Understanding Prix St Georges judging and Helping the Prix St Georges rider of this level will be in the spotlights during the 13th Global Dressage Forum, in Hooge Mierde, the Netherlands, on 28-29 October 2013.
Score analysis has been applied extensively at Grand Prix level to gain insights into judging and in the preparation of riders for the Olympics. In various ways such analytics were used by the three medal winning teams at the London Olympics and by some individual riders. Recognizing that many riders may never reach the Grand Prix level, but that they love both Dressage as a discipline and as a competitive sport, David Stickland now turns the spotlight to the Prix St Georges to see how these new methods can be applied at this level and what we can learn about judging and riding at this level. Which are the figure types that are most influential in the ranking? How well do judges agree with each other compared to the Grand Prix level? Can we identify the basic pace requirements that will be needed for success at this level?
Stickland is a Research Physicist. A few years ago he decided to use his Physics and analysis skills to understand Dressage scoring. He is a consultant for the FEI on Dressage judging analysis and also co-founder of GDA (global dressage analytics). David Stickland participated to the validation of rule changes such as half-points and 7 judge juries and more recently in the Freestyle test event held in Warendorf. He is convinced that there is more in our score sheets than we normally get out of them and he aims to use this data to help riders, trainers and judges achieve their best performance.
This year the program contains many interesting subjects. One of the hightlights will be Isabell Werth, who will have two sessions with several horses. Accompanying her will be Mrs. Winter-Schulze, her rider Beatrice Buchwald and Spanish piaff and passage trainer Jose Antonio Garcia Mena. Jan Brink and Kyra Kyrklund bring a group of Swedisch riders an explain about ‘basic training’ and ‘helping talented riders to helf themselves’. Holland will bring up Wim Ernes strengthen by horse experts Tineke Bartels, Nico Witte, Tim Coomans and Joop van Uytert who bring young upto experienced horses. Also an update of recent developments on the program, Olympic judges Stephen Clarke and Katrina Wüst will explain and demonstrate the new judging system for the freestyle to music.
More info on the Global Dressage Forum at www.globaldressageforum.com
Photo © Astrid Appels