Favorite comments on tests

[Spudsmyguy]

Several years ago, riding my mustang in a schooling show. Doing our 20m circle at A, halfway around she spots a jump standard someone has stashed outside the ring. She slams on the brakes snorting and staring at the “monster” for at least two or three very long minutes. Judge’s comment was “loss of forward motion.”

I have found that when your test goes to shit and the judge has to find something nice to say it’s “Elegant Pair.” I’ve received that comment more than once riding a tubby mustang who moved like a sewing machine at times.

[DownYonder]

Not my test, but many years ago I was calling a Training Level test for a friend, a very nice older lady on a been-there, done-that schoolie. Rider asks mare for canter but uses wrong aids and mare dutifully picks up counter-canter. They get to B where they are supposed to canter a 20m circle. Mare counter-canters a few strides of the circle, then quietly and smoothly changes leads to true canter and they proceed on. I don’t think the rider even realized she was on the wrong lead or that the mare had changed.

From the judge’s box I hear a lot of giggling. Of course I am grinning too because I knew that mare well and she was so smart. It was like she thought - “Wait, this is training level. There isn’t supposed to be counter-canter in this test!”

Rider got a decent score for the test even with an appropriate markdown for the incorrect lead. In the comments, the judge had written “No counter-canter required in this test. Smart horse fixed it for you!” With three smiley faces.

[2DogsFarm]

[quote=“Mulligan314, post:84, topic:433176”] In
the video, it looks like I’m wearing NOTHING.
[/quote]

Late to the party, but
I have a photo of me at an Eventing clinic.
Wearing beige breeches & a borrowed black vest - the old kind with the strap that went between your legs.
Photo taken from the back, as we jumped a log.
Looks like I’m wearing a thong… over nothing

@DMK
My first ever Driven Dressage (ADS CT) I had a brainfart & only did 1/2 my first circle before heading down the rail to the next figure.
The second I heard the whistle I knew what I’d done
They let me have a re-do & complete the test. Judge’s comment was:
“Did not get flustered when off course”