How fun
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Back when my daughters were teens they rode English and Western. We went to a dressage schooling show and I asked permission if my one daughter could ride a test in western tack. She was going to use a snaffle bit and ride two handed. The deal was she was going to finish with a canter down the center line to a sliding stop. They said NO.
What a shame. It was like politics butting up to the Rep/Dem divide. I’ve never in my life ever been able to accept the inability to have some fun and celebrate all differences. People disappoint me.
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Just do that same thing in a dressage saddle. I’ve always wondered what a judge would say to a sliding stop lol
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Sliding stops on the wrong footing are a really bad idea.
That sort of request needs to be ironed out in advance. Someone is getting paid to judge dressage, not to watch a kid do her own thing on a pattern.
I would have said no, can you tell ?
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@Djones jones I was going to say the same thing about the footing. My sister is a reiner and is sooooo picky on footing. She was at a reining venue even and found the footing too sticky and her horse locked his stifle doing a sliding stop and was out for the remainder of the year. I know dressage/hunter/jumper footing is a lot different (as in sticky/fibre footing) which is no good for sliding stops and sliding shoes. She picks and chooses her shows now based on footing.
Sorry OP, off topic here! I originally opened it as I thought you were talking about Boyd Exell and Prince Phillip, both very into Combined Driving
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It was at a benefit ’ fun show ’ type venue and the tests were on dirt. About like the arenas at 4-H. I also told them it could be HC, not scored.
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Probably something along the lines of ‘abrupt’ and some comments about the disrupted rhythm, lack of [dressage-defined] balance, squareness, and stepping backwards out of the slide. 
I’m not a judge and I don’t play one on TV, but depending on the judge I’d expect to see a 1-4 score for a slide.
I’m actually kind of surprised that this was their first time ever riding “western” sounds like they were good sports though and made an honest effort. Boyd’s giant belt buckle was hilarious. I wish there was more video of it but I suppose that would just get picked apart.
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Dressage attracts people with attention to detail and accuracy. Shrug.
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TBH, I thought Boyd Exell and a horse whose barn name was Philip…
@cattywampus - lol!!!
Boyd (Excell) is in the area and doing a clinic so I really thought this thread was about him ha ha! A friend of mine is doing his clinic with a pair of ponies (family bred ones) and I’m so excited for her!! What an opportunity!!
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Wouldn’t this be in the driving forum were it that Boyd?
Back at the dawn of time, the dressage was in a field with very short grass on a very rainy day. Total slop. My good little soldier trucked straight down the center line and his halt became a sliding stop. Straight and round and on his hocks. The judge gave a 5, “loss of balance”. It may not have been what she was looking for but it certainly had balance!
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No sense of humor! Now Western Dressage is a thing. And very popular!
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I can’t believe Phillip tucked his jeans into his boots! Oh well, how’s he supposed to know that isn’t done.
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One year at ponyclub rally, we had Molly, who’s horse was Amy, and the team across the aisle, had Amy who’s horse was Molly.
As a driving fan, I admire Boyd E as well.
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That would be the logical assumption, but my brain jumps to conclusions.
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She was doing a dressage show, not reining, Agree about the different footing.
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