You weren't the only one coming back from there thinking WTF? Talked to someone else who competed at Winchester at the weekend and she made exactly the same comment, right down to the "held in, on forehand, submissive but will never advance were being placed waaayyy above the moving freely slightly green ones..."
Seems to be a big difference between how we are told to train and how the judges score?

That's why I don't do dressage, it's so inconsistent. I would cry. Haha.

I often wonder if judges have any idea at all what they should be looking for, or if they have any idea about how the training should progress in a horse.... or for that matter if they have read the guidelines at the start of each level. I also find it interesting that some horses get the marks they do. Actually talking to someone about Dressage she said that very few of the horses that do well at novice/Elementary/ Medium rarely go on to the higher levels... because they lack the ability.

Bill Noble said the same in an article I read on Horsetalk. He said the top Dressage horses had too much spunk to do any good in the lower levels... I console myself with that thought as I get crap marks in the lower levels hehehe

soooooo.... i hear they've been controversial again down in Canterbury???!

Not sure what happened but one of my Judges in 2.4 for movements 10 & 15 obviously hasn't read the test... it says at H/K half circle 10m to G/D returning to the track BEFORE K/H and I got for both - Hit track too early... ya show me where it says Before K/H but after E Hmmm maybe I should write to the judges convener regarding Judges having at least some knowledge of what the test says Yep i got a crappy mark but it was somewhat expected because the horse isn't yet properly balanced, and its not sour grapes.

good idea! bringing it to the judges attention I mean! Otherwise it'll just keep happening over and over... was there only one judge for it?

k-ouch! at least you would think that they would have at least read the test and know what the movements are!! havent had anything quite that bad in my few years of doing dressage...... i think it is a good idea to write in, itd bring it to their attention!!

I think the judges need to be held accountable. They get paid for their services, they need to do the job properly, if they don't and they get away with it it won't be long before it as a sport is ruined for a lot more than 2 or 3 people...

as prevoulsy stated by someone here, itll drive away the so badly needed numbers for the sport!! is very sad to see that not many people do not compete because of how unpredicatable the judges can be!