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| USDF members enjoy the welcome reception at the 2018 Adequan/USDF Annual Convention in Salt Lake City. Photo by Jennifer Bryant. |
Everywhere you look in the convention host hotel in Salt Lake City, you see tight clusters of dressage colleagues or old friends (often one and the same) holding impromptu meetings and catch-up sessions, in the hotel lobby, in every available group of chairs, in hallways outside meeting rooms, in the restaurant and the on-site Starbucks.
Jet-lagged USDF members, coffees in hand, start the day at their respective regional meetings. Then convention attendees fan out to the various other meetings, and from there things typically begin to get interesting.
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| GMO baskets await their lucky winners. Photo by Jennifer Bryant. |
Today's most "interesting" topics were the impending US Equestrian rule change raising the prerequisite score to ride a dressage freestyle from 60 percent to 63 percent; and the also-impending mandate that US Equestrian adult members with Competing memberships must complete SafeSport training in order to be eligible to participate in US Equestrian activities.
The freestyle rule change (DR 129.9) was approved by US Equestrian in August and takes effect December 1, 2018. The SafeSport mandate originated with the US Olympic Committee and extends to all of the USOC's affiliated sport organizations, known as national governing bodies (NGB). US Equestrian is the US NGB for equestrian sport. The federal government since also enacted legislation requiring amateur sport organizations and their members to report sex-abuse allegations involving minors to local or federal law enforcement. Current US Equestrian members must complete SafeSport training by January 1, 2019.
Some USEF/USDF members object to the freestyle-score hike, either in principle (they fear it will deter participation in dressage) or in practice (they feel the extraordinary rule change was passed in haste and that competitors were given insufficient advance notice). Nobody actually objects to SafeSport training in concept (there is some griping about the amount of time it takes), but some people at the USEF/USDF Open Forum wished this hadn't been dropped on the equestrian community quite so suddenly.
The SafeSport training issue is pretty cut-and-dried. It's coming down from above in response to the horrific allegations from athletes (most notoriously gymnasts, but also equestrians) that exposed the ugly underbelly that has been present in some sports for many years. Ranked by numbers of active investigations of misconduct allegations, equestrian sport as a whole is #4 on the USOC's list of its 50 affiliates. So yeah, our sport needs to clean up its collective act, stat.
As for the freestyle controversy, it was pointed out that similar outcries occurred the last time the minimum qualifying score was raised, from 58 percent to the current 60. The result? People learned to ride better. Since horse welfare and a desire to reinforce the importance of correct training were behind the decision to raise the bar again, said FEI 5* dressage judge Gary Rockwell, the respective USDF committees behind the rule-change proposal, the USDF Executive Board, and the US Equestrian Dressage Sport Committee stand behind the decision as in the best interests of the horse and the sport.
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| Trauma surgeon Dr. Chris Winter presented some sobering statistics about rider injuries at his education session. Photo by Jennifer Bryant. |
Thursday in Salt Lake City wrapped up with a considerably more sober presentation. Trauma surgeon Dr. Chris Winter gave the 2018 USDF convention's first education session, on handling emergency rider situations. The takeaway is that, unfortunately, riding and working around horses is very dangerous--more so than riding a motorcycle--and even skilled riders can get hurt. Be as safety-conscious as possible when you interact with your horse, and always wear a helmet--not just any helmet, but one that's carefully fitted to offer maximum protection. Learn the signs of traumatic brain injury (concussion is a mild form of TBI), and be sure that anyone who exhibits any symptoms of possible TBI or other injury gets checked out by medical professionals.
The radiographs and MRI images of rider injuries and their surgical aftermaths that Dr. Winter showed elicited more than a few gasps from the convention audience. As someone who's been injured and had to work through fear in getting back in the saddle, I'll admit the presentation made me uneasy and stirred up some old emotions. But as Dr. Winter said, equestrians need to understand the risks associated with our sport. We either find a way to accept the risk and take steps to minimize it, or we quit riding. We can't pretend the risk doesn't exist. So yes, I'm eager to get home to my horse--but my helmet will be strapped on securely.
I hope all of the delegates are listening to members about rescinding the freestyle qualification rule. The reasoning behind it is ridiculous and elitist. No horses are getting hurt because they "get" to do a freestyle, and it is what some of us poorer dressage riders love even though we can't afford all of the money for fancy horses and premade tests, let along having someone train our horses for us or get lessons.
ReplyDeletePlease get rid of this. It also makes no sense to have that qualification be the same at all levels. A 3% difference isn't nearly as much at training level as it is at Grand Prix. I have spent 15 years breeding, training and riding to get back to Grand Prix this year after my first Grand Prix horse (that I bred and trained) died tragically in her first year of GP. It was hard to get a 63% then, and it's even harder now. Why are you punishing me for working hard?
It is not a matter of learning to “ride better”.. showing is subjective and scores are very inconsistent based on opinion. I have personally heard two male judges while surveying scores on the scoreboard say “I am just scoring them harder today” ... so confirms the subjective nature of scoring. Learning to ride better comes from riding more not less!!!! Especially in competition where you can get feedback. This ruling means less not more.
ReplyDeleteI’m an AA and freestyles are my motivation for showing. At 1st and 2nd levels my mustang and I earned scored barely high enough to qualify for freestyle. Then we rode our freestyles and earned upper 60’s lower 70’s. This rule change will make it harder for me to q at 3rd level. My horse is 19, and not a warm blood. I feel the rule change is elitist and unfair. Please throw it out. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteI am disappointed with the rule change that is increasing the qualifying score for competing with a freestyle. The rationale that, requiring a higher qualifying score will encourage improved technical dressage riding, is bogus. I cannot believe that the judges’ dislike of the freestyles being presented in these past years, really have anything to do with technical dressage ability. I believe the problem is in the development of artistic quality and this is what should be addressed in education and then in the artistic score of the freestyle ridden. Leave the qualifying score at 60%. USDF should request and recommend to the USEquestrian, that after reconsideration, the rule, that increased the qualifying score, should be rescinded.
ReplyDeleteA 6 is labeled “sufficient “ therefore a 60% should be sufficient to qualify to ride a freestyle. I’ve ridden many over the past 10 years , placing in Regionals and Nationals. Separation of pro and amateurs should also be mandatory. Feedback is required to show improvement and I’ve found riding a freestyle improves you ability to ride a test too.
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