects the regularity (half pass tests suppleness and balance). If bad it’s a 3 or a 4 if irregular, and nearly always seen when there is too much neck bend.

In shoulder in they should be 30 deg. off the wall with uniform bend from nose to tail. The main thing is the trot with inside leg to outside rein. Keep control with the outside rein. You need to develop energy in trot and keep it off the ground, which is easier as the muscles develop.

In canter Isobel wanted to see collection then lighten (“breathe out”) the rein. Ride with a little travers in canter to inside to collect and soften the horse then let go to transfer more weight to the hindquarters. Keep one hand on each side of the wither. Horses have to be adjustable and have gears.

The pushing power of the trot develops the passage – the hindlegs must be under the body in passage or it is difficult to get into piaffe. We

About Isobel

Isobel has been passionate about dressage since she was a teenager and feels very privileged to have ridden, trained and judged at the highest level over many years.

Her riding career has taken her on a special journey with 10 Grand Prix horses, many small tour and young horse champions but especially her unique partner Chagall who she sadly lost in 2021 after winning ten national titles.

Isobel trains riders all over the world and finds that her greatest satisfaction is achieved by helping others and giving them the tools to train horses in the best way to achieve happy healthy athletes and to promote dressage in the best possible way.

The Judge’s box has always been a special place too and becoming a 5* judge in 2011 was a huge milestone. Since then Isobel has judged all the major European Championships and been very much involved with Championships for Young Horses. She is also an FEI course director for Seminars/ Exams for all levels and young horses.

This year she will judge the Senior European Championships in Germany.

want to see willingness, small aids.

The purpose of the pirouette is to close the horse from behind – hindlegs under the body (they can often turn around the middle without any weight on the hind legs). For canter pirouette prepare with travers on the long side and out then collect back, use the gears. Turn the first bit of the pirouette a bit small then slightly bigger on the second half. Canter pirouettes are about control, acceptance of the aid, suppleness, and the willingness to collect.

Extended walk must step forward into the contact without losing any clarity.

Keep your inside hand forward and turn on the outside rein – the inside rein is only there for flexion and patting.

Don’t blame the judges, the conditions, the surfaces, etc. If we do not ride correctly the horse will not be healthy and reach full ability. We need to create a platform where we gradually introduce horse to pressure environments.

The Riders

The first demo rider was Vanessa Way riding her exciting seven yearold mare NSC Jolie DW, fresh from her reserve champion advanced title, and who certainly didn’t look tired after her three successful days of competition. This horse showed had a lot of elasticity and showed the audience how the horse should carry its own energy.

Next was Samantha Belsham on her advanced level Dolcetto II, demonstrating the walk and canter pirouettes. Helpful tips were: hands towards ears, get the separation in canter then ride out. Pirouettes must always start from shoulder fore (not the oft-seen quarters in at start) on the line, collect, flexion to inside, look where you’re going and turn off the outside rein and heel.

Samantha’s top take aways were: Make sure I keep riding, inside leg to outside hand and not over bending the neck in the lateral work. More transitions within the pace to develop impulsion, collection, and uphill tendency.

Ottilie Upshall on the advanced level Mistadobalina showed us how

We are very appreciative of ESNZ High Performance in making this opportunity with a world class trainer possible, and to Dressage NZ for organising the seminar, and to the riders who demonstrated for us.

Thank you, Isobel, for being so passionate and generous with your time. You have given us much to think about and plenty of tools to train horses in the best way to achieve happy, healthy athletes and promote dressage in the best possible way.

About Isobel

to improve the shoulder in and half passes. Ride into the corner, prepare for bending, wrap around inside leg, turn on outside rein (no curling with the neck to the inside), keep inside flexion, from the shoulder in position push the outside hind to the inside for the half pass so grows more uphill.

Ottilie’s top tip from the clinic with Isobel: "A well-executed exercise will always enhance the quality of the gait."

Lucarne Dolley and Ardmore wrapped up the ridden session. This show was the final for Ardmore, who will now enjoy a happy retirement.

I loved how positive Isobel was, she found the good in each movement that was performed and I came away feeling so encouraged! It was incredible to be able to soak up all of the knowledge she had to offer on how we can continue to improve as a collective in NZ.

Following the demo riders and a short lunch break, we were treated to a commentary by Isobel on a video of the World Championships star Glamourdale doing a test, followed by a frank discussion about the way forward for dressage in NZ – the major theme running through the entire day was HARMONY.

Isobel’s advice to our riders, trainers and judges was constructively honest, direct, and valuable. What the judges reward we will see more of, if we want quality we must reward it. Horses are living beings and will make mistakes and occasionally be tense but judges must consider if overall the horses training is on the right way.