Ignore I misread
I replied to the OP originally but you ignored that and carried on with incorrect information. Itās not personal itās just twice now people posting misinformation.
Getting 30s to 40s in dressage means youāre scoring UP TO 70 from 50. Not in the 70s
Big difference in scoring in the 20s in Eventing and scoring in the 30s.
Also Prelim is less than 1st Level.
Thanks for coming to my Ted talk.
Side note why do ppl on the forum like posts with misinformation in them. Happens a lot on here lol
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Sorry for the lack of knowledge on 3D v Dressage scoring. When kiddo and horse had a 30 in Prelim or whatever they were showing in; it was a āgood scoreā and the tests looked complicated to me. DD said she always schooled a level above where she was competing. Thank you for the clarifications.
After reading every post (some more than once) --I have at this point decided to enter Intro Test C and Training Level Test 1. Friday DD former trainer/instructor came here (he had lessons at the venue and then came here --short distance). Some good news is that my ring has the exact same footing as the venue! Secondly (and he really did say this) he saw āimprovementā in my riding of the horse!!! Yeah!!!
Horse (HJ) and I did some warm ups (instructor said the 30 min of lunging could be cut in half, HJ knows the drill). Then the instructor made suggestions on hands (keep elbows in) and maintaining a bend in HJ by sponging inside hand. Said he did a good job ālifting his shoulderā when I did that (is this something I should feel?).
We worked on the canter transition ā better to the right than the left --all rider error. Suggested focusing on left transition. Made suggestions on where to do transisitions based on the test. FYI HJ has a bold trot, massive stride (did I mention he is well over 18 hh?) I had to ask for a more forward trot and wow! is it there --I was letting him laze along.
Anyway, a ;little work on the halt to encourage HJ to halt square (he does when asked, didnāt know asking was a thing one did by lightening in the saddle) --just lift out of the saddle the tiniest bit and hold the weight off --HJ stops and squares. And count to three before we salute.
I am SO HAPPY with the help of COTH we narrowed the test choice to Intro C and Training 1. I have been trying to memorize all Intro and Training --ach! Two is enough. If this is fun and successful, maybe next year we try First level.
August 13 is my one and only Dressage show --Mounted Archery and Fox Hunting take a lot of weekends after that!
Thank you again for all the help!!!
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Indeed it does. Hmmmm, not sure I gave āmisinformationā but you be you, mkay?
Back to ignoringā¦again.
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I couldnt really guage your experience butā¦
Do you normally ride in a small or large arena? Is youre brain going to get jacked up of your intro c lands in a small?
Whats your plan when you ride around the outside and say hi to the scribe?
Are you going to have your coach there to warm you up?
Make sure friend reading test actually knows how to read a test.
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@MapleBreeze: thank you for ur response! My experience is limited to 5 dressage lessons in the 1970s; then many years of watching 3 kiddos and one granddaughter practice and show dressage (1986-2015 or so). I also did quite a bit of riding their horses practicing dressage to free up their time to work with second horses on stadium and CC. Their horses at that time were prelim-intermediate level. From watching them, I know to ride around the outside of the ring both ways and say good day to the scribe. I am working with a trainer/instructor who gives private lessons at the venue. He suggested I immediately reset my large ring to small. I have done so. Trainer/instructor will likely attend show as he has students showing there. I plan to do as much of my usual warm up as space allows (not sure I can lunge there), then hand off the horse to the groom (daughter who gave horse to me in Nov when he was no longer suited for jumping). She will do all the tidying up while I putt on my brand new white breeches, cute stock tie thing and pull on my shiny black 55year old Dahners. I will mount ever so carefully and continue to warm up until I am called. DD will hand mr my coat, do a final wipe of my boots, make sure I have my gloves, say a silent prayer and enter the ring. 
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Most people go around the ring in the direction they turn first in the test. Unless there is a specific reason to go both directions? Sometimes you may not have time for that, just a heads up.
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Good point! Us old timers can be caught out by the fact that they shortened the time you get after the bell is rung to get into the ring. (In 2007, but those who havenāt shown in a long time might not know that.) You now have 45 seconds, which as pointed out above is NOT enough time to get around the outside of the whole ring.
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At a schooling show at least, as soon as the horse before you leaves the arena you can start riding around the outside, say hello to the scribe and give them your number (helps them ensure they have your test sheet ready) and ride around while they finish the comments and such on the test prior. When the bell rings, you have 45 second to enter. As Jealoushe said, if the test is going to have you turn left at C, I turn left to enter the arena at A, so Iām more steadily on the corret rein. I circle outside at A to ensure Iām on that reinā¦and in I go 
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Good plan! I cant count the number of riders who dont go both ways in front of the judge. The horses left and right eyes dont always communicate lol. What may be fine in one direction becomes scary in the other. As soon as the rider before you salutes, even while they are still exiting the ring, you can start your trot around. Use all the time you can to acclimate your horse to the competition arena area. As a judge, I try to ring the bell while the rider is heading down the long side, not up the long side, to allow an expeditious entry without them needing to turn around or speed around the ring. Sometimes it doesnt work out that way though.
Oh, and your turn onto the center line approach at A should happen āinsideā of the letter not beyond. Much easier to yield a bit to center line than steer back to the center line.
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If there was ever proof that the judges are on your side, here it is.
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Lately ive started taking the lap in the direction i want to enter and then ill halt and wait around e and wait for the bell. I hate getting half way around that second lap and having to turn around and come in on the direction im worse at - it just disturbs the flow.
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Keep in mind short dressage courts can be used for intro and training level.
Your transitions will happen faster.
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@shall: the first thing I did was move my marker stones so that my large dressage ring is now a small dressage ring 
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Big plus+++ to practice in the small space. My big motor young horse tried for me, but we sucked. Iām trying again with him now that I am retired. It should be fun.
My trainers have always told me to train higher then you show. So for you, show Intro a,b,c and train training level,first level. And when you start training higher start showing training level, first level, etc.
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As was pointed out up thread, you 100% can make it around both ways before your time is up, provided you start as soon as the previous rider salutes AND youāre not walking. Use that time to ensure you have forward and back with transitions.
You canāt really say 100%. I have gone to shows where as soon as I started walking up they rang the bell.
Rarely would I have the time to go around more than once in only one direction. Also a lot of places donāt even have room to turn around once you are going. Also, each horses warm up should be focused on what that horse needs. Some may need transitions, other may need a little lateral work, etc.
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Small bits of advice you might find usefulā¦ 1. Donāt warm up and then stand to watch the rider before you. I used to do this and Iād be struggling to get the connection all over again. It takes stamina, but you should be riding right until the moment you are called to the ring. These days I literally trot from the warmup into the ring, halt in front of judge to say my name and test, and then resume work until the bell/horn goes off. I of course am huffing and puffing and cursing the judge for not ringing the bell soon enough, but so it goesā¦ 2. You are permitted to warm up in the ring which I now do rather than go around the outside (which is NOT where the test is ridden). This ensures my horse sees everything from the perspective of the test. When the bell rings you can exit the ring and reenter at A or just turn down centerline. 3. Make sure your reader is not yelling into the wind. BTDT 4. No humorous under-the-breath comments to your reader as you go by or they may dissolve in laughter and not be able to read the test. Which very nearly happened to me last week when my friend thundered down the long side on her 17.2 mare in a just barely controlled medium canter. 5. Scores of 6.5 and below must have comments. Scores of 7 and above have comments that are not critical, but designed to tell you what you need more of to get an even higher score. (Wish Iād known that much earlier could have spared some tears). Have fun!
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I donāt know where you live, but in the U.S. the only time Iāve seen anyone warm up in the ring is in an indoor arena where there is no track around the outside of the test area, and then only at a schooling show.
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