Judgement call

Judging is often seen as the preserve of the middle-aged and pensioners, so where will our future officials come from? Pippa Cuckson finds plenty of hope in the next generation

- Pippa Cuckson

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.