The two big dressage shows in Australia which have just been were Boneo Park (20-23 January) and Willinga Park (24-27 February). These two big shows were critical to the Australian riders trying to qualify for the FEI World Championships in Herning, Denmark, this year from 6-14 August.

The FEI World Championships are 20 weeks away and just around the corner for the Australian riders vying for Australian team selection (with the criteria yet to be announced).

The first big show at Boneo Park was where the riders had to get 66%+ in the CDI3* Grand Prix or over to achieve the Federation Equestrian Internationale’s (FEI) Minimum Eligibility Requirement (MER) needed to be considered by the Australian selectors for selection. Sounds simple. Well, it wasn’t, and it became so complicated, basically all because of Covid-19. To qualify at any show in the world, the Ground Jury must have two foreign judges who are 5* judges. A 5* judge is the top qualification in dressage judging in the world. Well, that has not been possible with, until recently, Australia having its borders closed to all international travel. No international judges were possible for Australian competitions.

The FEI, which runs all the Olympic disciplines all over the world, developed the idea of a Judging Supervisory Panel (JSP) that could watch the Australian competition on video in real time and certify that the scores the Australian judges gave the riders were in keeping with what would have been given had there been two international 5* judges present.

Indeed, Australia did have 5* judges of its own, including Maria Schwennesen and Susie Hoevenaars, who recently judged at a World Cup Final and the 2021 Tokyo Olympics respectively. So, we do have fancy judges of our own, we just needed the internationals to fulfil the FEI criteria needed for riders to qualify this year for the World Championships. So really, we were expecting all of the riders at Boneo Park who scored 66% or over would receive an MER. The whole competition is top of the range and the director, Fiona Selby, is meticulous with detail and was very, very aware of how important it was to run a show that would allow Australian riders to qualify for the World Championships. There was not one detail or specification or requirement that had not been put in place to perfection. A big, big effort! Well, from here, everything went pear-shaped.

The CDI3* Grand Prix was a great event and the top six competitors all went through 66%.

1. Mary Hanna on Syriana – 71.022%
2. Jayden Brown on Senator Nymphenburg – 71.022% (Jayden was 2^nd on a countback)
3. John Thompson on Chemistry – 69.957%
4. Pauline Carnovale on Captain Cooks – 69.348%
5. Lindsey Ware on Aristede – 69.169%
6. Kerry Mack on Mayfield Limelight – 66.717%

Of course, we all thought, what a great start for Australia with six Grand Prix dressage riders achieving an MER.

Well, no! The JSP couldn’t watch the Boneo Park competition in real time because David Hunt (UK), who was the President of the JSP, was in hospital at the time. The JSP was made up of two FEI nominations: David Hunt being the chair supported by Mary Seefried, an Australian 5* dressage judge who has judged at Olympics and multiple World Equestrian Games. The JSP reconvened some two weeks later and decided that only the first three riders were up to standard for an MER. So, despite six riders scoring well and truly over 66%, only three were given an MER. The FEI had specifically ruled that the JSP could not change the scores given by the officiating Australian judges. To achieve an MER, the riders simply had to score 66%, in theory. What a disaster! Pretty much all Australian dressage enthusiasts were outraged.

SORRY, WE DISAGREE

A letter was drafted by all of the riders to the Equestrian Australia board, pointing out that the JSP was supposed to watch in live time and immediately verify MERs or not. There were a lot of other considerations, such as one of the Australian judges officiating at the Boneo Park competition, Susie Hoevenaars, was fresh back from judging at the Tokyo Olympics and so was very much in touch with where the whole world standards were. The chair of the JSP, David Hunt, was not a judge himself but a trainer. Basically, telling the Australian judges presiding over the Boneo Grand Prix that their scores were wrong really challenged the credibility of the Australian judges; certainly it challenged their confidence.

Ironically, one of the JSP members was Australian 5* judge Mary Seefried. The JSP was supposed to be taking the place of two international judges from foreign countries. As I said, the first three competitors at Boneo Park were given MERs. The fourth placegetters, Pauline Carnovale and Captain Cooks, were denied an MER despite scoring 69.348%. Perhaps even more confusing is that JSP member Mary Seefried had in February 2020, at Willinga Park in the CDN Grand Prix, awarded Pauline and Captain Cooks 69.239% and placed them first when acting as a judge.

I would suggest that judging — and being on the judging front line making snap decisions and being answerable to everybody for your scores — is very different to discussing an overview and seeking agreement with your peers, which is more the process of the JSP. I think viewing tests by video is in fact quite a positive and innovative experience, but does give a different perspective and experience to those judging the tests live at the competition. This certainly did make it very difficult to understand that only three MERs were awarded, especially considering the high standard of judges present.

Mary Seefried had previously judged Lindsey Ware and Aristede at the Sydney CD-Lite on 29 April 2021 and scored her 70.109% in the Grand Prix. Mary Seefried was the highest scoring judge for Aristede on that occasion. Lindsey and Aristede scored 69.196% at Boneo Park and were still denied an MER by Mary Seefried and David Hunt, who were the JSP members.

Very difficult to understand.

Finally, the sixth placegetters, Kerry Mack and Mayfield Limelight, are definitely on the up and up and had previously on six occasions scored over 66% at Grand Prix. At Boneo Park, this combination scored 66.717% and also were denied an MER. Again, difficult to understand.

ROGER TO THE RESCUE

Anyway, there was a pretty serious reaction from the riders at Boneo Park, who wrote correspondence to EA, which was then sent on to the FEI, explaining their quandary regarding the negating of their MERs. As someone no longer involved with judging nor any committees, Roger Fitzhardinge put himself forward as a voice for the wider equestrian community questioning this JSP process. Roger wrote a letter, with input from a range of riders, coaches and judges, to the Equestrian Australia board as mentioned earlier, requesting that it be forwarded to the FEI board and the International Dressage Riders Club (IDRC), asking: “has this JSP process achieved fairness as required by Article 438 of the Dressage rules?” Roger has been an A level judge for over 30 years, has been the convener of the judges subcommittee in NSW, has trained and competed several horses to Grand Prix, is now a full-time accredited coach with particular interest in the sport and its fairness, and is the most in-demand commentator for live-streaming and live commentary at major dressage competitions in Australia. Dressage has been Roger’s passion for 50 years.

Well, surprise, surprise… this letter and the riders’ professional and positive queries were well received by the FEI and all six riders mentioned so far had their MERs reinstated.

So, onto Willinga Park on 24-27 February. Again, the standard was high and this time we had eight riders score over 66%. The JSP was on this occasion made up of David Hunt, who was again Chair, and the American 5* dressage judge Linda Zang. Interestingly, Mary Seefried had switched roles and was now judging in her capacity as one of Australia’s top 5* judges.

The eight riders surpassing the 66% barrier at Willinga Park, and in theory achieving their MER, were:

1. Mary Hanna and Syriana – 72.239%
2. Jayden Brown and WillingaPark Sky Diamond – 69.674%
3. John Thompson and Chemistry – 69.478%
4. Jayden Brown and Senator Nymphenburg – 67.652%
5. Michelle Baker and Bradgate Park Puccini – 67.261%
6. Sally Rizzuto and Diamond Star – 67.065%
7. Lindsey Ware and Aristede – 66.870%
8. Matthew Dowsley and Santiago – 66.130%

This time the JSP did watch in real time and again disagreed with the judging results. MERs were given to three combinations only: Mary Hanna and Syriana, John Thompson and Chemistry and Jayden Brown and Senator Nymphenburg. So these are the three combinations that were originally given the MERs at Boneo Park just four weeks earlier. It is interesting to note that the second placegetter in the CDI3* Grand Prix at Willinga Park was Jayden Brown riding WillingaPark Sky Diamond on 69.674%. They were placed above John Thompson and Chemistry and Jayden Brown again on Senator Nymphenburg, both of which were awarded an MER. To our total surprise, second placed Jayden Brown and WillingaPark Sky Diamond were not given an MER!

As an onlooker, I feel that the JSP has told the five Australian judges that they have not only marked the Australian combinations too high but have also not correctly placed the competitors. I don’t quite know how to say this tactfully, but the way I see it the JSP has told the Australian judges that they do not know what they are talking about. Certainly, there has to be a human element in this which is muddying the process. However, it is critical to note that Mary Seefried – who on one hand was a member of the JSP at Boneo Park and was now a judge at Willinga Park – actually marked not eight competitors over 66% – but nine!

YES, IT’S COMPLICATED

Obviously this is a very complicated situation, because no one would have been more conscious that their scores were going to be scrutinised by the JSP than Mary Seefried. Clearly judging and backing your immediate assessment of a performed movement in real time is very different to consulting an associate and being able to deliberate on an overall impression, which I think is probably the main difference experienced by the JSP members. As a result, the outcome is tragically different. I do not think that the FEI will overrule the JSP a second time. Quite a tragedy for the five riders who scored over 66% and then were denied an MER. Quite a tragedy for the Australian judges who had the education and courage to mark as their eyes saw without hesitation. The results spoke for themselves.

Judging is subjective and always we need to endeavour to improve in this area so that the riders become more and more aware of what it is that will decide good scores and where they are in the big picture as far as the rest of the world is concerned. I think there is a place for the JSP, but clearly not in passing a considered opinion, especially as a group rather than individually taking responsibility. I think the JSP should be able to change scores, such as if four judges mark the nine two-time changes in the Grand Prix for a 4 and one judge marks it for a 7, then the score needs to be scrutinised. Perhaps the judge giving the 7 missed a late change and so the 4 is correct. The 7 should be changed by the JSP to a 4. A flying change does happen in 0.4 of a second, so every now and then everyone misses accurately assessing a flying change. This should be shown on the screen similar to in cricket with a catch behind or a leg-before-wicket decision, which can determine that a batter is out or not. A late flying change on a video screen, especially in slow motion, can be established beyond doubt for everyone to see and so the score adjustment is accepted by everyone.

There are lots of instances in the Grand Prix test where video footage can determine beyond doubt. However, video footage would seem to me to be very flawed when determining an overall impression. The JSP was an interesting experiment, albeit painful for the riders being used as guinea pigs. The next big CDI Grand Prix competition is Dressage & Jumping with the Stars in Melbourne (from 24-26 March) which is closely followed by the Sydney CDI (27-30 April). With the Australian international borders now open, we will have international judges flown in and the JSP will not be again used. Thank goodness for that! EQ

Cheers,

Heath.