For a long while, I’ve been interested in learning to scribe for a dressage judge. As a rider who competes, I spend long hours pouring over the scores and comments on my tests, so what could be better than sitting with the judge as she evaluates dozens of riders right in front of you?
The opportunity finally came together this past weekend at an eventing show. I had decided to skip competing myself, and was excited to find a volunteer position and give back to the sport. To my delight, I was “hired” as a dressage scribe, even though I had no previous experience at this post. It always seemed to be a hard gig to come by, as they prefer you to have past experience to get the job.
I ended up scribing the Novice level test, the one I am currently doing in competitions, so it was even more interesting. The judge I scribed for was a very experienced dressage trainer, and I learned tons just by listening to her comments for each horse. Here are some of the things I came away with:
I hope these tips help anyone who rides or competes in dressage (or eventing). I was truly grateful for the opportunity to scribe, and had a blast learning so much. I can’t wait to do it again!
Back to The Near Side
VERY well written and good solid advice straight from the horse's, er, judge's mouth.
Loved this article. I guess scribing is kinda like getting a free lesson from the judge.
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