WHEN a 20-something Ali Dane told her father she was training to judge dressage he exclaimed: “Will you have to put on seven stone and wear tweed?” There is still a wide perception that equestrians only take up officiating in their dotage. You can understand why: aside from tradition, officiating is one of the few equestrian activities people still do for “love”. Moreover, age discrimination legislation means judges are no longer forced to retire at pensionable age in many countries, reducing opportunities for the next generation.
But youngsters are making the cut – all possessing the rare qualities of patience, a commitment to lifelong learning and determination to raise the barriers to entry.
Ali (now 35, an event rider and coach based in Wantage, Oxon) still spends at least one afternoon a week shadowing other British Dressage (BD) judges, even when not “ramping up” for an exam.
“It’s the training and exams that take the time,” cautions Richard Baldwin, already a “veteran” at 38. “Once you are qualified you can take as little or as much judging as you like.”
Most fledgling judges are initially coaxed in by mentors who spot their potential. At 19,
Leanne Wall, from Aylesford, Kent, was encouraged to try by BD List One judge Mary-Anne Horn, when preparing for her British Horse Society exams.
“When I turned up for testing, Sally Merrison and Helen Webber thought I was the writer, not the judge!” she recalls.
She happily sat midway on BD List Three for five years, before tackling the ascent to List One. Consolidation in everything by “small stepping stones” is her philosophy.
この記事は Horse & Hound の December 03, 2020 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
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この記事は Horse & Hound の December 03, 2020 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
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