Hop on the bulletin boards and you’ll see that we have, at least in the eyes of the Internet-literate dressage population, a crisis in the sport. Whether it’s criticism towards judges and the way they judge, or riders and the way they ride, or countless other issues, there’s a lot that could be better in American dressage sport.

I am SO not suggesting that I have the answers to fix it. I don’t think anyone does. But if a genie in a bottle granted me three wishes to help raise the quality, accessibility and profitability of dressage competition in this country, this is what I would wish for.

1. Change The Way Classes Are Divided

Here in Region 1 we have the Bengt Ljungquist Memorial Championships, called the BLMs. They’re in the same vein as the Regional Championships, and indeed have existed since before the Regionals. You qualify by earning scores above a certain percentage and get a fancy neck ribbon when you win.

But instead of dividing classes like all the other recognized shows—Jr/YR, Amateur, Open—BLM Championship classes are divided by level of rider experience. The Senior A finals at each level are for riders who haven’t shown above X level. The Training Level A Final is for riders who haven’t shown above second level. The PSG A is for riders who haven’t done Grand Prix. And so on, and so on. And the B Final at each level is for those who’ve shown above X level.

This is a terrific system. There are amateur riders out there who’ve shown extensively, who’ve made FEI horses, who’ve been there and done that. I think it’s more fair that they show against me, instead of against my students who are riding at first level for the first time, or what have you. And in the same line, I think the wonderful professional riders who specialize in starting greenies and then selling them, or teaching beginner riders to post on the correct diagonal, and who’ve never seen a second level test in their lives shouldn’t be thrown in the deep end.

I’d even make the case that Jr/YRs should be subjected to this too. How fair is it that a 21-year-old who’s done Grand Prix competes at a Training Level Championship against a 9-year-old kid on her first pony? Not very much.

2. Increase Rider Coefficients

A while back, many riders got their knickers in a twist over the suggestion that there should be some kind of qualifying process in order to advance up the levels. I don’t want to touch that, because it’s like Social Security, the proverbial Third Rail of domestic politics.

But I think that whether such a system ever comes into play or not, we should be jacking up the rider coefficients. I love the three Rider scores that were introduced in the last round of test changes. I think they give a much better perspective on how the test went. (So when, as I judged at the Pony Club Rally I just judged a few weekends ago, a little kid comes in the ring on a rank, nasty creature who kept trying to drop her but she stuck with it and kicked on, in spite of doing the whole test in tears, I could give her points for the correctness of her position even while having to be tough about effectiveness of aids.)

But what if we jacked those coefficients at third level up to 2, so there are essentially six rider scores, instead of merely three? And then jack them up again at fourth level to 3? A 5 on rider would really leave a mark on those tests and be a greater incentive to improve seat and position before moving up on a well-schooled horse.

3. Show A Little Leg

It’s true. Science has shown that it is completely impossible to make four straight hours of training level, test 1, remotely interesting to watch. But that doesn’t mean we can’t sex up other parts of the horse show.

Part of this responsibility falls to the riders, especially freestyle riders. Guys, the world does not, under any circumstances, need any more freestyles to Enya, whale sounds, or any music that would be at home in an elevator or your dentist’s office. (Unless it’s my dentist’s office, which blasts country music, which would be excellent fun in a freestyle.)

There is absolutely no reason not to cut loose a little in freestyle music selection, especially at the lower levels. Use lyrics! Rock and roll! When Midge and I did our Mama Mia freestyle, exactly one judge—out of the many we rode for—said anything other than “this music is really fun.” Olympic Selection Trials maybe not the place for ABBA (and I think it’s exactly the place for ABBA, but that’s just me), but second level at a Level 2 show? Absolutely.

Show organizers: Schedule all the freestyles together and make a party of it. Lamplight Equestrian Center in Illinois, where I grew up, throws a swell competitors’ party to accompany the freestyles. There’s a great show here at Morven Park in early August that does a pas-de-deux challenge that they make such a big deal of; they even place ads on the radio. Non-horse people can get into freestyles; for this Morven show, people bring picnics and make a night of it. It becomes FUN. And if we can get new people interested in dressage, whether it’s as competitors, or pleasure riders, or patrons, then that’s a heckofa victory.

I don’t think dressage needs “fixing.” I don’t think it’s broken. But I love this sport, and I want to make it better. I want to have oodles of prize money at Regional Championships. I want to pack the house for every horse show. And I want riders around the world to be impressed with the caliber of riding that comes out of the American system.

And until then, I’m never going to be squeamish about putting a little elbow grease on old bottles.

LaurenSprieser.com
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