When the Score Doesn't Match the Ride - #252

How do you feel about this topic? Well, having just come back from school, I can relate to this topic very well, indeed.

Dressage scores, yeah.

I think, obviously, in the whole eventing season, you know, you make progress, your scores can get better, they can get worse.

We know, you know, this episode is not going to be about control the controllables because we've talked about that so many times and actually it gets a bit boring after a while.

But from my own experience, I have worked my ass off at it this season.

You know, the scores have improved as we go along.

You obviously go to school, which is a massive international with a massive atmosphere that actually you don't get to practice in the rest of the year.

You know, it's not something that you can practice in because there's no place quite like it, really.

Anyway, a lot of calmer, a lot of riding.

I was very happy with my pony.

I'd ridden it in the morning early, went down to do my test.

The atmosphere was obviously huge when you get down there.

Still really happy with him.

Went in, he stayed with me.

I thought I rode really well.

My position was really good without bigging up my own ego.

Yes, there's things that can be better.

There's always things that can be better.

But I came out feeling really, really pleased with that.

And then you get your score and he actually got a 40.8 or something, I think it was.

And I was actually full of disappointment more than anything because, you know, I felt like I couldn't have done any more.

I felt like I couldn't have ridden any better for the stage that we're at.

I felt like, you know, he'd kind of gone to the best of his ability.

and you come away you know even having done all this work on myself you talk about control of alls and all the rest of it but actually i did the thing i felt more than anything was just frustration because frustration and bloody dressage is actually what i came away thinking because you know you try your best you put in the hours your horse is more supple it's more uphill it's more obedient you're more accurate you know all of those things and it actually makes you come away and just be like seriously you know it's I know we always say it's about the process and not your results and all the rest of it but you know these big three days that we go to are you know they're they're the pinnacle of your season essentially they're everything that you've worked for and I think when you you go there and you feel like you've tried your best and it's absolutely worked out and you've worked your ass off for it you know whilst you've you've been there and throughout the season and then you they don't it's a snapshot in time how that judge has no idea what what your progress has looked like that season but i think the thing that really frustrates me is having improved probably by 50 you still you get a worse mark than you had the year before and i know it's different judges and different competitors and all that kind of stuff but you're kind of like like how is this possible what do you think

Yeah, no, 100%.