A real dressage test (borrowed from elsewhere - facebook)

[Claire]

A REAL DRESSAGE TEST

A. Enter in working trot.
...
X. Halt.
... G. Try to halt again.
C. Freeze in horror at judge's ferocious glare. Salute hurriedly. Track left.
H. Rustle of spectator's crisp packet.
H.X.F. Extended bolt.
F. Track right. (Just.)
F.A.K.E. Working gallop right.
E. Circle right 20 metres strange polyhedron.
E. Freestyle pirouette, change rein.
E.K.A.F.B. Counter canter, cross canter, camel canter.
B. Medium bird shuffling in bush.
B.X. Working spook left.
X. Freestyle piaffe.
X.K. Freestyle half pass (backwards).
K.E.H.C.M.B.F.A. Working trot (bouncing).
A. Veer right.
A.D.X.G. Extended walk.
G. Halt. Attempted immobility. Trembling salute. Leave arena walk on a long rein, muttering "You're for sale" under breath.

[nona]

 

Nona

[Thinkerbell]

My dad and I had a Haflinger once that was an absolute gem with my dad. I remember getting our snaffle out (normally he was ridden on a kimblewick) and attempted to ride a dressage test.

A. Enter in walk.
...
X. Halt. Salute. Trot.
...
C. Track right.
...
MBF. Trot. Continue over the rail at the end of the longside.
...
The End

[DebbieR]

A friend had a rather laid back Cleveland Bay. Her instructor was judging Bertie's first attempt at a dressage test - which he insisted on doing entirely in walk. We could practically see the car shaking as instructor shook helplessly with laughter!

Probably the only scoresheet with the comment "Try oats!" on it! 

[Bradders]

 

[Heather]

 

[cirocco]

Thank you for that, its really cheered me up.

[crdodgeon]

E. Circle right 20 metres strange polyhedron.

Yup! Brilliant, thanks for sharing 

[ChrissieW]

 

[maggiesmum]

I once took a 16yo retired (advanced) dressage horse to a small unaffiliated competition to do a prelim test, I was 17 and he was showing me the ropes. The little  snorted, spooked and generally refused to go anywhere near the boards - our test sheet said he was a baby that would do a nice test when he got used to the boards 

[Mossy]

I once took a 16yo retired (advanced) dressage horse to a small unaffiliated competition to do a prelim test, I was 17 and he was showing me the ropes. The little  snorted, spooked and generally refused to go anywhere near the boards - our test sheet said he was a baby that would do a nice test when he got used to the boards 

    Reminds me of a recent letter in Nag and Woof about a woman who was hunting with her son. Another rider commented on her horse and suggested she should event him one day. She was riding Supreme Rock!!

[DebbieR]

They just love to show us up don't they! Our loan horse, Duke, did all his first season's tests in the 5 metre strip up the middle of the arena - he couldn't possibly go near the horse-eating white boards 

[Icy Lady]

 

[lmevans]

I too am familiar with the movements 'working spook' and 'strange polyhedron'  and actually we are quite accomplished at them 


In one of Noosa's early tests... judge's comment read "mare is showing a very promising piaffe, what a pity this is preliminary level"

and on more than one occasion we've had "tactfully ridden" and "well sat" as she's tried her best to kill the boards, jump the car, annihilate the flower boxes, and generally show me up at every turn.

and we're had people in the collecting ring, on seeing her bare feet, snaffle bridle and neck strap, say "ah, bless, is she just young?" when she was 13 or 14 years old and really knew better 

[Larri DB]

One of our funniest was

A enter at working trot
X catch sight of judges box
Reverse down centre line at speed, rear spin combo at A
Crab back up centre line, at X reverse at speed.

We repeated again before retiring (dis) gracefully. 

One of my faves was where she went round the entire test doing comic spooks and going waaaah / lalalalala/ waaaah. I was trying to keep a straight face, but it was when we came down the centre line and she neatly dropped a shoulder and took off to try and escape out the gate between H & C and I spotted the judge and writer howling with laughter that I gave in with a complete fit of the giggles. The judge said it might not have been the best dressage she'd seen but we should have a prize for being the most entertaining of the day