A Dressage Freestyle test event to review the judging of Freestyle competitions in order increase consistency and accuracy will be held on the premises of the German Equestrian Federation at Warendorf on 24 September. The event, which will be open to the public and media, will be held at Grand Prix level and will feature 20 Freestyle performances.
An internal debriefing session involving the FEI Dressage Committee, the Board members of the FEI Stakeholder Clubs, the members of the FEI Freestyle working group Katrina Wüst (GER), Peter Holler (GER), and Stephen Clarke (GBR), as well as David Stickland (USA), a Senior Research Physicist at Princeton University and FEI consultant on statistical analysis in Dressage judging, will take place on the following day.
FEI Judges Stephen Clarke (GBR), Wim Ernes (NED), Christoph Hess (GER), Peter Holler (GER), Henning Lehrmann (GER), Hans-Christian Matthiesen (DEN), Ulrike Nivelle (GER), Dr Dieter Schüle (GER), Christof Umbach (LUX), and Katrina Wüst (GER) will be officiating.
“The idea to hold a test event to help us improve Freestyle judging was presented at this year’s FEI Sports Forum and was welcomed by the participants,” FEI Dressage Committee Chairman Frank Kemperman said.
“The Freestyle is characterised by the most subjective judging elements of all FEI Dressage tests and continuous efforts should be made to further increase its objectivity. This will be beneficial to riders, judges, spectators and the entire sport,” he added. “Various new ideas will be explored during five rounds of testing and we are anticipating that the event will be an important step forward towards greater transparency in Freestyle judging.”
The conclusions reached as a result of the test event will be discussed by the FEI Dressage Committee.
The official 2013 Freesyle Test Event Proposal
1. Background
The format of the Freestyle does not make it easy to judge. The Freestyle is characterized by the most subjective judging elements among all Dressage tests and thus continuous efforts should be made to further increase its objectivity.
The artistic marks (rhythm, harmony, choreography, degree of difficulty and music) can make a huge difference in the overall judgement of a performance. If, for example, all judges give a mark of 10 for all artistic components, versus a mark of 9 for all artistic components, the difference from one judge to the other is 10% for the artistic side and 5% in the overall result.
2. Objective
To further increase consistency and accuracy in the judging of Freestyle competitions which will benefit athletes, judges and the Dressage sport in general.
3. Concerns
The format should not be further complicated due to the significant time-pressure faced by the judges during competition. Spectators want to get the results of athletes as soon as possible, meaning that a provisional score should be published shortly after the ride and not only one ride later.
4. Strategy
To conduct a test event in 2013 with several Freestyle test competitions where various new ideas can be tested and the results reported back for evaluation to the FEI Dressage Committee, the FEI Dressage Director and the FEI Dressage Judge General.
In each test competition the Ground Jury shall in a majority test a new format whereas the minority shall serve as a control group judging according to the current format (which allows a comparison of the test results against the normal results).
The following ideas are aimed to be tested:
- 4.1 Judging the degree of difficulty
- according to a defined catalogue of difficulties
- by asking riders to submit their Freestyle choreography (only diagrams, not video) to an appointed panel who will decide what their optimal mark for difficulty can be when they achieved a perfect test. In case of mistakes or errors, the judges only have to deduct from the optimal mark given by the experts (if execution is marked with less than 6, it is a minus)
- 4.2 Judging the interpretation of music according to detailed criteria (following FEI consultation of music experts)
- 4.3 Judging the choreography according to detailed criteria (following FEI consultation of choreography experts)
- 4.4 Judging in pairs of 2 so that one judge awards the technical marks and the other judge the artistic marks
- 4.5 Taking the marks for “rhythm, energy and elasticity” as well as “harmony between rider and horse” over to the technical side
- 4.6 Splitting “rhythm, energy and elasticity” into three marks for
- Walk
- Trot
- Canter and leave it on the artistic side OR take it over to technical side (2 tests)
- 4.7 Splitting “music and interpretation of the music” into two marks for
- Suitability of the music to the horse
- Interpretation of the music
- 4.8 Using smaller decimal points in the artistic part for more precision (currently only .5 possible)
- 4.9 Giving the JSP the opportunity to change marks in the Freestyle (procedural feasibility has to be checked with IT providers)
- 4.10 Merging “Choreography. Use of arena. Inventiveness” with “Music and interpretation of the music” so that there is only 1 mark for both
- 4.11 Splitting some technical marks in order to have more of them (the more items, the more precise the final result)
5. Implementation
- Location: Test event to be held 23/24 September in Warendorf (Germany)
- Travel: Closest airports to Warendorf are Münster-Osnabrück (FMO, 30min
away) and Düsseldorf (DUS, 100 min away).
- Accommodation: Ringhotel Mersch in Warendorf. Booking reference “FEI
Freestyle”. Email info@hotel-mersch.de ; Website www.hotel-mersch.de
- Statistical analysis: David Stickland
- IT provider: Hippodata
- Riders & horses: 10 riders willing to ride twice will most likely be selected from
the “Perspektivkader”, “S”, “B” and “B2” squad.
- Stabling: horses can be stabled directly at the venue
- Competition arena: The dressage competition arena used during
Bundeschampionate and Preis der Besten (CHEU qualifier Juniors/Young Riders) can be used. In case of bad weather the large indoor arena “Seminarhalle” is available.
- Warm-up arenas: Several warm up and training rings are available, the warm up being right next to the competition arena.
- Assistants (gate openers, runners, writers, computer operators): GER NF offers to involve national trainee dressage judges or even more experienced judges as writers.
Related Links
David Stickland: What's Wrong with the Freestyle Scoring?
Cees Slings: Is it Time for Freestyle 'Goal Line Technology'?
FEI Dressage Committee Minutes of 15 May 2013