Meet The New Tests By Bill Woods
Not unlike the cicadas hatching out, every four years we are treated to a new set of dressage tests to Walk, K-E Medium Walk” (score complain about, habituate ourselves the walk including the transition to, and then act like they’ve been from trot to walk). There’s a lot of this way forever. With some cycles opportunity to screw up right there there are big changes, but if the unless you are well prepared as Somewhat surprisingly, aside from older ones were generally you turn the F-A corner in the the canter serpentine with the satisfactory, the rewrites are small. canter! simple changes being moved later to This year’s versions generally fall Moving on to First Level, here are Test 2, Test 1 has no simple changes into the latter category. Some tests some opportunities for the judge’s in it at all! Instead, the pattern reads are virtually unchanged. Others are whistle: The new Test 1 is largely “Short diagonal in the canter M–E, modified in such minor ways that the same as the last edition except counter canter to V, trot at V, walk at they are likely just to keep the the trot lengthenings go from H to K, and then left lead canter at A. judges’ whistles busy calling people P instead of F to S and K to R Much easier! off course. instead of V to M. Both canter In Test 2 rather than begin with Let’s start at the beginning. Rest lengthenings start one letter Medium on the diagonal and then easy—the patterns of the new earlier (at the corner marks) shoulder-in, you track right and go Introductory tests are identical to instead of at S and R. The rest is directly to shoulder-in M-B. The 3 the old ones. identical. Test 2 is not changed at loop serpentine with the simple The new Training Level tests are all. changes is in this test, but not as the equally unchanged in Tests 1 and 2, There are bigger changes in First first canter movement. It comes save for some additional double Level test 3. Gone is many riders’ directly after a Medium, testing your coefficients, but this will not affect bugaboo – the leg yield from the ability to re-collect enough to make the way you ride them or, for that corner in to the centerline and the simple changes viable. Another matter, the way they are judged. back out. They have been replaced oddity in this test – a Medium Trot You can claim that the writers by a pattern we saw in the 1987 on the final centerline from D to I. As wanted to call your heightened tests (those of us doing Dinosaur a judge you can see straightness and attention to a few specific Dressage back then remember!) from that angle, but not movements, but hey, there’s so little leg (18 yield from the track Trainingsuspension SafeSport for non-USEF members is available As of January 1, 2019, every where USEF you adult much else. Not my favorite going on in these tests, that if you at V in to the centerline andfor make a the USEF.org website. $20 on older) to member with10a m USEF innovation in the new tests! aren’tyears payingor attention circle to the outside, continue In TestPOLICY 3 everything stays the everything, what ARE you doing outmust tocomplete the end of the arena andUSEF/USDF repeat Competing Membership SAFE SPORT same. Likewise for Third Level test 1 there? the same pattern on the opposite USEF's Safe Sport Training. hand. The canter retains the same – nothing new. Test 2 is largely Across the board Test 3 is most The USDF has adopted the USEF Safe Sport Policy, unchanged. It still has the shoulderdifferent and I would argue three elements in each direction promoting the safety and welfare of horses and in to renvers, but they serve as the somewhat easier. Gone are the but now instead of “Circle, athletes. USDF is committed providing only lateraltowork in theinformation, trot since “loops” that hardly anyone rode lengthen, loop, “the order is “Loop, equired SafeSport Training is resources, and a protocol so that all members of the the trot half passes have been correctly anyway, replaced by three circle, lengthen.” (Do I hear more equestrian community have awareness, tools, and a removed. As in the retired version, available free to tweeting?) all USEF members loop serpentines width of the arena. This may be a bit easier support structure there to ensure a safe andhalf positive is still canter pass on the through Dashboard. If you can ride an accurate 20 m your Member for horses which in the past got environment for equestrians to develop their easy line from D to R and Dskills. to S. circle and know where to cross the are available Instructions strong inon thetheir lengthening and Test 3 remains as is. centerline each time, youwebsite know how would not re-balance for the USEDF.org. USEF members and participants have1aismandatory duty Fourth Level test much the same to make a correct serpentine. Be counter canter. to report suspected sexual misconduct to the U.S. as before. You still have the Mediumperpendicular as you cross theare a victim or Second level: If you a survivor ofProbably of more Center for SafeSport. collect-medium on the diagonal and centerlines and, remember, if your interest to judges abuse and believe this training could be an emotional than riders is at the half pass to the centerline, 10 m serpentine has flat sides or goes in the end of the Medium Trot trigger, please contact Teresa Roper at circle, shoulder-in towardsyou G. Then, To complete the Safe Sport Training modules, must the corners, the terrorists Alsoat skeating@usef.org, movements— the transition block troper@usef.org, Sonjawin! Keating RING THE BELL, track right instead visit the USEF website, log in, and the link to the Safe in Test longer must canterat now includes the Collected Trot or 3, thenoU.S. Center foryou SafeSport of leftwill now. puts the canter Sport Training modules beThat in your USEF across the diagonal to X. However, around where training@safesport.org, before accessing theto Safe Sportthe next depart at C instead of G, but the rest there is one tiny hang up. After a 20 Membership dashboard. movement begins. In the past the Training course. of the test plays out the way it has in m circle at B, the right lead canter transitions were scored alone, and the past with half pass to counter comes down the long side (score the if there was a mistake in the As of Jan 1, 2019 every USEF adult member (18 years of canter to flying change at the corner canter) to a trot transition at A Collected Trot prior to the next age or older) with a Competing Membership must letter, the Very Collected canter on (another score), and then in the instruction, it counted in the Safe Sport Training. the circle over the centerline, and blinkcomplete of an eyeUSEF's “Before K Medium Medium Trot block. finishing with the three flying
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