It doesn’t matter if it is only a little local show or a big international event like the CDIO in Saumur. Without countless dedicated volunteers behind the scenes giving up their free time or even taking off work to devote their time to the competition, spectators could not enjoy high class performances in the arena and riders would not be able to contest. In short, a show would just not take place!
For dressage competitions volunteering as judge’s scribe is a very responsible job. The marks awarded on each movements and the commentaries given on them need to be written down quickly and reliably. The job requires concentration and careful attention for many hours, so show organisers usually make sure that the scribes have some experience to support the judges in their difficult job.
Eurodressage's Silke Rottermann took on the chance to take a look behind the scenes and accompanied a young scribe during her day at France’s biggest international dressage competition.
It is a usual Friday for 22-year-old Italian Giulia Prestini who works at the French National Riding School for almost two years now. While in the main arena, the “Carrière d’Honneur”, the CDIO kicks off with its third day of competition, she can only watch it with one eye when she passes the arena in the background, heading off to an indoor arena to work a horse.
Late Thursday afternoon she hurried into the show office after work to check the list on which all competitions and judges with their assigned scribes are listed. Like the year Giulia volunteered for the first time as a scribe and this year she is going to write for Hungarian I- judge Mr. Peter Hansaghy during the Young Riders competitions on Friday.
After the horses are exercised she rushes off to the canteen to get a quick lunch before a long afternoon in the judge’s hut starts.
As the class begins already at 2 pm there is no time for any relaxation, not even for changing the riding dress to a civil one.
The Young Riders classes are not in the main arena, but outside in the forest in the quietly located “Carrière Morgat”, named after the Anglo Arab, who was World Champion in jumping in 1990. Giulia luckily knows the property inside out and hurries up through masses of spectators, riders, trainers and horses who parade up and down along the sandy track. On her way she also passes the “Carrière des jeunes chevaux” where the international pony competitions is being held.
Not long after she reaches her destination and finds Mr. Hansaghy who judges at the short side of the arena. After a short introduction in English Giulia takes place right from the judge, looks at the blank protocol forms and writes the name of the first starter, Belgian Gert Helsen, on one so that everything is ready when the competition starts. The friendly judge and the future riding instructor share small talk before everything becomes serious when the Weltmeyer-mare Wishing Well appears in the arena.
There was no oral instruction for the judges' scribes beforehand, but Giulia knows her job already from last year, so there’s no reason being nervous or tense, even though it is an important international show and she's aware she has to avoid mistakes.
“I think it is interesting to see how a judge judges the single horses at this level and to compare his marks with what I personally would have awarded,” Giulia said about the task at hand. Peter Hansaghy agrees on that. “It will be very interesting and educational for you to follow a competition as a judge’s scribe,” he commented.
The single movements follow quite quickly, so she continuously has to fill in the protocol and in contrary to the judge she cannot watch the rides all the time.
Still she likes this job and freely volunteered to do it in her spare time in between work. She has to ride some more horses after she will have finished at about 5 pm.
After ten horses the Italian-Hungarian team enjoys a short break of about 20 minutes before the last ten competitors are going to compete. Mr. Hansaghy is interested in Giulia’s own horsey background and listens with interest that she works at the ENE and has her own mare with her in France.
The competition continues and though Giulia can have some conversation with the I-listed judge she is of course not allowed to discuss any of his marks, even so this could be interesting for her.
The last starters, Sophie Holkenbrink on Oliver Oelrich's former top horse Show Star, turns out to be the winner of this class and at shortly before 5 pm the work is done for Giulia and Peter Hansaghy.
That she has spent her precious leasure time that way with a usual working day awaiting her on Saturday is not of great interest to her: “I like to support a show like that. In the past I have regularly competed in show jumping and was able to profit myself from the volunteers' dedication.”
Text and Photos © Silke Rottermann for Eurodressage
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