New system of judging ?

Recently The International Dressage Trainers Club had a meeting with Joep Bartels to discuss the 2003 Global Dressage Forum. An item was proposed concerning the improvement of the judges and rating system and the transparency of the international dressage-sport. On request of the IDTC an external expert, Mr. Hans van Zetten from the Netherlands, was asked to write a memo on the developments in other judges sports such as gymnastics and ice skating. The following formulation of problems and need for information was mentioned in this memo:

• Comparison of the Dressage-sport with other highly developed Olympic sports.
• The differences in scoring and placings.
• Allocation procedures of judges for important championships.
• Schooling/ educating, promotion/ degradation system of judges.
• Evaluation of judging during and after competitions.
• Placing of the judges around the arena.
• To maintain the tradition of the sport and make it more open and interesting to the media and the public.
• Overall view on making it more transparent

The presentation within an artistic sports discipline is being set up by way of a subjective interpretation of objective criteria. The objective criteria can be found in the rating prescriptions: what is allowed and what is not, which are bonus points or penalties. However it is mankind that has to apply these objective rules and standards referring to a subjective perception of the performance. The more rules and standards, the less space there is for subjectivity.

Example To give an impression of the enormous differences in details among the rating prescriptions of artistic sport disciplines:

• Figure skating women, men, pairs: in total 7 pages, A4 size, normal size of characters. No single movement is being described and/ or painted.
• Gymnastics women: over 200 pages, A4 size, and small size of characters. All movements are being described and painted. An average of six movements per page. This document changes every four years.

Conclusion of Mr. Van Zetten: It appeared that the judge and rating system in dressage shows many similarities with the current system within figure skating and ice dancing.

1. The system is not transparent.
2. The scores are unexplainable to the viewers on TV.
3. The individual judge has too much influence to the end result.

In Salt Lake City the systems of both figure skating and ice dancing have showed not to be conform to the requirements. In the new system figure skating will make use of up-to-date available information and ICT emphatically.

Extensive rating descriptions for dressage are a necessity for survival as an Olympic Sport, is the opinion of Mr. Van Zetten. Practical demonstrations and a discussion on this item will be part of the Global dressage Forum in 2003.